Columbia Democrat and Bloomsburg general advertiser. [volume] (Bloomsburg, Pa.) 1850-1866, 1862-02-01
P,iVateering.

idents Message at the commencement Of
the present session of Congress, disclose a
proceeding in our foreign relations deser.
wing Of utmost condemnation. Diplomacy
is more or less secret, aud in conducting
it our Secretary of State, and the Presi.
dent or Administration he represents, are
not Immediately responsible to public opin,
ion. We must, for time, confde in the
intelligence of the Administration and in
its fidelity to the national interests, with.
out knowing precisely what it is doing
And, even when formal treaties gre ncgo-
tiated, their submittal to the Senate is in
secret session, and the people may know
nothing of engagements contracted on
their behalf, until they are fully bound by
them. Probably all this is necessary to
the due management of our relations with
foreign powers; but the fact of secrecy
the absence of popular opinion or influence
during negotiation and even pending qucs-
tons of confirmation in the Senate--ren.
ders necessary great circumspection as
we'll as fidelity in the Department of State.
And, especially, when new line of policy
in foreign relations is proposed to our Gov
ernment, its action should not be precipi-
tate, nor, (f the case admits of i) without
the approval, in some form, of public
opinion amongst us.
But in utter disregard of such consider
ations, and acting (oue would think under
a most strange infatuation, we find our
Administration through the Secretary Of
State suddenly proposing to accede uncon
ditionaly to the Paris Conference propo-
siton upon Privateering Just installed
in power, without a whisper Of public
opinion to incite it, or even a prior consul
tation of the Senate on the subject, our
Administration proposed to Europe an
abandonment forever of an essential right
of national defence .....
During the Pierce presidency England
and France agreed, in conjunction with
some other powers, to abolish Prlvateerir
so that war Oh the Ocean should be con-
Quoted by Government vessels alone. This
would suit Great Britain and France,
powers which have great war navies estab.
lished at enormous expense, but it would
not suit powers destitute of such navies.
he Government of the United States
under President Pierce, therefore refused
to agree to this new doctrine of interna.
tonal law unless it should be further stip-
ulated that private property upon the
Ocean Except articles contraband of wary
should not be liable to capture at all in
time of war. Secretary Marcy, on behalf
of the United States, demonstrated most
the inequality and dangerous
character of The Paris Conference propo.
sition, and hi, arguments were most heart
lily approved in this country The United
) ates possess government navy of but
moderate size, but in our extensive COM
mercal marine we have full supply of
sailors and vessels for an extensive and
effective system of privatGering in case of
war. Although our government navy
cannot compete with that of France or
England, tn, privateers we could put
afoat would enable us to conduct strug
gle with either of those powers upon equal
terms. The priyateers would constitute
our mi litia Of the ocean, enabling Us to
strike heavy blows rpon the enemy and
bring him to terms.
The proposition to abolish privateering
is therefore proposition to deprive US of
an arm of our National strength, and give
to France and Great Britain absolute
control Of the ocean as against us in time
of war. Be it observed that those pow
ers will not agree that private property
upon the ocean shall be exempt from cap.
turc in war. They claim the right to use
their vessels of war in capturing our mer.
chantmen and sweeping our commerce
from the ocean, aud then ask US to aban.-
don unconditonally our appropriate means
Of defence and retaliation against them
of course, under democratic Statesmen
this most injurious proposition was reject.
ed, and its unfairness fully exposed But
we have now fallen upon evil days
with darkness and with dangers compassd d roundl"
Seward, reversing the action Of his pre-
deoessor in the Department Of State and
dis regarding his arguments, instrucs oul
Ministers at London and Paris to offer ou,
unconditional adhesion to the Paris Con
ference project. The utmost reprobator
of the country is due to the Secretary ant
Administration by whom this act of foil,