New-York daily tribune. [volume] (New-York [N.Y.]) 1842-1866, 1861-12-09
THE ENGLISH PRESS on AMERICAN



From rhs LonGoa Ttras,. N0r q
The battles OF the disrupted States OF America arc
literally coming home 10 our own door'. Inc war
which Is Ianqaishing on tho Potomac, threatens t.
burst fofth in he Solent, and we may Don Ind u
necessary 10 station sigs-Of-War NJ Hurst Case -
keep the peace in our own waters. lie careful
readers IL our Naval intelligence viii, perhapt,
remember that tie James Adgsr United states war
steamer, lGiloi from Sonthgmpt0n on tie l2h Of
November. IL known, slso, although for obvious
reasons IL was not thought expedieut 10 mako public
proclamation Of tie facts, that the james Adger, an
American merchant vessel, which bad been recently
converted into an eight-gun shiP0l-war, bad been
rent over here 10 intercept vessel leading at Liver
pool with WAflike ftOIUs Tor & Southern port. The
James Adg,r had steamed int Southampton az a
&. ip-Of-war II friendly Power, ind, requiring
repairs, was, like any French or Rustian ship IN
imsr necessity, rehtted in our harbor On the I'm
VI November size went away Where She IL gone o.
courso nobody knows. We have only to wish her a
good voyage, aud 70 rejoice that We have had AT
opportunity OF doing act Of courtesy to friendly
Power.
But now cores a second scene OF this opening
drama Yesterday morning smother ship, also Amcri-
can, steamed into Southampton Water. Tits ship
was also II thip-of-war, and bat that she differed
somewhat in her armament, was almost sister ship
10 that which had recently LETT. his new. Conner
however, bore u different hag. She had lie feg u
the Confederate States dying at her peak and =
remnant nj her main. She had aleo al the outward
tgus Of public vessel Of war. Thai, we have 10
doubt Is Ter .aracter The authorities Of tie port
we may 10 sure, in both cases looked carefully nj
their orders, and also at the ships. We know from
Lord Russeils instructions Of the let Of june that
these orders 10 interdict the armed ships and
also the privateers, Of both parties from carrying
IriZes made BY them into the ports If the United
kingdom, Of any Of Der Msjestys possessions"
Neither the Nashville, however, whi was the name
Of the newcomer, nor the james Adger had any
other ship in tow or in her wake. There moth
ing TO object Ia in her outward appearance and the
Nashville, like the james Adger, was allowed 10
bring up of the mouth of the itchiu, aud within
few hours alterward. IN very freo-and. essy way,
she took up snug berth in the dock. She has met
with some bad weather, and she proposes, like her
hostile tister 10 make good her damages, and 90
forth again upon business Of her own. The only
point IL il be point, in which The Nashville differs
from the james Adger Is that the former hes been so
fortunate as 10 take prize. This prize, however,
she has left ~ the bottom Of the 1es, bringing the
crew into Southampton, and giving them up TO the
United States Consul. There no prize in the
technical sense Of the word ship and cargo 20 be
brought into court and condemned and sold. As we
have no right TO board public vessel OF war, no
one, Of course, hes any means of knowing what
either the James Adger or the Nashville has IN her
captain cabin or her Ieutenants' bsIths. All we
know is that neither of them had any floating thing
following her in the fashion Of prize.
These are the facts TO which our Government now
has TO apply the principles Of international law
We are what is called aneutral Power The Queen
in her proclamation of May last has, under respons.
bic advice, declared that she and all her subjects viii
hold " strict and impartial neutrality between the
Government of the United States OF America and
certain States styling them elves the Confederate
States Of America" She warns her subjects
against adding ~ the warlke force OF any ship or
vessel OF war; other armed vessel belonging 10
either of tho contendng PARTIES" She espeeialy
recognizes the ships OF war and tie privaeers of
both these " parties" and denounces the penalty of
tha Act liv
Of her subjects |" carrying officers, soldiers, dis
patches, arms, military stores materials Tor the
service OF either of the conending parties,
This is what the Queen-we mean, of course, the
Queens Governnent-bas said to her own subjects
After this recognition OF the two beligerents the
action Of the Government must be UNDERWOOD to be
restricted 10 the rights off neutral Power rs between
two belli2erent nations.
Far be it from TO attempt to resolve upon first
quosions which must soon arise, ard
which Will doubtless be much alita'ed and tested by
vast research. The Soutbems will PERHAPS ask ns |
what right we had to allow the James AdQer TO
rent the NortherDs VIII perhaps protest il we allow
the Nashville TO Iett. We probably should have
been m cur strict night II we had refused To- have
anything TO do with either Of these slips Vattel
says thst neutral nation Is in ali things to show
an exact impariiality between the parties at war;
for. should he ayor to tie deiimcnt Of the other
his neutrality would be fraudulent neutrality"
And he proceeds to tell that lie does not mean
that The neutral nation should afford impartial size
conr, but shoald maintain impartial denial OF sue
rour: Even if we had done this however we
.eonld hardly have escaped the consure Oh n very
ilgh American authority. Mr.. Wheaton, who has |
treated international law entirely from HI American
point OF view, has considered this matter, and he
whites thus:
"a opinion erpressed by tcxtrers that bellir
fsh' cruisers not only entitled to aylnm and hosp
any ~ neair.y pore, bat have light Drng in
n' PiAs wthin those ports But be moth
ne IN me ehbshtd principles of public law which cot pre-
sn1 he rsuLe es.s mem Withholding be eSeTcise Of Ills