The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1860-07-12

A brief extract was published yesterday,
from warlike article in the London Times,
on the Sar Juan Island occupation. Below is
the article entire which will be read with in-
terest:
There is no class of her citizens of which
America has better reason TO be proud than of
the officers of her army. Educated for the
most part, In the delightful and romant tic soli-
tude OF West Point, shut out from the busy
| world around them by a gigantic chain of
mountains on the one side, and the circling
course OF the Hudson on the other, and SUBJ
lected to discipline which teaches them TO
command themselves and others, the officers
OF the American ef'vdy join TO a full share of
the national intelli@ li@sGCe al amount of modes
~ aad gentlensss " isshs We may be permitted
fellow countrymeu re sUIne other more bril-
liant qualities. In the pursuance OF profess
sion peculiarly arduous aud i'll remunerated,
possessed OF The kno rrledge which, according
10 the European system, Is su boiyided among
half dozen services, thoroughly understand
ing the duties OF infantry and cavalry officers,
excellent artiilerlsts and admirable engineers
the officers OF the American army are among
the bravest, the most enduring and the most ac-
compl!shed OF their profession. We have in two
wars had ample reason to respect thsir skill
and daring and while we have often had but
100 Inuch reason TO complain OF the treatment
we have received from statesmen who have
sought TO improve their political position by
pandering to some popular prejudice against
satisfied with the gen ntlemanlike and consider
ate conduct Of the officers OF the American
army.
1t has been, however, at last our misfortune
TO light upon signal exception, in a man who,
IT is q ute evident, will leave nothing untrieo
In order 10 mbroIi the United States with
nation which feels the heartiest good will to-
wards them, aud has no other desire than that
they should go on increasing year by year
and working ont the destiny which a partial
| fortune has reserved for them, il they will
only be content with it. We cannot trace in
| the conduct of the American government or
OF it's military ommanders-aiWays with the
exception OF General Harney-the Sigh test
| wish TO disturb the good understanding which
has hitherto so happily prevailed between
England and the United States on the west
ern side OF the American continent. But Gen
| eral Harney chose TO seize upon an island
| which had hitherto remained in our undis-
putsd possession, and the American claim TO
| which We were perfectly willing TO consider
| and discuss in the most am icable manner. He
| was permitted to land troops upon, and to take
| armed possession of the island of San Juan,
| on pretence which he himself was forced to
| admit 10 be utterly groundleks and this at q
| time when, owing to our oyerpow-
| eriug numerical superiority, the officer
| who offered us this unprovoked insult
| was entirely at our mercy. While he
| seized by armed violence the subject of
| contention, we contented ourselves with
| simple remonstrance and negotiation, thus
| giving the most conclusive proof of our de-
1
| should not come through US. The government
| of the President met us, it must be allowed,
| in 8 conciliatory spirit. 1tdid not, indeed d o
what the occasion really demanded-recall
| and disayow General Harney; but it did the
| next best thing--it sent out General Scott, an
| officer deSeryecly looked up 10 by his fellow
| conntrymen, covered with laurels won in
| many well contested field, and possessing
| that moderate and conciliatory spirit which
| is 50 often the accompaniment OF true bra
| very.
General Scott, feeling, we suppose, from his
| Instructions, some difficulty in absolutely
overruling General Harneys ill-advised az.
gression, offered a Joint occupation Of the Is
| land OF San Juan an offer W. 6ich, though at
| first declined, we were Afterwards willing TO
act upon. At this moment the northern point
| OF The island Of San Juan is occupied by q
| British, and the southern by an American
| force, with an interval OF fifteen miles be-
tWesn them-an interval, however not suffi-
| cient to prevent the Interchange of mutual
ciyilities and good offices. This state of things
| i. intoierable TO General Harvey, and he is
| evidently racking his invention for some
| method by which he may putan end to it
| He has removed the American officer in COM
| mand, who, ii seems, has English procliYi-
| ties" and has replaced him by commander
| of a very different character, the same gentle
| man whom he selec led as his instrument when
| he first seized upon the island, and who,
| moreover, seems to have been removed from
| his post by General Scottat the request of the
| British authorities. Thus, having lily
| selected his instrument, the General next pro-
| ceeds to look about for a cause of quar- rel
He issues his instructions to his officer, a copy
| of which he transmits TO the English Admiral.
| and in which he repudiates altogether the
| proposition of General Scott for Joint occu-
| patton. He asserts that cur troops were per-
| mitted TO land on the island, whereas it is no.
| torious that the superiority of force was en-
tirely on our side, and declares that inasmuch
| as the Legislature OF Washington Territory
| had been SO good as to include the island still
| III dispute within the county of Whatcom, any
1 Mt lie hos
| tended with deplorable consequences. These
proceedings, we must add, are in direct con-
tradiction 10 the instructions of the Com
mander lin Chief and the sentiments OF the
President himself who wishes that the status
| of either party should remain unchanged un.
| til the uestion AS 10 the property in the is
| land shall be finally decided.
This is all we know at present; but At IS
only 700 epident that General Harnsy is ssektsg
for occasion OF offence against nS, and # stop
6s not put TO his DltsehtsrOHs hs tcu most
probably involve IN troubles from tchieh there
pH be no honorable escape, except through The
| open portals Of the Temple Of Janus. We are al
ways anxious, and we have no reason to be
ashamed Of being always anxious, to preserve
the very best understanding with the United
States. Our interests, private and pu bile, our
common origin, our common freedom, all
plead strongly for forbearance The United
States have repeatedly done TO this country
things which no other government in the
world could have yentured on with impunity.
L Y
peace submitted to an insult which has been
not a little CALLING to our national pride. No
body could have said that we acted without
complete justification if we had refused to per-
nit the United States TO seize on the subject
of dispute while the dispute itselfwas still un-
decided bat t0e noic at anyrate, haze reached ths
imit at tchch tcI NOT sag our DlotiueS toiH be
miScoastTned, but our courage iUtH be pery Justly
sHSuected. We have endured all that the most
extreme desire for peace could call upon to
endure. We are now called upon to show that
we have the courage to repel, as we'll as the
moderation To overlook an insult. The Ameri-
can government has thought fit, most unfor-
tunateiy, to retain in his command that Gen
eraI whose cuipable breach of the duty which
he owed 10 his country on the first occasion,
and OF the obedience due to his command
ing officer the second, have left us
no reason TO doubt that he is bent on
creating breach between the two countries
That portion OF his instructions in which he
contends that the rights Of Great Britain are
disposed OF by the insOient uSurpation OF q
subordinate American assembly and menaces
Violsnce IL the usnrpation be not respect ted, is
a gross insult to this country wantonly per-
petrated by an officer TO whose known i'll will
the very delicate relations between England
and the United States have been entrusted
We haze a right to demand lhat an oJfeer uhos.
continuance IN command has been pTOred to be
0nststeat tctth good nHdsrstaadtng bsttpesa
the tIco nations, shan be at once recalled and we
have, besides, right TO insist that, now Ame-
rlca repudiates Joint occupation during me-
EQUATIONS, and treats us as only present by
sufierance, her forces shall lie Withdrawn from
the island, together with our own, and the
whole matter left 10 a treaty or, If this may
not be, TO the arbitration Of a third power
We cannot bring ourselves to believe that
terms so reasonable can be Projected. We do
not desire for moment 10 insist upon the su-
periority OF the resources which at TINS mo.
ment we possess. The island itself would
not be worth one hundredth part of the losses
and caiamities that must ensue from the in
terruption for single week OF good un-
derstanding between the two countries; but