Cincinnati daily press. [volume] (Cincinnati [Ohio]) 1860-1862, 1861-05-24

WI INV ~ AMAuNAMM AMNU MNI.U fNINNIMs /
b. The cal for N inhmediats blooknd6 Of the
whole Southern coast has been sorviolent
and 30 universal inTNeW York, that We a.
anmei Il win be the first attempt euerleficnilv
: made By the Northern Btate1.i II e 70 their
evident interest that Il ehonld be 80. The
j existence OfiNew York depends upon this
war being short, sharp and successful. The
New York people are, as regards The cotton
growers, masters resisting .arevolt Of their
q slaves, creditors arrestihg the escape Of
their debtors, traders dreadiug the departure
Of their customers. We may depeud upon
II that they will mot cease 20 cry aloud for
strong measures, and especially for strong
measures at sea- and a complete sealing M
of the Southern coast. % The coast Of ks
Confederate States tpiH Be to tie Mogfkera
Statesef che Atlantic ghdt ths coast Of d6sca
tcas 10 Great BTif0tl. Cotton tciu Be 20 ne
New Horkefs tChm Negroes rare % We. The
great object we had in view was 10 prevent
the human commodity being exported from
Africa the great object they will now have
in view, will be to prevent cotton from be-
ing exported from Americn. But what was
it which paralyzed all our efforts toward
our end2 What was (which compelled our
cruisers to look on Inactive, while slhvers
were shooting across our boWs2 T9i0F q. faH
IL was the sanctity claimed for that ''star-
spangled banner ID was tho claim put
forward by the United States to resist not
only right of search, but also a right of visit
in the case of q vessel which chose to hoist
the American flag. This in~sistanee Of the
Americans caused q principle favorable 10
piracy to become part of the Maritime Law
OF the world. By that lao tke american ma
rtne must noO be ruled. The merchant ships
tghteh WiH trade betlceen Europe and TIE CON
federdte States haze only 10 hoist an RaoEish
or a French Fag, and The greet par. steamers
Of TIE United SfQfes Rduy must n 1obedieaee
10 the t0U their 0t0n Government has in other
cases inforced, dLop them 10 pass. Theirholds
may be full Of warlike materials, they may
be crsmmed with the Armstrong guns now
being bought up at Liverpool, but if the tri-
color is flying at the mizen, the Minnesota
can not FIRE a shot to bring one of those YES
sells to at sea without peril of g war with
France. The Americans have fixed this law.
which was before their time loose and float
ing and underlined; and they will now fud
it unexpectedly turned against themselves.
1t will, If we mistake not, greatly modify the
advantages which the North might reason-
ably expect to obtain from their possession
OF 4 regular navy. 4.
We alluded yesterday to the strange re-
suits OF that left-hRnded wisdom which
prompted the United States TO refuse the
proposition ofthe great Powers of Europe to
abolish privateering in time of war. Never
was q Nemesis more swift. Mr.. Crawford,
IN the House of Commons last night stated
that intelligence has been received of pri-
yateers having already left the ports of the
Southern States, and preyiug st this mo-
ment upon the Of the North.
Lord John Russell, in his reply to a question
as TO the legality of the commission under
which these vessels are sailing, can say
nothing to encourage the merchants of New
York in their doctrine that the proceedings
OF these cruisers are piratieal because the
Government from which they hold their
commissions has at present no recognized
existence as the Executive Government of a
nation. The precedent cited on the FOREIGN
Secretary is, zoe think, strictly in point, and
the doctrine laid dorm in the Instructions giuen
70 Sir StrdVord Canning 3 good public laD.
When the Greeks were in revolt they COW
cred the Egean with cruisers, which made
prize Of Turkish ships, under authority of
letters Of marque issued by the Provisional
Government of Greece. The British Gov.
eminent recognized these commissions, and
the Turks demonstrated that ITO subjects in
rebellion no national character could prop
erly belong" Lord John Russell does not
stop to consider the distinction between
subjects in rebellion against a sovereign to
whom they bad for many centuries paid alle-
glance and constituted States retiring from
a voluntary Confederacy, for it was not
necessary for his purpose thus TO strengthen
the case. Admitting for the sake OF argu.
ment, that the circumstances are identical,
be shows that, even if the Southern States
should be considered to be in the condition
of rebels, it is in accordance with the law of
nations that we should recognize their au-
thority to place cruisers upon the high seas.
The dicision of the British Government upon
the occasion to which Lord John Russell
refers was that "the character of a bellige-
rent is not 80 much a principle as a fact, and
a certain degree Of force and consistency
acquired by any mass of population engaged
in war entities that population to be treated
as a belljgerent." Acting upon this prece-
dent, and upon the principles it recognized,
Lord John Russell and his advisers have
come TO the conclusion that "the Southern
Confederacy of America must be treated as
a ~belligerent power" @
This is very grave decision, and must
have great influence upon the conflict now
commencing; but we can not see any posi-
bility Of disputing its soundness. Upon the
other matter of levyipg duties at sea there
is much more room for argument. Our own
Statute book will afford some rather curious
precedeDts upon this very subject; but we
believe that no such right has ever been con-
ceded or even claimed by a Power whose
dominion has de 6acto ceased upon the shore.
The Maratime Law Of Nations, therefore,
would seem to be adverse TO the Northern
States, and favorable rather to the position
of the Southern C~onfederacy. As the United
States insist that they are not at war, but
are only putting down a rebellion, il would
appear that they have not that right of search
or visit, which has been sometimes conceded
in time of war as they are not in possession
of the Southern coast, they can not claim do
minion over so much of the sea as may be
appurtenant to the coast; and as their adj
versaries are "a mass of population having
acquired a certain degree of force and con-
sistency n engaged in war;" the cruisers
of the Confederate States will, subjectto any
difficulties which may arise out of the Treaty
of Paris, be recognized by the Governments
and Courts Of Law of foreign nations. All
these and other kindred questions which
must unayoidably arise if this Civil War pro-
ceeds, must be turned over and over many
times, both by diplomats and lawyers. We
have only attempted to portray the aspect in
which they at this early period present them
selves. Ese.. -t - 4
AMERICA RUINED BY HEB OWN MAxIMs.
The Times OF the 9th remarks that the
present position of America is the direct
contrary of all that she has ever marked out
for herself and who has, conseqently, been
industrially indicating principles and max
ing precedents, all Of which will now go to
the contraction ofher own belligerent rights.
She has saved from perishing the vile trade
of privateering, and the existence of priYa-
teers, scattered over every sea, will necessi-
tate the dividing her feet in order to protect
her commerce. She has stretched the rights
of neutrals to resistance Of the o~nce-coRceded
right of search, and she has thereby given
England Immunity for every character of
goods which she may carry in her free neu-
trail ships.
The London Morning Post shows that there
are American presidents for the conclusions
the British Government had come to of treat
ing the Southern Government as belliger-
ents. During the continuance OF the civil
war between Spain and her colonies, aud
previous to the acknowledgment Of the inde-
pendence Of the latter by the mother eoun-
try, the Federal Government at Washington
decided that the colonies were beHigerent