The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1856-1888, 1861-07-04

I T4n nf ~|5 S
- orthe United States. The tribute 20 the
,na,n y Of Col. Ellsworth is highly commendabIe
in Ie President, and will be appreciated by the
,1itary of the United States.-IHneS Dispatch.
ENGLAND AND THE PRESENT WAR-THE PRTvA-
TEERING Policy OF THE AMERICAN GOVERNMENT
As much discussion has arisen in relation 10 the
position that England will occupy in the present
contest, the proclamation OF Queen Victoria seems
20 settle that point. England recognizes the
blockade. The only remaining question unset
tied, then, is the recognition of letters OF marque,
and the right of the Southern Confederacy TO
carry prize vessels into English ports, and dispose
Of them by sale OF charter. On this point, II APP
pears that this Government never rejected the
proposition for the abolition of privateering, but
merely suspended the regulations, pending a pro-
position for amendments. Secretary Seward,
finding the correspondence IN this condition., on
the oath Of April sent instructions TO our Minis
tiers in Europe to notify the parties to the treaty
Of Paris that the United States Government ac-
cepts the first point Of said treaty, and agrees TO
the abolition Of priyateering. This must prove a
crushing blow 10 the Southern COniederacy, for
it not only debars Great Britain, France, Russia,
Prussia, Sardinia, and Turkey from counter
ancing jeff. Davis privateers IN any way, but 1t
Obliges them, through active operations by their
fleets, to suppress such prlvateers as pirates.
This ends that dream, and leaves the Southern
conspiratOrs no means of doing us serious harm
except by invading the Free States. Another
point is gained by the Secretary's master stroke
Of last month. The United States now BECOMES
entitled to all the benefits of all the points in the
Paris treaty. The fourth point. providing that
blockades, to be respected, must be eilectual, car
RES with it a corrolary that, If effectual, 1t must
be respected; consequently, so long as our block
ade is made efectual against the public enemy,
all the European powers above named are bound
to respect it., and certainly cannot interfere by
force. This conclusion dispels that other South
ern dream, that France and England will raise
the blockade in order to get cotton. They are
clearly bound by treaty stipulation not to do so,
to say nothing of the general obligations of
morality and international law.
FORTRESS MoSRoE.-There is every indication
that active warfare will soon commences at For
tress Monroe, or in that vicinity. Gen. Butler
is stationed there with ten thousand troops, and
although il is stated that he will not advance on
Norfolk with less than twenty thousand, IL is al
together improbable that he will remain idle.
Already this movement causes deep alarm at
Richmond, and an attack from the direction of
Norfolk and Alexandria at the same time is fear
ed. Troops are pouring into Richmond rapidly
from all parts of Eastern Virginia and from the
Southern States, and as rapidly sent forward to
Manassas Gap and Norfolk. If the secession
troops do not provoke a conflict sooner, 1t is pro-
bable that Gen. Buffers first effort will be upon
the Sewall's Point battery, and then to re-take
the GOsport Navy Yard. 1t is conceded that the
rebels can concentrate nearly twenty thousand
men in and around Norfolk but if an attack is
made by sea as well as by land, they will be
placed at great disadvantage. Their strength,
however, should not be moderated. They will
naturally prefer TO defend Richmond at Norfolk,
rather than allow Federal troops to penetrate
further into the State. The camps at Hampton
and outside the works of Fortress Monroe have
been formed a week, and If the rebels were as
strong as their organs boast, they would probably
have attacked Gen. Butler by this time. At all
events. Eastern Virginia, from Norfolk TO the
North Carolina line, is in n lamentable fix two
immense armies are contending for position, and
one of them has now To be fed from it, and by it.
and the chances are the other will desolate it be-
fore the end of June. These casualties, with II
servile race to be kept in subsection, and a posi-
bic reaction Of the people in behalf of the Federal
Union, leaves but little room to hope for the
owners of the soil.
SLAVES CoNTRABAND OF WAR.-Fugitive slaves
escaping from any of the seeded States are to be
held as cOntraband Of war. The doctrine is, that
as slaves erected batteries at Fort Sumpter and at
Fort PickenS, and are constantly employed in
throwing up earthwOrks at Norfolk, that they
are liable to cOnfscatiOn Just as much as innocent
gun carriage captured in an enemy's vessel. Gen.
Butler, the other day excited cOnment by re-
turning som %fugitives, in Maryland, but he has
adopted a different course IN relation TO seeded
States. Three slaves belonging TO Col. Mallory,
now in command of the rebel forces near Hamp-
ton, having got into their heads some vague
notions of freedom, as well as some very distinct
notions that they were about To- be sent further
South, presented themselves at Fortress Monroe
and sought protection. The rebel Colonel sent
an officer with a flag Of truce, and had the incon-
ceivable impudence to demand that the negroes
should be given up under the provisions of the
Fugitive Slave Law. Gen. Butler stated that
under existing circumstances he should consider
the slaves contraband goods, and hold them ac-
cOrdingly. He had, in fact. put them TO work.
So the Colonel was discounted.
The WAR BEGUN IN EARNEsT-OCCUPATIoN or
YIRGISIAN Som.-The ball has opened. The
Government has at last taken the offensive, and
marched its troops upon the soil Of the enemy.
The great news-teller-the telegraph-has kept
you advised of the progress of events. from the
departure of fifteen thousand, under the cover
of night, between the 24th and 25th, from the
Federal capital, and the speedy occupation of
Alexandria, Arlington Heights, the tearing up of
the railroad track and bridges leading to Alexan-
dria, and the unfortunate killing of Colonel Els
worth. These events have excited the deepest in
terest throughout the North. In the South 1t
appears that telegraphic dispatches were circulat-
ed TO the effect that the Nirginians had repulsed
the Federal troops, and ommitt great slaughter
among them, 50 that the people of New Orleans,
y .mphis, and other Southern cities, were excited
into the most wonderful enthusiasm. The inten-
tons of the Government are kept profoundly
secret, by advice of General Scotland wisely
too for where traitors are being daily found IN
places OF honor and trust, who falsely desert their
country's flag, 1t Is doubtful whether the secrets
oi the Government, in relation 20 future move
mehts' could safely pass through the several De
Partments without BETRAYAL soInewher.
Notice.
~Ns BOUT TO r