New-York daily tribune. [volume] (New-York [N.Y.]) 1842-1866, 1861-12-09

thority, or usage, can morally justify.
From The London Remit, No. a.
Onr American cousioa nave certainly the stranges
method OF 9~kIng ~Er that can we'll be imaribed.
anu me @'a'V q re Nashville now lying at South.
ampton, and the Harvey Birch, ow Wing Al h,
bottom OF tie sea- is not Of the least i6stares
VI the eccentricilies Of American warfare Tbs
Nashville 1t seems Confederate shp-of.y war oo,e1
here for the express purpose Of bringing over an su
yoy from North Carolina, Col PeytOn, on a speciag
nis Oa, suppose, 20 tue Government OF this conn.,
try tlOugh what ~ nature is is moi vet known. Oh,
lis way the Nashville falls In with Nor,hern
trading vessel, the Harvey Birch goi, home in II
last from Hayre 10 NewYork; and tie course the
Nashville takes IL, to bring the crew of the Harvey
Birch board the Nashville, TO put them in iro q
and then 70 burn and sink tue slip. Now. the max
In Ot war is well known, that ones business ia 10 do
the enemy as much harm and oneself as much GOD
as possible. And, accordingly, when war sbin
falls in with the euemy traders, II s customary 20
take them aud keep them, cargo and all, and slioa
Of war roam the seas for tLis express purpose:
but do not remember hearing in warfare Of any
instance Of ship Of war, expressly bound TO leUt
trai country, TO take there official person, DO.
strOying the enemy's traders, When sic can neih.s
keep the snip the cargo if there be cargo, HOf
make prisoners Of the crew, being, by her very dlY
obliged 10 20 into the neutral pot, where OF course
che could not be permitted to retain either ship or
cargo or crew. Simply 10 destroy Il vessel ulder
such circumstances il very unusual, and ceriainly
seems very wanton way Of making war. Nis5
that, OF course, we AZ EngliShnen shOlG
have nothing to do, beyond having and exc
pressing our opinion about it, if 10 IN no way
embroiled ue. But we are g neutral nation sOIlsb
what affected by the course taken by war sAip Of
either of tie belligerents when she is coming into
our ports Oh mission TO our Government, beclLe
that course may have tendency TO embrangle &c
With one or the other patty. The Nashville, il
seems is somewhat tue wore for her passage, WHICH
-. f.r,f, ODD i 70 inf ono ~ "a
craving docls 60 be overhauled and reftted. Now
III she had Come into orr ports III quiet way, mers.
ly bringing here the Confederate envoy and waiting
to take him back again, and had received MUIR, we
e2prehend that the law OF nations as regards neniT
poyer would not be very particular as TO the extent
and kind of assistance gwen In the neutral por 70
the disabled We sci. Bot 1t is very different hing
when she comes in red-handed, with prisoners %
irons ON board whom she discharges in the DeGJHf
port. Under such circumstance everything beyond
what IL barely necessary u reuder Der seaW0rSg
nav well be looked upon with Jealousy; by tht
belligereut DO yer whose ship she has burned AID
destroyed, with DO possible advantage to her ovn
nation except the simple destruction Of an enemy1
tracing vessel.
The crew of the Harvey Birch, orce on our shore.
or even in our ports are OF course Tree TO go Whers
thew Ike and do as they like. They must be ist
lose in Soutbaupton; and unless the crew OF ne
Nashville are kept tight board by her oommaudef
there il every chance of violent encounters betweeu
the men OF the two crews. We VIII NOT go 80 Lar az
10 say that the Nashville had no right thus 10 tioy
mon the English shore an exaspcrhed crew 9t
ue will say ths that to do 80, and TO put tle ne
gli,h peOpie and police in the posilon Oh WatchdOf
aver two sets OF Americans hrsiing Tor each cihers
blood is a piece OF singulariy nncoarteons pohcg
toward neutral, aud not, we believe, justified "
tba usaQes of civilized war. Still, that could LOT
much affect beyond giving our police little ezra
work and perhaps, shocking the feelings OF ne
people OF Southampton, by tue exhibition Of stang
up fghts in her streets with bOwle-knlves and REQ
volyers. If the crews OF the Nashville aud IAs
Harvey Birch Were, like the Kilkenny cats TO at
each other up all but The tails, that would nj ems
bro Ms in the least with either the Northern ne
Southern Government. But the repairs Of the Nas5s
vile are q much more serious question. II she "anH
nothing but little carpenteT.ng, or caalklng, OF
ooppering, little repaIr Of her engines a
word II size wants no repairs but what any nelct1ns
shin after a stormy voyage might require, well sad
good TIE law Of neut-ls would ooncede to hee
those repairs without difficulty. But II she hs. me
jured her guns. or wetted her powder-in me, L.
she requires any warl Ike repairs any fresh sCfYF
OF waTlike stores, how then Had mo, As we have
said come into English ports quietly, as be6ts .
yesse OF war merely conveying d Governments en-
WOW. whatever may be the strict rule Of the law ID
neuir.ls, the usages OF war would, we epprehends
close the mouth OF the nimical Government august
renontrances should the neutral power permir s''eh
vessel TO take the benefit OF her ports Tor renting
N HI
will that De the case where she comes into the neotIt
mort having amused herself with burning ana d'ss
troying on the way We apprehend not. We ~
prehend that r. looking at our anteceoents, we fee
it the Nashville TO receive any assistance Ia rehsf
ting her warlike armaments, we should be departing
from neutrality, and emtroiling ourselves WIN ING
Federal Government Oh the other hand, shoald ~
refuse 20 permit the Nashville TO rcht IN all respe "
though we should not only be Justified, bGt tailo4
noon AS we conceive by the law OF ne ltras 70 O. 20
we should 10 doubt, by thus turning Ter out t. 20
IN disabled state, raise feelings OF IMITATION u 20
minds of the Confederate heiiserent STATE anu Ile
We desiring 10 be- ana dong all we can ~ FeihALls
neutral, are dragged first by the acts OF one plf,y
and then by the acts of the other, INTO position -
which we must give offence to oac or the other
There i. another view of the case which ny
arise and increase The difficulties OF TIC atuaios
We assume that Colonel Peytou comes on some "-IS
eial mission TO the Government; and II he doe 10
he IL IN some measure i'm the character Of an euhcs"
sador Ii 50, has an embsslgGOr the nsh' 10 Use .
vessel of war that conveys BIN tof the Purpose %
destroying an enemy's ships, euaG1 70 iedsHH9of
Unquesiionably It is not the usage or ciVlineo wy
and usage in these matters makes iaw-ior Az cue
basssdor SO t. employ the ship in which he Ia pi'
senger; and, indeed, if such USAGE were TO obIaIa
il must necessarily destroy the usage OF respecting
the person " an ambassador. Il, then, Cololei
Peyton does Gil that character and nas, nOtwl.i.
standing aud contrary TO usage burnt and desroye9
the enemy's ship, ought 4 neutral nation as al
bassadorl This Is question on which her Majes'yf
Advocate and Attorney General may have 20 pros
nouuce an opinion, and whichever way that opnl0a
ia il il certain that irritation will lie felt by on
other Of the belligerent Governments. On the
whole, we cannot, rs Engiishmen, look upon Ihs
of the Harvey Birch, and the mIri'oa.
ment of her crew, otherwise than as most unhaP y
and untoward event, aud We hope that III inIure
both parties will conduct their quarrel in mannef
more in accordance with the usages OF civilized war,
and less calculated to drag nations who IKE our
selves, are anxious to keep out OF me qua1,rre,s
into hostility with either one or other OF the osHS
erent States.
From The Europeas Times, Nor; a.
Tbs Rrir;sh isles have been startled by the M