The Evansville daily journal. [volume] (Evansville, Ia. [i.e. Ind.]) 1848-1862, 1861-11-22
our ReIsfiO1as with England.

our Relations with england.
The greaI haste manifested by the North
srn Pres4in defending the legality of the
course porsued by Commodore Wilkes, in
boarding. an English vessel-and setting the
rebel emissaries, Mason and SlideIl, and The
contradictory character Of the defense set
up, IS quite strong indication that they
feel, aud consequently act, somewhat like
an ingenious lawyer with very bad cass.
If Secretary Seward has no better success
in convincing the British Government of
the law falness of the act than our newspa-
pers appear to have IN satisfying themselves.
We may as we'll prepare ourselves for
storm. The solution Of the difficulty, in
itself, would be easy, were it not for the
position hitherto assumed by our rovera-
neut On the question of visit and search
on the higa seas, and which we have been
pleased to aunouuca-ss "the American doc
triue- To such a ridiculous extreme have
&c carried this principle, that our dag has
been polluted By protecting slave traders
and pirates-other nations preferring to let
he guilty escape rather than offend our pc
6uliar vanity Il this particular We now
realize what dilemma II has placed us in
We must either disown the act OF Commo-
dore Wilkes, and surrender the traitors, or
be guilty Ut the Outrageous Inconsistency of
denying 10 other nations q privilege we
claim FOR ourzeiFes where ITS exercise affects
our intereats 4 position of his kind, it
IS uuaeeessary. 70 add, IS untenable. We
have not grown 80 great as to be able to
throw aside all selErespeet and consistency
70 our dcaifugas with f5reign powers, Ger
people are Justly Indignant at the course
pursued hJ. the claimtng a. Represent Eng
tish sghtiments and just ~ y. manifest & die
position 10 run q muck against ''sli cres--
lion but it becomes them TO keep cool,
aud "be sire they arc right before they go
ahead"
We have been amused, as well as in
ssructed at the .egru1ity of our cotempo-
raries, in ascertnning the right Of our Gov
eminent to seize the Two emissaries. The.
-AHLAAtBdAi ~ hA-lf0 L+AlAE~ islH NY EE2uAcA2E
had right TO seize. tbeHa as criminals. It
Insists that we eaGnot regard them ns am
oassadors Of "a hostile section, for We have
distinctly and Persistently refused 10 re-
cognize the confederale5 as even .halliger-
ents. Neither can the Government" says
the Gazette. "se.ze the vessel for hearing
dispstches for tie enemy, becsuse the wri-
ters On international law mako clear dis
ti0caon between these and dispatches be-
tween The HUSTLE country and a neutral
one, and It quotes the n " on that point
White the Gazette IS ready with law TO
upset any theory bat ia owe, it does Tot
appear 70 strengthen la position By any
proof whatever. It may he true criminals
are arEeste1oa the high seas, bat they mast
be regarded IS criminals By the laws Of
nations wliieb would nos apply in this
case, bgcante European nations are not ye.
convinced hat that these rebels NAV
become. successful revoiutionista, Beaidez,
It has ever been the boast Of England lbdt
ber soil ant Gag IS always protection to
the hunted refugee, who escapes from the
land Of oppression because of his political
opinions, and claims her protection.
The lndieaeBoIis Journal places the right
Of arrest IN The ground that l,elligerent
LAY stop ina ambassador 81 ms enemy on
MS passage and it evsdes the fact of our
refusal to Acknowledge The rebels as bellig
erents 10y a syllogi3rn peculiarly its own
that whatever Is ia~faI against hostile
nations is still more lawful against those
mo are not nations. mother words reb.
els This as a ,'Dtyv-yotl- ee-it-and-noS--
you-don' t-see-i It" theory rather too finely
drawn for orr ce1preheusiou England
can very properly reply 10 such sugges-
tions :--"Why ohisst to ns recognizing a
power as belligersnt against whom goa
ssk US to enforce as well as submit to, all the
laws Of belligerents That query would
be rather difficult TO answer, especially
from the standpoint assumed by our Gov
eminent. It viii be silenced, Or eompeIl-
Ell to reply "Yo0 must only recognize them
~ beiligerents when it Is to our interest for
you TO do SO, aad only solong as It is to
our interest" Can any American assume
such peaition' without blush of shame
mantliug his cheek
EThe New York Herald, with the hunt
ness that would excite the admiration Of a
Dick Furpin or John A Aurrell, says Eng
land has no right to complain, because she
has done such things herself; and has al
always insisted on the right of search and
even gone to war Tor il. But this is not a
tair way Of putting the uestion. We Ere
across the bow Of = 49, BRING her to,