The weekly Lancaster gazette. (Lancaster, Ohio) 1860-1863, 1861-12-26
NO. 40.

ton, without doubt, that the law Of ma.
lions in regard 10 the rights Of neu,raIs.
which she has taken the leading part ID
establishing, requires revision, and With
suitable disposition on her part to 60.
Isblish those rights upon just. humane
and PhilosOphic basis. Indeed am hap.
py to see an intiwation 10 one o. the
leading metropolitan journals which goes
far TO Justify this inference. Referring
TO the decisions of the English Admiralty
Courts now quoted in defense Of the seiz.
ure Of the American rebels on board the
Trent, the London Times OF the 18th No.
vember says
So far as the authorities 90, the tes-
timony Of international law writers is ell
one way. that 6elIigefant war crdissrt
has the right to stop and visit aud search
any merchant ship upon the high seas.
= " Blu. it must be remsm:
bered that these decisions were given un-
der circumstances very different hofn
those which now occur. Steamers in
those days did not exist. and mail vessels
carrying letters wherein all the nations OF
the world have inmediate interest, were
unknown. We were fighting for exist
ence, and we did in those days what We
should neither do nor allow others 10 do,
nor expect ourselvs to be allowed to do
10 these days"
II England, as we are here encouraged
to hope, is disposed 10 do her part in
stripping war Of half its horrors by &C.
ceptipg the policy long and persistsntly
urged upon her by our Government,
and commended by every principle Of Jus,
tice and humanity, she will find no ground.
in the visit Of the Trent, for controversy
with our Government. | am sure the.
President and people Of the United States
would be but too happy to let these men
go free, unnatural and unpardpnsbls as
their ofenSes have been, il Ey it they
could em'ncipate the commerce of the
world. Greatly as i, would be to our
disadvantage at this present crisis to sur
render any Of those maritime privileges
of belligersnts which, sanctioned by the
laws of nations, 1 feel that take no re-
sponsitility in saying that the United
States will be faithful to her traditional
policy upon this subject, and to the spirit
of her political institutions.
On the other hand, should England be
unprepared to make corresponding sac:
rifce; should she feel that she could not
yet afford to surrender the advantages
which the present maritime code gives to
a domisant naval power, Of course she
will not put herself in false position, BY
asking US TO do it. In either case, there
fore, | do not see how the friendly rela-
Iions Of the two GoverumSnts are in
any immediate danger Of being disturbed.
That the over prompt recognition, a.
belligerents, Of tody of men, however
! large, so long as they constituted a mani
fest ninotity Of the nation, wounded the
feelings of my eountrymen deeply l will
not effect to deny, nor that that act, witE
some Of its logical consequences which
have already occurred, has planted in the
breasts of many the suspicion that their
kindred in England wish them evil rather
than good, but the statesmen to whodf
/, the political interest OF these two great
people are confded act upon higher re-
spOnsibilities and with better lights, and
you may rest assured that an event so mu.
tually disastrous as war between Eng.
land and America cannot occur without
some other and graver provocaliou than
has yet been given by either nation.
WINFIELD ScorT. .
! EoTEL WESTMINSTER, Paris, Dec. 8, '6T