The daily exchange. [volume] (Baltimore, Md.) 1858-1861, 1861-05-23

| Dlete IN bft he
Southern coast The coast the Confederate States
will be to the Northern States of the Atlantic wba
| the coast of Africa to Great Britain Cotton
will be to the New Workers what Negroes were to
| US.
The great object had in view was to prevent
! the human commodity being exported from Africa;
| the great object they will now have in view, will
! be to prevent cotton from being exported from
| America. But what was it which paralyzed all our
| efforts towards end? What was it which com
! PEELED cruisers to look inactive, while sla
vers shooting across bows? 1t was The
| sanctity claimed for that ''star spargled banner
1t was the claim put forward by the United States
| 10 resist not only right OF search, but also q
right # visit, in the of vessel which chose to
! hoist the American flag. This insistance OF. the
Americans caused a principle favorable to piracy
| to become part of the Maritime Law of the world.
by that law the American marine must now be
/ ruled. The merchant ships which will trade between
| Europe and the Confederated States have only
to hoist an English or a French flag and the great
war steamers Of the United States Navy must, in
obedience to the law their own Government has in
other cases enforced, allow them to pass. Their
! holds may be full of warlike materials they may
| be crammed with the Armstrong guns now being
bought up al Liverpool, but il the tri-color is 1y-
| ing at the mizen, the Minnesota cannot fire a shot
to bring one of those vessels to without peril
of a war with France The Americans have fixed
! this law, which was before their time loose aud
floating and underlined; and they will now find it un-
| expectedly turned against themselves. 1t WILL if we
mistake not, greatly modify the advantages which
| the North might reasonably expect to obtain from
| their possession of a regular navy.
VI e alluded yesterday to the strange results Of
! that leit-handed wisdom which prompted the
United States to refuse the proposition OF the great
| Powers OF Europe to abolish privateering in time
| of war. Never was Nemesis more swift. Mr.
| Crawford, in the House Of Commons last night,
stated that intelligence has been received of priva-
teers having already left the ports of the Southern
States, and preving Mt this moment upon the COM
| merce of the North. Lord John Russell, in his
| lv IN tl,a F,,,,l1I
mission 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 piratical because the Government from
which they hold their commissions has at present
| no recognized existence the Executive Gov
| eminent OF nation. The precedent cited by the
! Foreign Secretary is, we think, strictly in point
| and the doctrine laid down in the instructions
! gwen t. Sir StratfOrd Canning is good public
/ law: When the Greeks in revolt they
| ed the -i1gean with cruisers, which made prize of
turkish SHIPS under authority of letters of maTque
| issued by the Provisional Government of Greece.
The British Government recognized these commits
! sions, and the Turks demonstrated that "to sub
JectS IN rebellion no national character could pro-
perly belong" Lord John Russell does not stop to
| consider the distinction between subjects in rebel
hon against sovereign to 1rhom they had for many
centuries pad allegiance and constituted States rctir-
! '"g trom col'mtuy Contederacy, for it was not
necessary Tor his purpose thus to strengthen the
! case. Admitting, tor the sake Of argument, that
the circumstances are identical. he shows that, even
ii 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
authority to place cruisers upon the high seas.
From the London Times MdySl
Americas present position is one
| which she never could have foreseen, and never
contemplated; it is the direct CONTRA OF all that
she has ever marked out for herself, and she has
consequently been industriouslv vndicating princ-
piles and making preCedents, all of which will now
60 to the contraction of Ter own begerent rights.
She has saved from perishng the vile trade of pri-
Watering ard the existence of privaeers scattered
| over every will necesstate the dividing her fleet
in order t. protect her cOmmec ce She has stretch
ed the rights of neutras resistance of the once
conceded right search and visit and she has there
| by given immunity for every character of goods
! which may carry in free neutral ships. She
| has even, we believe, gone further than this. II
| we mistake not she in a very recent case of
| American ship seized by Neapolitan crusaders eff
Sicily raised and insisted that State cannot block
! ade its ports.
We speak from impression, and not from reference,
| but We believe We correct in saving that the
! United States demanded and obtained restitution
! and compensation from the King of Naples, upon
the ground that, as he claimed Sicily part of his
! domains-iust Mr.. Lincoln now claims the Sc
ceded States-he could not lawfully blockade the
! ports of Sicily. However this may be, we have
| said enough to show that thereis really some COM
| piication in the questions which the government
declined last night to discuss But it is a consola-
| tion know that in dealing with these questions
! we shall have to deal with people VINO have
always been the champions OF the rights of neu
trails, and who will have no difficulty in apprecia-
ting the arguments in that interest which we shall
have to lay before them.
From tie London Post, ifay7l
Last light Lord John Russell, in answer to Mr..
| Gregory, made statement which is worthy of Sc
rious and grave attention. We allude to the de
claTatOn made by the noble lord that ''the South
ern States OF America must be treated beliiger-
| ents" The noble lord based this determination
l. ~,
when Greece was engaged in Instruction against
Turkey. If the noble lord had referred to Ameri-
precedents he would have found that the great
est of American jursts Mr.. Justice Storey had laid
down precisely the same rule. That learned Judge
in the case of the SantiSsma Trinidad e Wheaton
decided that during the continuance of the civil
| war between Spain and her colonies, and previou,
| to the acknowledgment Of the independence of the
latter by the mother country, "the colonies were
begerent nations, and entitled to all the sovereign
! rights of war against the enemy" The thirteen
| States, when they revoted from England, were 50
| treated not only by foreign pow ers, but by this
country. The federal governments therefore, can
not justly take offence that doctrine which the
United States have asserted from their first consti
tuition should be admitted and recognized in the
! present contest.
From the London Shipping Gczette.l
The question for the consideration ot our Gov
ernment has been one of expedicncy rather thar
of right, and their decision appears to have beeI
| governed by regard for the former AS the al
teIHdLlNt has Deeh pEtstHtcu 10 our UONefnuleuL o
treating the Southern privateers as privateers o.
pirates, and middle course being open, neet
not wonder at the decision announced last night By
| Lord John Russell.
From the Manchester Gudrdian.I
The Southern Confederation, being totally desti
tute OF any regular naval force wherewith to cop
with the navy of tn. remnant of the Union, is com
PEELED to enlist in its service the combative an
predatory instincts of volunteers upon the ocean
and the legal right to avail itself of the means o
retaliation and annoyance has been reserved to
by the act of the Government against which it
now in arms.
LETTER -OF-MARQUE DEBATE IN THE HOUSl
OF LORDS.
In the House of Lords, on the 10th of May tn
Earl Of Derby said that he understood that he
Maesty's Government had come to the conclusion
that the Southern States of America were to b
considered a belligerent power, and had referee
certain points to the consideration of the law off
GERS OF the Grown. The Southern COnfederacv hat
sent out letters of marque for the purpose of GOV
ering the with privateers but the Northern
States had declared an intention of treating priva
teers pirates. He wished to call the attention o
the Government to the position in which Britis!
sailors might be placed, for If there was one thing
that had attractions for them it privateeriug
1t was also desirable that the British merchant
should know in what position they stood as neu
trails, and also that some declaration should b
made with respect to British subjects becoming
privateers. He believed that the latter was Grim
insl offence, but the possibility of this country be
! ing involved in the dispute between the two sec
| tous Of the American States so serious that h
sincerely concurred in the prayer of the noble Lor
(Lord j. Russell) that might keep out Of il
| lie hoped, therefore, that il would be distinct
declared that if any British subject entered upo
| privateering be must not look to his gove.nmen
Tor redress or protection, but that his b!God will b
on his own head. He hoped that the proclamation
would be a most distinct and emphatic warning t.
British sailors, and especially those In her Majes
| tvs service.
Earl Granville said that he quite agreed in th
| appreciation which the noble Earl showed of th
serious consequences of this country becoming in
volved in this unfortunate dispute. The nobl
Earl had correctly understood the answer given il
another place that the government would issue
| proclamation of warning to British subjects, but
was desirable that the warning Of the procamatio
should be carefully considered.
London May y Correspondence Manchester Guardian
THE COMMISSIONERS FROM THE CONFED
ERATE STATES IN LONDON.
The American news occupies all minds, and
2 the subject of discussion in all societies. As | sal
in my last letter, the American citizens whom on
l meets, as rule, express their satisfaction that tn
matter has come to an issue. The general expects
ton among those who best know the States appear
! to be a confident one in the ultimate triumph
the North, but in all probability after partial SUI
cesses of the Southern Confederation at first star
ing. The Commissioners OF the Confederation ar
here, lodged-two, if not all of them-in st. JAIME
street. They have, believe, already had commit
S nication with Lord John Russell.
: THE COTTON SUPPLY.
d The Liverpool Courier of May Sth, says:-So ia
a as this country is involved the blockade by th
Federal navy of the Southern ports is not of grea
: Importance at the present time, as we have draw
d thence nearly all the available surplus of cotton
, | the last crop. Some months must elapse betOr
a this question of blockade will be brought forwar
as Immediately affecting the safety of our va:
manufacturing interests and it is to be hoped tha
( | before surl a