Wilmington journal. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1844-1895, 1861-07-11
England and the Confederate States

SCn2 and and the Confederate States.
1t is said that short time ago motion in the Br
sh Parliament recognize cur independence was post
p0ne the request OF divers members This une1pLaa
led postponement of question of such moment has oc-
casloned some uDeasness among some OF our people!
Il take occasion to say that this osponeme furnish
ses under the circumstances ground for uneasiness
whatever On the contrary, it shows, when fully uni
sderstoOd purpose the part OF the British GoVern
ment to which cannot object.
There is commercial treaty between the Government
sof the United States and that of Great Britain. By
avrtue of this treaty the people of one have the lawful
Fright to enter the ports the other for purposes of trade
wherever these ports may be- 1t is not like the treaty
between the United States and Japan, by which we
restricted to one or two ports in Japan On the
scontrary, it embraces every port in the Empire of Br
tain upon whose vast possessions the SETS
land every port within the territorial Jurisdiction of the
United States. All these ports of the one are by the
Sreaty open to the ships of the other and the treaty be-
Sng HOthlng less than solemn contract be-
tween nations it is clear that it cannot be altered or
modhed except by consent of the parties to it. Great
britain, for instance, would commit gross violation of
the treaty she to restrict the United States to the
aports, say of England alone and in like manner the
Unied States would commit like outrage were she to
estrct the trade of Great Britain to the ports only of
the United States-say to the ports of New York and
Boston, any other less number than the whole This
eus necessarily from the fact that by the contract be-
tween them each has right to enter all the ports OF
the other subject only to such restrictions as are i'm
opposed by the treaty ITSELF
Bearing these ndsputable propositions in mind we
:shal that the British Government has very good
Areasons for posponng for the present. at least recog
aLlOn OF our independence She wants our cotton and
nded must have it. To enable her to buy our cotton
must sell TO US her cotton goods and such other
Sples may need and she can furnish.
Now Great Britain carry on this trade with the
C0nlederate States IN either of two ways lst she
trade with in accordance with the law of natons
or I'd, she can trade with US in violation of the law OF
natons. The presumption u.s. that, having choice of tn
two NODES she prefers that mode which involves no VIC
Slaton OF any law. She wants the cotton, and wants
Niurnsh with supplies. She will do BOTH and do il
I'm such way as to subject her to mputation as
alaW-oreaker. We cannot expect her to violate any
$We established usage OF nations for benefit espe-
Scaly when she do the same amount of good and
violate no law whatever.
Let suppose that Great Britain were no,O to ack
knowledge our independence 1t is very clear, that by
uch an act she would declare that We the Confederate
Estates, part of the United States it would fol-
low that the treaty existing between her and the
United States would not include u.s. and of course she
would have no right to trade with us by virtue of it.
such recognition of u.s. she would at once cut herself
oH from the advantages of treaty on which she must
put high value, inasmuch by virtue of it she can
trade with US as heretofore This is especially true
ong as the Government of the United States claims us
LAS being part of it, and within its jurisdiction
hus under present circumstances there is no act by
Eeither government showing that they differ in opinion
to the territorial limits of the United States and moi
yet differing In opinion to such territorial limits
lit follows that they not differ rghtfuly az to the
ports at which the people of Great Britain have right
70 trade her right to trade includes all the ports o.
the United States and by the law of nations she NAV
Dit necessary, assert her right by force
80 long as hincon's Cabinet shall claim us part OF
the United States long may Great Britain claim as
ganst the Government of the United States the treaty
right OF trade with u.s. Lincoln cannot take the ground