The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1859-05-13
HE DISPATCH


ERtOAF MOkNlN6.-..... ......s ss....sMh u" -
Neutral Rsghts.
strong appreheasions have been expressed
by some Of our contemporaries, that IN the
event Of general European war; our wa
,ers may be again subjected to a system oil
police By the belligerent powers. Inc day
when England, claiming to be mistress Q.
The s,ss, kent q naval force continually upon
our coasts. oyerhauled our merchantmen to
scnrch for dcserters from her ships, fired into
our national ships, and harrassed our CON-
MERGE at her pleasure. is still remembered
with nervous anxiety by many Of our breth-
rem. But they seem to forget how wonder
fully the world has changed since that far
distant period. England Is no longer mis-
tress Of the ocean. France is iu condi-
ton to dispute the supremacy Of the seas
with her, and we are not disposed to sub
nit to any claim which cannot be support
ed BY physical strength. Besides, II should
be recollected that we were but an infant in
those DAYS, and now we are giant. Let
sreri cav what they may about the magma
ninitv of this nation, or the generosity Of
that. they all-evefy one Of them--treat
nation able and ready to protect its
own rights with far more consideration
than they do a nation that is not able to
make her rights respected. One of the great
Powers of Europe would not hesitate to do
to Parma or Greece what it would not dare
TO do to any Of its equals. Nations are like
noted duellists. Put q lot of these gentry
together, at watering place or at hotel,
or 10 any other situation in which they are
compelled to associate with each other, and
they will be the politest Of men TO each
other. whatever they may be to the rest OF
the world. So it is with great nations
They will not hesitate to run over small
power, upon the slightest pretext; but they
do not like to provoke their equals. When
England was in the habit OF overhauling
our ships in our own waters, and impress
ing our seamen, whenever she had occasion
to recruit her crews, we numbered only five
or six millions Of souls. Now we are a ma
ton of 10000, 600. As a general rule, we
have nothing to fear for our commerce.
There may be occasional vexations and in
tsrruptions, but they will all be apologised
for. 20
In her wars with the first Napoleon, Eng
land undertook to do the commerce of the
whole world. at the same time that she was
at war with the whole world. To support
those anomalous pretensions, she declared
all the ports of France in state of block
ada-that is. she blockaded all Europe, for
France was mistress of the Continent. All
the ships that ever were built could not
have kept up such blockade, so she sub
s.ituted a paper system for real ships and
guns. She rendered our vessels liable to
seizure for trading with ports before which
she had not a single man-of-war, and did
seize and confiscate them without mercy
The French Emperor, not to be behind bis
enemy in folly and injustice, blockaded the
British Isles, and as he had no vessels to back
his pretensions, he confscated all the YES
sells that came into his ports after having
suffered themselves to be searched by the
English. To these atrocious outrages, onr
Government replied by embargoes, and nom
importation acts, manifestiug as much eau
ton in drawing the sword, as though the
handle were of red hot iron. This timo-
rous behaviour only encouraged the two
great bullies, and the partizans of England
Especially treated our measures with con-
tempt, declaring that we could not be kick
ed into a war. 1t is not SO now. and the
nations know it is not so. Captain Wey-
mouth, commanding a vessel trading be-
tween this port and New York, in the year
1906, was overhauled within sight of Sandy
Hook by British man-ofwar, which fred
several shots at him, and compelled to lie
to until his vessel had been boarded and
his crew inspected, to ascertain whether or
not there were any British subjects among
them. No nation now in existence, dare
attempt such an atrocity at this day. 1t
would be the signal of instantaneous war.
No Administration could restrain the fury
it would excite.
Free ships make free goods, is the Amer,-
can doctrine; and this doctrine, it is to be
hoped, no American government will ever
abandon That the flag protects the per-
sons which it covers, and The property, pro-
vided it be not contraband of war, is po-
sition founded in reason, and not to be con-
troverted by any species of augmentation
d based upon mere expediency. That ships,
bearing neutral flag, may trade to any
port of belligerant, not blockaded by a
squadron sufficiently numerous to keep them
out, is reasonable, and proper because rea.
sonable. Although Great Britain denied
these principles during her long wars with
Napoleon, and uniformly acted in direct OPP
position to them, yet they are so just that
they have enlisted the heart of the world in
their favor. After all, however, physical
strength is far better guaranty for nation
al rights than treaties or principles. That
we have to such an extent that none of the
forthcoming belligerants are likely to pro-
yoke rilu Tf 10 frua
Britain, after all our negotiations, has not
abandoned the right of search; but we are
disposed to think she will be very cautious
in exercising it. Besides our great increase
OF strength within the last half century.
81 there are other causes which tend to render
war with her far more improbable event
than it was fifty years ago She cannot do
without our agricultural productions. She
must have our -four to feed her population,
and our cotton to supply her manufactures.
Besides, the facilities of communication have
increased to such an extent that we are no
longer strangers to each other, as We were
at the former period. The people of the two
countries know each other, and entertain
against each other none of those sentiments
OF hostility which formerly existed. This
same thing may be said of France and Ger
many. Indeed, throughout Western Eu-
rope there are few families, in the middle or
lower walks of life, that have not friends
and relations in this country, adopted citi-
zens of the republic, with whose fate their
own welfare is identified. All these consi
derations intervene to moderate the ambi-
ton of monarehs and assemblies, and to
make war with US remote and improbable
contingency. eaa re
Eject Of the War upon Americas sri.
calfaral Products and American Seen
rifles.
The effect which the war, now regarded
as inevitable, is likely to have upon these
two objects of American interest. is the
subject of discussion not only in the