The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1858-05-27

k0o01G9-So0060Eo
Crattendon Up % tho mark.
1t will be seen, by reference to our news CO.
lumns to-day, that the boarding of American
vessels on the coast Of Cuba is still continued
by the British cruisers.
The spirit recently exhibited in Congress 4,
this subject will commend itself to the good
sense OF the country and meet with universal
approval. Senator Toombs has made bold
and able speech on the question, and has probed
the subject to the quick in half dozen places.
Senator Crittenden has also spoken like man.
In saying that "wsr is not the worst of evils
silent submission to wrong, or pulling about 1t
for while, and then suffering it to pass, is not
the course for great people, and is worse than
war;" he has spoken volumes Of truth. Mr.
Dowdell, Of Alabama, and Mr.. Bocock, of
Virginia, in the House, have also treated
the subject in a proper spirit. II is
significant fact that these gentlemen should
be found animated by the same spirit
and expressing identical feelings and sentiments.
Such must ever be the case with men who have
the real good of their country at heart, when
ever great question arises to override all quee-
tons of local difference.
The assertion by the British government of
the right of search upon the high seas is ques-
ton of this kind. 1t does not involve simple
question of the extinction of the African slave
trade Under cover of that specious pre-
text it is high handed attempt
by British insolence to introduce a new and
aagitious principle into the code of information
al law. 1t is an attempt to endow the British
navy in time of peace with right which all
the old authorities declare to be purely bel
ligerent right-one under which they might
hsrrass and break up our trade in any part Of
the world, as they have done the legitimate
Spanish trade to Fernando Pc and other
Spanish possessions in Africa, and as it has en-
deavored to do with our trade on thst coast.
Alas the day whenever British cruisers shall
be permitted to overhaul the merchant vessels
of other nations upon the ocean in time Of
peace. We shall then have the state Of things
that once existed under the old "Orders in
Council" and the Berlin and Milan decrees"
without the accompanying war. The position
taken by Senator'S Toombs and Crittenden shows
that the day has gone by when an American
ship in order to sail upon the ocean must have
'sea letter" from William Pitt aud "rescript'
from Napoleon.
There are men-old fogies-vho want to
watt but they always want to wait; they are
never ready for anything; they are eternally
afraid of a fuss There are others-some who
claim to be journalists--that are already back
ing down on this question, either under pretence
that the particulars of the outrages are magnifed
or that il was not Palmerstm, but Lord
Derby, who gave the obnoxious orders or some
other equally frivolous pretext. But we do not
care fig whether the particulars are magnifed,
or not, or whether Palmerston or Derby gave
the orders to insult our flag. The simple fact
Of heaving to our ships on the high sea consti-
tutes the outrage, however politely 1t be done.
The true reason why some Of the newspapers
are endeavoring to palliate this exhibition OF
British insolcnce is because they see that II Is q
question that will override the senseless slavery
sgitstion-one where Toombs and Crttenden
can stand side by side like Americans and
patriots; and because they ympsthize with this
British attempt to stir up the fires Of sectional
discora here, for the purpose Of injuring our
material development and our national pro-
greS- They wish to reanimate the expiring
agitation upon the slavery question, and they
are very willing TO accept British aid and in
suit TO do 1t.