The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1861-06-05


Bgerent, 1t follows that ths rebel prlvateert
can take their prizes to British ports and sell
them. Thus John Bulls neutrality il all at one
side, like the handle of pitcher. But before
England Is done with this business che may
find privateering to be two-edged sword,
which will cut to the heart her Mschiavellian
policy. In the war of 1925 our privateers,
numbering two hundred and fifty. swept her
commerce from the ocean, and were the chief
instruments by which she was compelled
to make peace. How much more would this
be the case now, when our ports are filed
with ships which could be fitted out as pri-
vateers against her numerous commercial
marine in every sea!
England wants cotton, and she knows
if she backed the North che could soon OBJ
tain it by putting speedy end to the contest.
Bat che has another object in view of equal
importance. In order to be the supreme naval
and commercial Power of the world she de-
sires to see the United States permanently d.
vided into two rival governments. She thinks
che can indirectly contribute to that consum.
nation, and also have cotton. She cannot,
however, obtain bale of it till the South
ern States return to their allegiance; and II
she insists on breaking the blockade, or if she
otherwise favors the South, the conflict begun
here will soon extend to her own soil, and the
civil wars CT the Puritans and the Royalists
will be fought over again. In the olden time
the contest was about the method of cutting
The hair, the shape Of ones coat, the observ-
ance of the Sabbath, the lawfulness or anlaw-
fulness of pictures and statues. The same
party in England now are equally fanatical
about the abolition of slavery, and will resist
the policy Of the government to the death. Let
the rulers of England bewarei
tuition and the Exlgenc1es or tho Cr1sls.
While our Southern insurgents, circumvented
and appalled, by the vigorous war policy of Mr.
Lincoln, arc insolently denouncing his admins
tration as military despotism, overriding all
constitutional restraints, we find several of our
straightlaced and pions public journals in
this loyal metropolis very seriously distressed
in view of his alleged usurpations Of power
Thus we are told that in calling out bis armies
now in the field, in establishing tho present
blockade of the Southern seaboard, in Suspend.
ing the writ Of habeas corpus, &c our federal
Executive has usurped thoee powers which
belong only to Congress, and has thus estab
lished precedents of usurpation threa tening the
destruction of our whole system of popular
government.
Let us briefly look into this matter. Strictly
construed, there is no authority conferred BY
the constitution upon the President to raise
armies, to establish blockades or to suspend
the writ Of habeas corpus. These powers do
belong to Congress; but, in the absence Of Con
grees and to save the government from
menaeing revolutionary conspiracy, and in the
presence Of dangers which admitted Of no delay,
the President, in assuming the responsibilities
of this crisis, to the extent of anticipating the
action of Congress-, has pursued the only
policy under which his administration, the
saved from absolute destruction.
The Southern Confederates in the Cabinet of
Mr.. Buchanan, in the late Congress and else
where, had perfected their plans for the over
throw Of the government when Mr.. Lincoln
came into power. They had exhausted the
treasury; they had seriously demoralzed the
army and navy; they had shaken the public
credit; they had seized upon many millions of
public fuods and federal property, including
nints, army factories and magazines, forts,
custon houses, marine hospitals,
lighthouses revenue cutters &c, and had set
up Southern confederscy, usurping all the
powers Of the government aud all its local
revenues, They had also embarrassed the
action of Congress, and, upon false pretences,
had succeeded in defeating every bill pro-
posing any extraordinary powers to the Presi
dent to meet the foreshadowed contingencies
OF this Congressional recess
Such was the condition of affairs when Mr..
Lincoln entered the White House. He was
confronted by Southern revolutionary 60
vernment in full blast, armed and equipped,
and threatening a revolutionary occu-
patton Of Washington. Tie term Of the
late Congress had expired, and the
Congress to take its place had been only
pnI'taiiy eAeV'Sub cSeA IL tAo SsaVSs stiu du-
ht ring to the Union. Our Southern insurgents,
seizlBg the occasion, commenced their game OF
war IN the bombardnent of Fort Sumter. That
exciting overt act instantly carried the disunion
frenzy of the revolted States into the Virginia
State Convention; and Virginia was rasnly pre-
cipitated into the slough of this rebellion, car
rylng along with her North Carolina Tennes.
see and Arkansas, and pulling hard upon Mary
land, Kentucky and Missouri
at this crisis, with only regiment or two Of
trusty troops among the doubtful population of
Washington, and with Only few other widely
scattered detachuents of regular soldiers at his
command Prs.idant IinroIn 6iacoOar.d thai