New-York daily tribune. [volume] (New-York [N.Y.]) 1842-1866, 1861-12-17
ENGLAND ON NEUTRAL RIGHTS.


ing the War of 1912, the right to search Amer.
lean merchant ships for British seamen. to be
then and there impressed into the naval service
Of Great Britain, was steadily asserted by the
British Government and exercised by her
cruisers. The number of distinct, unmisfak-
able acts of this character must have exceeded
q thousand, and the persons known to have
been thus seized and impressed were more than
ten thousand. Part of these were natives OF
the British isles and had been subjects OF the
British crown; very few Of them had desert
ed from the British navy; while the great ma
iorty were American citizens, and full half
natives Of this country. The British Govern
ment of course disclaimed any right TO impress
Americans; but, so long as the right to impress
from our vessels at all was upheld, this dis
claimer was of no practical value. The Ian
guage Of the two countries was common; their
people were of common descent and essentially
/ indistlDgushable. And the shortbanded Brit.
I i.h cruiser who bad oyerbauled and hove TO
Yankee merchant vessel coolly mustered her
crew and took out such men as seemed most
of our men carried projections or certificates
of American nativity; but it was notorious TINT
these were loosely granted, and that English
and Scotch scamen serving in our marine OBJ
tanned aud carried Them If we lad been con-
tent with protecting our native citizens alone,
this was impossible 90 long as the right of
searching for and impressiDg British feamen
employed in our vessels was asserted and ex-
ercitd. And when war at length broke out,
na,ive-born Americana seized on board our
merchant ships aud impressed into tho British
nasal service, were compelled to serve British
guns aimed ut their own conntrymen, ard were
Killed fighting ngaihst the ships and the dag OF
! their own country.
! Though tbs process Of imprctsmens was
continued through many years, aud was as no.
torious as the empire of Napoleon, there ras
nersr any yrt,sHse Of 0dndieafi"g the nationality
Of the persons impressed, or i sending IN he
ressel LiHs rotJed Of her sailors for trial and
condemnation. And, though there has been some
vague talk of abating tao extent VI her former
maritime pretensons. Grtst britain has nerer
10 this dag discidimed the righI sic formerly as.
serted 10 imyrtss in time Of rar British SeGmea
sercing on board american merchant rsss,is
/ Are we endeavoriug OF two wrongs to make
a right 7 Not at all. We hold the British
prelensions with regard TO maritime bellleerent
rights which caused tie war Of 1912 TO be NJ
terly untenabe, aud the practices grounded
thereon to be gross outfages on neutral rights.
va maintain that m nranerly authenticated
merchant vessel Of our own or Guy other
country is liable to detention and search by
the cruisers Of another country for contrabapd
Of war alone.
! But We hold further that the vital principle
so vigorously enforced by Sir William Scott
and Lord Stowell. sitting as authorized British
eIpositors Of international law, that NeniraiS
cannot aid either bsHigerem in a ,ear .sibtoat
exposing themselves 10 capture and confseation,
and that The National cruisers Of 6,uigerent
may deiain and search neutral merchant ships ia
order TO ascertain that they are or are not rio
iaiing their obligation as nemrais, to be whole
some, righteous, subsstng law, which the
Trent deliberately, purposely violated in taking
Messrs. Mason, Slldell and suite as passengers,
aud that she thereby rendered herself justly
liable to arrest and search by the San Jscinto,
with all that followed.
Nor do we require-as The Times London)
most unfairly intmates-the precedents set by
Great Britain fifty or sixty years ago to justify
our cOuntrys present position. Those prece-
dents confessedy cover the case, aud 80 q
great way beyond it. We rest the justice of
the overhauling of tue Trent on these uudenia.
bic TRUTHS
]. Mason and Slidell were proceeding TO
Europe as the public enemies Of the United
States, 10 the service Of hostile power, with
latent to do this country the greatest possible
BARN.
.. They were voluntarily received by the
Trent rs passengers with the fullest knowledge
of their character and the general objects Of
their miSsoh-at least, 10 this extent, that
they Were going to Europe in the service OF
JEFF. Davis and to promote the ends of bis
rebellion.
3. The British Government in 1917. on
learning that one Of their mail steamers dixie
the TrenD had conveyed Gen. Paroles. one of
our enemies, from one Of the West Indies to
Mexican port, volunteered IN apology for tho
net as clear violation Of belhgerent rights
and neutral obligations. That there may be- no
mistake as to the bearings of the case We
print the official document, viz:
On the 9Th Of October Mr. Bancroft e.d III, following
'e'ei !" L0u ia'mer''on' the present lemiei
| No 10 EAIOS SQuARK, Oct. 0. lg4L
Mr LoHp In consequence fiastu,t. from the Amrean