The Caledonian. [volume] (St. Johnsbury, Vt.) 1837-1867, 1862-10-24
s;l;ng Of the airale craft Alabama? If tha,

sailing of the Pirate craft Alabama? If that
government had been honest in IFS neutrality,
if its ministry,were not really acting in the in
terest of JEFF Davis and doing all they dare
to promote his success, it would have been an
easy thing for them to have ascertalned for
whom Laird & Co were building the vessel,
or it would have been the natural and obvi-
Gus thing for them to have instructed their
agents to watch and de;an her until her real
character should be determined and the ful-
lest evidence had been obtained OF her legiti-
mate object. The British government fails
10 exercise ordinary vigilance in these cases
only because the men constituting that govern
ment desire the permanent division of this
Union, and are mean enough TO conniye at pi-
racy on the high seas as means to that end.
If anything were wanting 10 DEEPEN our
indignation at this meanness and perfdy OF
the English it is the fact that the fleet they
are furnishing TO the relrels is used only for
purposes Of absolute destruction. The pi-
rates Of the confederacy can take their prizes
into no port; they take the crews prisoners
and burn the vessels and cargoes. Ii is
sheer destruction of property. and that not OF
the United States government, but OF private
citizens. and this destruction benefits nobody.
And this utterly malignant and barbarous
process is the work of British vessels, furnished
and armed Ly British citizens, and for the
most part manned hy British sailors: and
vet England puts on a eomplacent face and
protests her neutrality.
There is no lack of vigilance among the
British officials when L vessel of our own ma
w enters one of their ports. Not even a
ton of Goa is allowed 10 be bought,so ten
DERBY conscientious are the English officials
in observing the incest neutrality. When
the L. S. gunboat Tusearora was at Dublin
short time since, Com Craven bought a
supply of coal, but as soon as the coal lighter
came along side a British revenue officer APP
peared and told Com Craven he could not be
allowed 10 receive the coal, as il was con-
trary to the queens proclamation of neutral
iiy. unless he first obtained special permission
from the war office. Com Craven applied to
Earl Russell for the permission, and was re-
fused And the veiy day this act of dis
courtesy was perpetrateJ. the Liverpool Pos,
was Boosting of;he powerful navy England
is furnishing 10 tie rebels, and using such
language as This :-"Of one thing, however
We think we can speak with certainty, and
that is, that in the vessels built on the Mer-
sey. the South will have an advantage over
the federals in strength of build, equipment
and invulnerability.
These British outrages ought not 10 be
longer borne In silence. Let our govern
ment demand indemnity for the destruction
of private property by the British pirate ship
Alabama, and demand it in a spirit that will
compel attention. Better open war with
England than to submit to injuries like these
If we arr TO have a British navy actually
against US. let US accept the issue, and put
ourselves in aposition TO strike back
Springfield Republican.