Fremont journal. [volume] (Fremont, Sandusky County [Ohio]) 1853-1866, 1858-06-04
FROM WASHINGTON.


nizing the mission Of tho United States and
England To be for tho preservation of ponce
could not sacrifice the rights of honor o.
the county 10 any issue whatever. He
could not consider that this succession oI
outrages was the mere act Of individual m.
val officers. They we're owing doubtless to
the orders Of tho English Admiral, at ia
maica, who in turn had received orders from
bis government. 1t was suspicious cir
cumstanes that these outrages caine imme-
diately after the refusal by this government
of certain demands made by England re-
specting the Slave Trade.
Mr.. Hale moved to amend the amend.
ment to the effect that the acts of tho Brit
ish are bolligerent in character, and should
be resisted by all the power Of the country
He considered the acts Of tho British gov.
ernmont should bo met by acts aud not by
documents.
Mr.. Mallory withdrew his amendment ia
favor Of Mr.. Hale's.
Mr.. Toombs was in favor of Mr.. Hale.
amendment; and further, that the British
war ships in the Gulf should be seized and
brought 10 our own ports or sunk, and that
we should be satisfied with nothing short Of
this.
Messrs. Seward and Douglas spoke in ia.
vor of the spirit Of the resolutions-th lat
ter taking the ground that the Wabash bc
sent to follow and bring in the Styx.
Mr.. Seward Of N. Y. expressed the con.
currenco Of himself and the minority of the
Committee in the spirit of the resolution
The assumption Of great Britain is founded
on force, and is claimed by no other except
they, who like her, claim the mastery Of tho
seas. But the United States set out to be
equal to any nation, and cannot permit an
atfectation of superiority by any power
oven in the modified form of visitation
The right of search by police, at sea, is iden-
teal with that on land. Any one may
seize pirates at sea, and culprits on shore
but no does it at his peril. If the arrested
party be a culprit, he is abandoned to jus.
tice; If not, it is an aggression, and the ag-
gressor is liable TO make rcparation. The
nation will never permit its flag to be pros
tituted to purposes of piracy, but it must
resist every aggression on its peaceful COM
mercc. He had not looked in the law
books for the technical objections to the
right Of search. 1t is enough that it can.
not be permitted-that is an aggression on
tho equality of nations-that it is an at.
tempt to exercise superiority over this ma.
ton. There are seven members on the
Committee on Foreign Affairs, and, nat.
urally, there is some diversity of opinion
as to the torms, but the substance of the
resolutions was satisfactory to all. Each is
ready to accept any other form of words
that will express the frmnOss, dignity and
moderation that becomes great nation, in
expressing its opinion on great question
No prudent man believes that the British
government has ordered these aggressions
with a view to urge a war on this country
They arc acts of war, but all know that if
Britain wanted to begin war with the
United States, she would not begin it with
gun-bcat. Although they may have
originated in misapprehension of orders,
the executive properly and promptly deter
mined not to wait for explanations, nor to
recognize that any explanation can be given,
which can concode the right of visitation
or of search. He fully endorsed this promp-
titude of action, and in sending to the
Gulf force sufficient to sink every British
cruiser.
Mr.. Douglas asked what good docs it do
10 resolve that this search is belligerent
act. The American people and the English
know that England was informed SO 40
years ago, and yet she has violated our
rights SO times within the past four weeks.
He commended and admired the prompt
ness with which the President had sent a
forco TO the Gulf; but that force is only up
to the point of preventing. Do you sup
suppose it will ever find an opportunity, un-
less ship of war be sent to accompany
every merchant vesseli The Senator from
N. Y. was wrong in saying that our force
could sink the British in the Gulf. The
British have three guns there to our one.
1t is brave indeed, to think that our ono
sink their three. He recommended anoth-
er force. Let a ship of war, (say the Wa
bash,) get on the track Of the Styx or Buz-
zard, follow her up, capture her and bring
her into an American port, and it will then
bring truce to mako explanations. If
England ayows the cruisers acts, it only
becomes an international question. If she
disavows the acts, is only remains to say,
what punishment We shall inhict on those
lawless persons, who have perpetratod those
outrages.
The President having gone as far as he
can 60, let him have at once such powers as
arc necessary to protect our flag and main
tain the rights Of our citizens at home and
abroad. He had no fear of the abuse OF
such power by tho present Executive or any
that may follow him. The President is
almost powerless abroad; every other chief
magistrate has not only the power to repeal
but to punish such outrages on his nation
alities, and why should not the chief mag
istrato of the Republic have power, ample
and full in aid of our flag, and instead of hav
ing any apprehension that that power viii
be abused, Mr.. Douglass only fear was that i
would not be exercised often enough. W.
cannot protect our commerce in tho Gul
and Caribbean Sea without power in the
Executive to punish promptly. Tho Brit
ish name is respected and ours despiset
among the Spanish Americans, because the
British take instant rcparation, whereas the
Mexicans and other weaker republics know
that the President has no instant power anc
in the delay of negotiations reParstion il
lost.
Mr.. Douglas held therefore to the gener
ai t,oliev IN kacn the ProsiIanf clothad will