, 1861-05-29
Tho pr1vnteer10g Question-Lord
John RuBbe1l's Mlatakes
fEr1ny,, 4S.n fyarrao1 poef


q reeess1fy Southern orinateeTs viii Be pirates.
eh1ps. It's letters Of marque can, therefore,
be taken up only by ships belonging to the
Northern States, Or by ships belonging to neu-
1ral powers By the laws Of war these wo1ld
he pirates. Subjects Of the Northern States
at ence robbers, pirates and traitors. Either
offence would justify suspension from the yard
erm. The subjects Of neutral Ibpers tcould be
placed beyond The projection q their oon country,
and consequently they nould Be anaessda5le in The
same soay to SHIPS Of The United States. Lord
John RuGsell's doctrine would expose this
country to very serious Inconvenience, for,
according to the laws Of war and the Law
Of nations, States engaged ut war would have
the privilege of eearching oil neutral vea-
GELS and OF considering as prizes al the prop.
OF course confiscation could not follow ex-
cept BY tho decision Of prize court, like our
Admiralty Court; and although capture or
eearch is not allowed within one mile Of the
belllgerent State, at any other or further dis
tance search or capture Is allowed. British
vessels, therefore,, bringing cotton from New
York, corn from Boston or any other place,
would be subject to visftation and probably
unfair play; for while q court il to be appeal
cd TO, the weasel remains In the HAMS OF the
captors. There is very little apprehension,
however, of this taking place. Our trade
curing 0iochaua WILL necessarily De Will Lae
North The North commanding thcseas Wil,
Of course, not interfere with neutra1
vessels or their own trading, between their
own ports and those Of Europe The South
e1ners will have no vessels, and, Of course,
Will be unable legally to interfere.
Notwithstanding the Issue Of letters of
marque, there will be no privateers. An ad-
ycntu1ous few may start at first upon speculs.
tiop, but they will instantly depart from the
waters. The American steamers in the Gull,
and o steamer or two in the Pacific, will rem
der the presence Of priyateers all but impos-
sible. They must NECESSARILY be sailing
culiarly subject In the time Of war
to the power Of steam. They will be speedily
pursued and easily captured. Some people
Imagine TINT the priyateers will use steam
Vessels; but little reflection will show that
this in impossible. First. steam vessel Of
power adequate to the navigation Of the At
lsntic would cost very large sum of money
q sum far beyond the means Of wicked spec
ulators. In tie second place, it would be ab-
eolutely necessary for her 10 keep out Of the
Tsy Of the American steamers; md to keep
cut Of the way Of them she must be provided
with Goals for very long voyage. When her
of course, rs sailing vessel, and the largest
vessel could not carry coal enough for
months Voyage. P1igateering, therefore, is
out OF the question, although It came within
the meaning Of the Law Of nations but in the
case ef AmeTica it aeould eome oithin The la,o Of
lie americans .cost1d swing up eue7V sed ro5ber
MtU eaught
The recognition Of the cotton States as q
beLigerent power By Lord John Russell sug.
Eests dangerous precedent-a precedent
which Great Britain never acted upon but IN
the case Of Greece, and not in Greece until
tllat country had virtually become stronger
thAn its opposer-Turkcy. Lord Palmer3tou
Nas urged to recognize Hungary, but he IT
fused, Had he considered her belligercnt In
tie war with Austria he must OF necessity
have recognized her Independence MI. Can.
OF South America, but not until Spain had
shown her utter Inability to restore the soYer-
eighty. II the cotton States are entitled to be
considered be ,ligcrent, We arc bound to
recognize them as d free State, for the law Of
ratjons knows nothing Of any government
euce Of the eecessionists is not established.
The South Is ut this moment in state Of in
cjpicnt rebellion. 1t hos given no proof Of its
ability to accomplish or sustain independ-
encc. On The contrary, the state with which
we arc in friendly intercourse is now III arms
end the presumption greatly is that it will
succeed. All men Who desire the progress Of
good government, and the Independence OF
peoples, will rejoice in their success; for a
separation bcttccet The North and South
sro7Ad be tantamount to the destruction Of the
Kt1rtblic, and the destruction Of the Republic
arotad Be an atndnszura6|c argument against
Tic claim Of the people to sc!CJoper7unent.
Courts hare IN inetinct in favor Of absolutism,
and the downfall Of the great American Gov
e1ument would be subject vi graduation
snd er incentive to persist in opposition to
even constitutional monarchy. Lord john
Russell has therefore been at least m,.rudent,
If not possibly i1npolitic, In uttering the SEN
ti1nents LIE did on Monday evening. - It is
now universally agreed" says Nj. Archer
Poison, in his work on the s'Belligerent
Rights Of Nations" "that hostillties can be
undertaken b. none who are net legally au-
thorized thereto By the supreme power Of the
State to which they belong. The sovereign
power is alone possessed Of authority to make
WAT" A civil var, Of course, does not tall
within this observation. Lord John Rus4elrs
speech cannot fail to greatly anger the North
ern States Of America, and may do much mis-
chief to the South By encouraging great de-
lueion. Lord Pa1merston's ahert speech oa
Tuesday evening will possibly be accepted by
both as q reproof to tho Foreign Minister.