Cooper's Clarksburg register. [volume] (Clarksburg, Va. [W. Va.]) 1851-1861, 1858-05-28
tie prosperity of the city to which they
owe cir existence, should not be legar-
ded with Indifference by those interested.
= ours truly and respectfully,
ia p. Ct. VAN WIsKLE. President.
Rcent british outrages.

outrages perpetrated on American vessels
by British cruisers, seem at last to have
awakened propersindignationI in the right
quarter. Truly, NE are long. suffering
people in the day of our strength not less
than in the earlier period of our national
infancy. From first to last. our govern.
ment has not failed to deny totally the
assumed right of search claimed by Great
Britain, yet in no instance yet recorded,
has the violent invasion of the deck of an
American vessel by the officials of that
government met with prompt and inn
mediate resistance or reprisal We were
forced into the war of 1919, only after
an unexampled forbearance. Hundreds
of our vessels had been searched in quick
succession, and thousands of our seamen
impressed into the British Naval service,
before the first efficient movement or ma
tional resentment. And after war OF
brilliant victories won by our flag, trea-
ty of peace was concluded, which at
tempted nc. adjustment of the real cause
of quarrel.
By tacit accord, the two nations appa.
rently agreed to dis agree on the question
of the abstract right of search and the
right Of naturalization. In the hope that
severe conflict was sufficient to induce
temporary forbearance on the part Of
Great Britain, our government trusted to
time for more complete yindication of
the rights of our citizens.
| Great Britain continued to assert the
right of search, but ceased to exercise it
for the purpose and under the pretext Of
claiming authority over every British bonn
sailor employed on an American craft.
But on this claim to the right of search.
British insolence has long since found OPP
portunity and pretext for renewed ag-
gression. No longer proposing TO search
American vessels, for the purpose of i'm.
pressing our naturalized citizens under
the absurd doctrine of perpetual aIlegi-
ance, the English Ministry have assumed
a still laughter pretence of claim to ex-
ercise police supervision over the mer>
chants vessels of every foreign nation.
Hitherto the African coast has furnished
the theatre for occasiona acts of violence
towards American merchant men, afford
ing repeated instances of formal com
plant, made through diplomatic and con-
sular agents to the government at Wash
ington, which has not failed to remon,
strate-without, however, securing in q
single instance, so far as our memory
serves us, anything in the shape of repair
alton. Forbearance was then the policy
and we are now reaping the fruit Of exces,
sive charity towards nation whose for
eign POLICY is proverbially unscrupulou.
and aggressive.
But this policy was not altogether de-
void of wisdom. To those who have
watched the advances made by the ma
tions of the earth in favor of commercial
freedom during the las! thirty years, i
will not seem probable that internationa
consent might finally extinguish the doc
trine of the right of search, without 6
hostile conflict. The maritime law O
nations is not fixed and complete code
1t is in its infancy, and is now dependen
for mature development. on the mutu
al convenience Of nations. as displayed
in the necessities of increasing com
merce. We find much reason to coincid
in the opinion that these very neces
sites must eventually prevail to over
throw doctrine which opens the doc
to every species of annoysnc and OBJ
struction to the commercial interest o
the world.
Indeed, the universal enthusiasm callet
forth by the late European attempt, a
the Congress of Paris, in favor of tn
rights of commerce, has furnished t
Great Britain serious warning agains
the indulgence OF her favorite tendecy t
aggressive restriction. We do not believ
that the British Government would hav
ventured on any signal assertion of tn
right of search, in the absence of extraor
. binary pretexts, under the shadow o
which she could hope to win the acqui
escence and fatter the prejudices of he
European neighbors. Such pretexts hav'
been furnished in manner sufficient TO
{ European acceptance, by small numbe
of adventures. and certain class of pol
iticians in our midst. The unauthorized
fitting out of hostile expeditions agains
friendly powers, the applause which ha!
greeted such attempts. and the late move
ment, real or pretended, in favor of the
re opening of the slave trade, furnish pre-
texts, which are indeed mere pretences
but which may be made available to jus
tify the late aggressions of Great Britain
IN the sight OF the great powers of Eu,
rope. Doubtless, we have to thank the
hllbusters and the advocates aud apollo.
gIsts of the African slave trade for an in.
yasiOn of commercial rights which q ay
do much to retard the fnal internationa
vindication if the just immunities Of law
iul commentator outrages against oul
citizens and insults to our national flag
possibly, for an ultimate alternative Of
national dishonor. or a ruinnous wa.
with a powerful nation.
But whatever may be the cause. the
pretext, or the consequence British ag.
erosion has reached point WHICH leaves