The Portage sentinel. [volume] (Ravenna, Ohio) 1861-1862, 1861-11-23
slateA Our people now look with contempt

liquor made ia involve usin species Of war
r"upin pnon-conbatant women and chill.
J, 1- Victims. they must expect to be
ksltlaws and enemies of mankind
I1wRosfe certain rights of humanity which
are entitled to respect even in war, and he who
refuses to regard them forfeits his claim, if
captured, to be considered a prisoner of war,
and must expect to be dealt with as an Offend
or against all law, human and divine. But
not content with violating our rights under
the law of nations at home, they have ex-
tended these injuries to us within other juris-
dictions.
The distinguished gsntlemen. who. with
your approval at the last session, were COM
missioned to represent the Confederacy at GER
tain foreign courts, have been recently seized
by the Captain of United States vessel of
war while on board British mail steamer,
while on voyage from the neutral Spanish
port of Havana to England. The United
States have thus claimed a general jurisdiction
over the high seas, and entering British ship,
sailing under its country's flag, violating the
rights embassy, for the most part held sacred
by barbarians, by seizing our Ministers while
under the protection and within the dominion
of a neutral nation. These gentlemen were
as much under the jurisdiction of the British
Government upon that ship and beneath its
flag as if they had been on its soil, and claim
on the part of the United States to seize them
in the streets of London would have been as
well founded as that to apprchend them where
they were taken Had they been malefactors
and citizens even Of the United States they
could not have been arrested on board of a
British shipsor on British soil, unless under
the express provisions Of treaty and according
to the forms therein provided for the extradi-
tion of criminals. .t. r..
President Davis speaks of Mr.. Faulkner as
having been prefdiously arrested, and says
that sin conducting this war we have sought
no aid and proposed no alliances, offensive or
defensive, abroad" Perhaps we had the right,
if we had chosen to exercise it, to know wheth-
er the principle that blockades to be binding
must be effective, SO solemnly announced by
the great Powers of Europe at Paris, is to be
generally enforced, or applied only to particu-
lar parties. Mr.. Davis says he has caused the
evidence to be collected which proves COM
pletely the utter ineficiency of the proclaimed
blockade of the Southern coast, and shall di-
rect it to be laid before such Governments as
shall afford the means of being heard
But although they should be benefited by
the enforcement of this law so solemnly de-
clared by the great Powers of Europe, we are
not dependent On that enforcement for the sue
c,ssful prosecution of the war; As long as
hostilitics continue, the Confederate States
will expedite steady, increasing capacity to
furnish their troops with food, clothing and
arms. If they should be forced to forego ma
ny of the luxuries and some of the comforts
of life, they will at least have the conscious
ness of knowing that they are thus becoming
more and more independent of the rest of the
world He concludes as follows:
While the war which is waged to take from
us the right of self government can never at
tain its end, it remains to be seen how far it
may work a revolution in the industrial sys-
TEN of the world, which may carry suffering
to other lands as well as our own. In the
meantime, we shall continue this struggle in
humble dependence upon Providence, from
whose searching scrutiny we cannot conceal the
secrets of our hearts, and to whose rule we
confdentially submit our destinies. For the
rest we shall depend upon ourselves. Liber-
ty is always won where there exists an un-
conquearble will to be free, and we have reason
to know the strength that is given by con-
scious sense, not only of the magnitude but of
the righteousness Of our cause.
aH
The POSITIONS OF GREAT MEN.--The liv-
ing ex- Presidents, ex-Vice Presidents and ex-