, 1861-05-31
FOREIGN NEWS.
Neutrality of England toWATd9 the
North and south Decided-HcT Fos1
uon towards PT1vAIeeFDs


North and south Decided-HcT Fos1~
ton towards PT1vasecFs.
From the London Times, May 14J
As difficulties and troubles thicken in Amer
lea VIC are forced to more Ttgf1ant attitude,
and to announce distinctly and definitely the
policy to which it Is our intention to adherc.
Being no longer able 10 deny tho existence Of
official notice Of it. This springs, not from
any particular favor or affection which NC feel
for either side, but rather from the necessity
Of bringing our own proceedings into haruo-
ny With the stern realities Of things. Our for
eiEn relations are too extensive, the stake He
hold In the commerce Ct me Wqfla Is too vast,
too much importance, for Us to allow ourselves
the qualification Of saying" Peace when there
is no peace" 80 largely indulged In up to the
ye1y latest moment by the statesmen Of Amer
lea herself Yes, there Is Ear, and WIT be-
language from which NC also are sprung and
which We also speak. Eteocles and Polynices
are confronting each other with hostile Wea-
pons. cnd England, like the venerable Queen
Of Thcbee, stands by to behold the unnatural
combat Of her children.
From acknowledging the state Of wnr, the
rezt step is to acknowledge the be1ligerent
tights Of the contending parties. One ofthem,
he Government Of tho United States, com
PEELED us to recognize her existence In 1763,
and he's since, with brief and unhappy inter
raj Of three years, been On terms Of amlty
with Us. The other has but just sprung into
existence, and, unless fortune favors with
more than her usual blind caprice, tie less
.cor1hY caslsc and the .oedker arm, may never be
In position to be recognized at all; but IS
beiugercnts they arc as equal In our eyes as
TItjau or Tyrinn Was In ths eyes Of Queen
Dido. He are 6ound equally 70 respect helr
nsGd and sauay to anSt1n f2m g }ha any aet
impartial and undiscriminating neutrality.
13 Hence ar!ses the necessity of the pFoelama. !:
But the really important part Of tho procla.
hy which the subjects of the Queen are eau
toned not to enter into the military or M
rine service Of either Of the contending par
ties, nor to 70 aboard Of or fit ont any ship to
be employed as ship Of war or prigateer or
transport, or csrry contraband Of war. In
this paragraph it VIII bo observed that the
word priyateer' is distinctly introduced. SO
that the government Of this country is doing
all In its power to enforce the agreement Of
the Paris Conference, which, but for the
interference Of America herself, would
have blotted out priva!eering from
among the e1psalents of Civilized ID. was- n1
| II 1emirdcd the subjects Of the Queen
! Of the penalties which the Ian. Of this country
| 1enounccs against an in1rsction of neutrality,
| ind points out the penalties with which such
! offences may be visited by the law Of the land
or by the law Of nations. But In the last para
graph the proclamation seems to 60 beyond
| this, and to make m announcement Of the
| policy which will be adopted In cases which
| aro provided for neither By the 1aE Of the
land For by the law Of nations, but which
| arise out Of the peculiar conditions Of the
present unhappy conflict.
The NORTH sees in the Southern States re
- IT, -f.,J n%74 will
lnbly, ut first at least, decline to recognize tht
validity Of letters Of marque issued under tht
authority Of President Jefferson Davis. Ths
South viii not be slow to reta1iate, and It ma.
easily be anticipated that there Will be q dis
position On both sides to treat those Crews 0
p1iyatee1s who may fan into their hands q
riratcf, to whom the license they bear give
no protection. What 7Sould be the conduct .
the British government under such c1rcnm
stances ? Suppose an Englshmau takel
on board Southern privateer to be hAnges
under sentence Of Court Of AdmirAt
ut New York-what would be th
conduct Of the Government Of this country
The aus,rer Of the proclamation to the que:
| tlou is By nc means encouraging. Persons CT
listing ii such service will do SO at their per
and ci their oTn wrong, md will IN nowis
Obtain any protection from 1ls against any LII
bi1iites OF penal coEse tuences. It Wll be Ct
served th1t In this piece the word "such'
emitted. Tho liabilities mud penal con5cqueI
cee are not confined to those under the act {
under the law OF nations, but are left wide a9
iu1lfEite, as If on purpose to embrace I'll
.. very case We are supposing.
We lave not the presumption TO fuppo;
| that anything which VIC could add Woul
give additional force to the aolemn admon
! lions conts1ntd In the proclamation Of
, I Queen who never speaks to her subjects
: win, We have done our duty il VIC distinc
| II point out that those Englis1men who,
= defiance Of the LAWS Of their country and Il
. this execrable conflict, will do so with dire
notice that II they meet with enemies as rec
leae ard .mercil-ss Is themselves, they mn
| bear the fate that awaits them, without at
:, | hone that the country whose lava they ha'
+ broken will stretch forth her arm to shle
y them ftcm the consequences Of their oWn II
: | " and wickedncas. In this respect Ame
ca hus Ect nc an example ~ the CT
r Of the expedition Of LoN=, as tecH az in !
+ laratical enterprises ef I'alke7. The y. =, OF
- erwiBe 60 Jealous Of thcfr treatment by toret
. nations, Eayefin these cascs1ooked on with s.
~ ical indifference at the wholesale massacre
e their citizens. The warning has been Civ
i in time; We hope and believe that it y
- prove effectual, and that the horrors Of cl
~ war between brethren will not be aggraVai
-. by the unca11ed-for Intervention Of the 81
= jccts Of the parent State.
n | lEroRTED PURCHASE OF ARMS FOE TEE sou
le IN BIRMINGHAM.
le (London {May . cor9sgondencc of 1ndepeade
IL Birmingham derives temporary pr
&c from the existence Of the war III America.
1m assured that agents from the South
e. States have purchased two hundred thouss
y rifles thtre, not to speak Of cannon.