Rutland weekly herald. [volume] (Rutland, Vt.) 1859-1877, 1861-12-26

elusive evidence that she regards this righI
as one the efficacy of which may be nd
yet entirely exhausted. Of course. Their
is much that is irritating and vexations il
the exercise of this right under the moS
favorable circumstances. and it is TO b
hoped the day is NOT for distant When II
maratifhe States OF the world will agrt
III placing neutral commerce beyond Il
reach OF SUCH veXationS. The Unite
Sta-~ Government has been striving
this end for more than fifty years to II
end. early in the present century. and
it, infancy as nation, it embarked in
war with the greatest naval Pow r in II
world, and it is even now persistent su
or at every maratime Court in Europe f
a more liberal recognition Of the rights
neutrals than any ofthe other great mar
time nations have yet been disposed
make. But, till these rights are securt
by proper international guarantees upd|
comprehensive and enduring basis, 4
course England cannot complain of an al
for which, III all its material bearings, nd
own naval history affords such numerod
precedents.
Whether the captives from the Tred
were contraband of war or not is a uueI
ton which the two Governments can haH
no serious difficulty i'll agrcein- upon.
Mr.. Seward cannot satisfy Earl Russo
that they were. have no doubt Earl RuI
sell will be- able to satisfy Mr.. Sewad
that they were no.. # they were, as
authorities concur in admitting, agents
the rebellion, it will be difficult 10 salts
impartial minds that they were any le
contraband than file OF rebel soldiers
a battery OF hostile cannon. But. ey
should there be a difference OF opinion
this point, it i very clear that oar CD
eminent had sufficient grounds for p
stunning itself in the right. to escape tie 5
picion OF having wantonlY violated the
iatlOns at amlty whice the two county
profess desire TO preserve and guilty,
The pretence that we ought to have
ken the Trent into port and had her
demned bya prize court, in order to il
fy our seizure OF four of her passeng
furnishes a very narrow basis on whic
fix Il serious controversy between
great nations. Stated in other words
offence would have been less if it
been greater. The wrong done to
British flag would have been mitigate
instead Of Selling the four rebels. We
seized the shin, detained all her pa
gers for weeks, and conf seated her c;
| am not surprised that Capt. Wilkes
q different view ot his duty. and Of
was due to the Friendly relations IS
Sub-isted between the % eoyernm
The renowned 60 nmon Stu,e OF thu
li~h peopl {, ! belieye, will approve 4 -
f ort to make the discharge OF a very
pleasant duty as little vexatoj> a p
9ble to all innocent parties.
II under these circumstances Eng
should deem it her duty. in the intere y
civiHzation.to insist upon the restoratid
the men takru FROM under the protec
of her flag. it will be from convict
without doubt. that the law OF nations
regard to the rights OF neu trails, which
has taken the leading part in es
fishing, requires revision. and with a 5
able disposition on her part 10 estab
those rights upon just, humane, and P
osophic basis, Indeed, | am happy to
an intimati0I in one Of the leading me
politan journals which goes far TO jus
this inference. Referring to the decis
of the English Admiralty Courts
quoted in defence of the seizure of
American rebels on board the Trent,
London Times of November % says
$50 far as the authorities 60, the Il
mony OF international law writers is
one way, that belligerent war cru
has the right to stop, and visit, and sea
any merchant ship upon the high seas
But it must be rnmembe
that these decisions were given under
very different from tn
which now occur. Steamers in
DAYS did not exist. and mail vessels,
rying letters wherein all the nations OF
world have immediate interest. were
known. We were fighting for existe
and we did in those days what we sh
neither do nor allow others to do, nor
pcct ourselves to be allowed to do in
days"
If England, as we are here encoura
to hope. is disposed to DO her part in St
ping war of half its horrors by acceq
the policy long and persistently urged
ON her by our government, and CONNIE
ed by every principle of justice and
mainly, she will find no ground, in the
it Of the Trent, for controversy with
government. am sure the President
people OF the United States would be p
too happy to let these men 60 free, nm
natural and objectionable as their otfen;es
have been, if by ii they could emancipte
the commerce of the world. Greatly as
it would be to our disadvantage at his
present crisis to surrender any Of th,se
marine privileges of belligerents which ire
sanctioned by the laws of nations, | tel
4bo+ | tala no responsibility i'm SaVjnO flat