Memphis daily appeal. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1847-1886, 1861-11-21

4
If the Lincoln government had ransacked the
catalogue Of conceivable and possible methods of
national provoCatiOn, it could scarcely have bat
upon one more seemingly calculated to go home
and stir up mortal rauc0r than the invasion OF
the neutral deck of British ship on the high
seas The only ground approaching to decent
plausbility upon which 20 attempta justification
Of the proceeding, is thatot the right OF search
/ Had the old Union not denied that right TO the
| last, the government which now processes to
represent and to have inherited Its international
doctrines, might perhaps, be in a situation to as
sert 1t as against Great Britain If that power had
persisted in its theoretical and actual mainte-
nance. But Great Britain has not done this.
Her ambassadors have more than once in their
/ correspondence implicitly, and her government
| has virtually, abandoned the right. The utmost
which Great Britain now claims in that direction
is the right Of visitation at sea, for the purpose
of verifying a ships nationality where It Is
suspected Of sailing under false colors. 10 go
further than this. as in the case IN question, and
capture on board neutral ship. sailing between
two neutral ports, passengers embarked TOR neu-
tral territory, Is to violate theneUuuiity Of Great
Britain and insult her traditional hospitality not
less than if the acG were committed upon the soil
of Canada or within sight Of St. james.
It is hardly supposable that the Lincoln
1 government, protesting 10 represent the United
States would have the effr0ntery TO perpeuate
the outrage with the expectation Of defending It
! to Great Britain upon the plea Of the right Of
search, which has been Tepudiated by both pow
ers But, should Il have rested any hopes upon
so frantic an audacity they are doomed 60 be
blasted. unless there be. indeed, an explanation
OF the deed lying much lower than the surface.
In case Great Britain should favoTably entertain
such a plea, coming from such a source, we
would be constrained to infer that it was acting
| in completely with the Lincoln government in
! the matter and the capture of our ministers on
board British ship al sea woud not be so much
an otfense against Great Britain as the acquies-
| cence init by that power would be declaration
/ Of unfTiendly disposition toward the South We
are forced, then, to ad0ptone Of two conclusions,
| assuming any Ulterior purpose to be contem-
| plated in the act either that it was committed
with the intention Of provoking Great Britain to
| hostilities, or committed with the expectation
authorized by that power that il would no be Sc
riously resented
The master Of the British steamer overhauled
by the San Jacinto, manfully disputed the pre-
tensions of the latter, and delivered up the ryo
ministers under protest. Il the British govern
ment do not at once support his protest and de
mand reparation, its silence and maclon viii
certainly look ominous.
The PioayuHs thinks the seizure an extTao7di-
nary and unaccountable proceeding, and pro
cseds to comment at some length as follows:
Il was done with the consent of the British
Government or without Il. In either case it is
one of the most remarkable events of these re
markabe times.
No government has more jealously-and more
nsistently-maintained the nvioa5iEty of its
territory as an asylum for political offenders,
against the pursuit or reclamation ol foreign gov
IL 4FraF. .4Ef L o.
near war with France, for giving shelter to
men. Of themselves without claim 10 personal
consideration, accused Of plotting against tine
life of the emperor; and a ministry was over
thrown but a few years ago. 81 moment when
the alliance with France was most necessary 10 |
pet European interests, because the minister
brought forward measures which were thought
TO b. inhOspitable towards such political eOlleS.
Fpoland- is moreover. sensitive above an ma |
tons as 20 the iInmunitcs OF heT hag on tlie mgh
seas Her shps carry their nationality with |
them. ana the right which she uph0ids on land, |
she uuholjs with even more UncompTom.s /
tenactT at sea. Her flag on tAe high sea Gov /
ers the stranger aud The exile, from violence, as
completely as It does her own subj Iscts. IL /
she can have consented that the ships of another
power NAV stop her merchant vessels AZ sea- and !
take out of them designated passengers who, |
confjiug in her good faith, have trusted them !
selves to lis protection She VIl have perpetrated |
an in;amy, Of which her whole history shows |
her to be incapable. These passengers would |
have been entIappeI by her 10 be delivered 10 /
enemies whose brutality has became by word !
of reproach among En-lishmen- 1t Is incon- |
ceiyable than an arrangement so utterly pertid- I
iOus for the public disgrace Of her own nag /
could have been entered mo by any British au- /
thority.
On 'theothor hand ii Is equally difficult to con
ceiys the audaciiy of the Lincoln government, /
II t shall have authorized this violation OF the 4
British tag.
The ship was proceeding on her regular uips, /
and yo0k up these passengers at spanish por-- 70 I
convey them 20 port IN Great britain Great 4
Britain and Spain are al peace; both are at peace
with the uitsd States; and both have officially /
declarsi neutIaity in the war between the Unit /
Cd States and the C0ule4srats States as a ciYll /
wsr. indeed, IN which the C0uielerate States /
have not been recognized as iudePendent-but 1
aye recognized as entitled to equality Of belhgeT
ent rghis,
II thess passengers were only ezilss fleeing 4
from the pursuit Of their uudisputed sovereign, 4
SO soon as they put foot within British dominion,
or under British flag, they would be entitled,
by national law and British Uniform usages, 70
absolute safety. The attempt % remove them
would be a violation of the territorial sovereignty
which the Tag cauies with IT, and an indignity
20 the sovereignty Of the nation The 0tenss Is
not greater, in fscl, hus more conspicu0usiy
hagrant. when the passenger upon whose per-
sons such an outrage is perpetrats'i are oi CON-
lnuuity TO which tie British government has eI-
pressy conceded that Il is q lawful beiIge-ent
they are not Teclaimable from her except iu such
q capacity
There was never an instance ia British his
tory Of any civilized nation, IN time O. war, when
a beligeTent ship c0uL be permitted to take, III
this manner the subjects o. a.tzfus Of another
belEgeIent cut Of n-utTal vessel, navigating
between the ports Of ueut1a, nations.
There would have been grand Tow at the
North and in England. f during the CrmeaB
war, Russian friga,e had stopped an American
steamer, Oh the Atlantic, bound from hIC 10
New York, iu order % take 0ut from her some
obnoxious Engli5hmau, Oh Ills way to Wash
ingtou.
The enormty OF Che Get is not at all paliated \
by the plea which was Suggested iu advance 4
bv northern journals, when this mode o. tram
sit was suggested here, that neutral vessels /
cannot carry dispatches Tor an enemy. IAis Is
true only d. dispatches ui tIe enemy conmu- \
nicatng with each other; il Is not true Of dis
patches addressed to neutral governments them 1
selves, nor of any other dispatches than those /
Carried traululeUtly by a neutral from beiiiger
eut port TIE penalty, too, u these cases, by /
the law oi nations, i- not flla seizure Of the \
bearer, but .le cOuhscatlug ~ -Ha s.lP for 2 .
breach OF the laws Of war. There is ua law for 1
the stopping Of neutral trading vessels between /
neutral ports, OH the high seas, i5I tie purpose Of
taking fJTcibiy parties Of persons who were car /
rying communications 10 q neutral government, /
and 10 persons entirely within neutral jurisdie- 1
ton. The pretensi0n 90 such night would b. /
secuted in any court in Europe as utl-ly mad /
missib.e, and the attempt 10 put it in force, an |
audacious outrage.
It is not material whether the character and |
immuuities OF public ministers attach 10 Messrs /
Sdell and Mason or not. Ii their government /
wen recognized one, these would attach, and /
the proterti8L C.. the British government would /
be necessarily extended iO tAGm, even before they
present their credentials. The possession OF 1
those would be sufficient TO give them the title /
% be- defended as such. But they are not public |
Esinlsts.- in fact until their credentials are ac-
cepted. An int5rr0SIr0n by the British govern 4
ment, on their behalf as sacE, woUd carry with |
it that for which that government is not prepared
the afirmange tlat the Confederate States are /
indepeudeHt md that Grea, Britain Is ready 20 /
receive them. The case stands, .haleio.U, on I
the simple gT0aud, that pa order 90 reach and I
seize two southern goAtisHen, who are specially /
objects Of auim0sity 10 tine n s. government, It |
has arrested British slip on the high seas, and |
f1r.ifIy taken Them from tIr rretarfi0D of fine /