Memphis daily appeal. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1847-1886, 1863-10-19


10 oy saneing dispatches 70 Mobile forbildina
tie shipments They, however, failed 10 arriV
bef0rs the departure Of the Fesuvius with th
specie, whsrsupOa Consul Magss was disuisssS
iroEl 7fics fsT receiving and forwarding if nj
the VacanoT thus created in ira of5es Of British
consul az Mobile was fllsd bY Lord Lyons b.
the issue Of 2 eaznmissou 10 Mr. Cridland. ant
his departure ior Mobile under fhs eircum
stances already eKplainsd
By tho principles Of tha modern public cod
debts due BY q Ssais ara not sat jsct 70 the 0par
hfi0E Of tho laws g war, and are considered q
sacred IS to b. beyond the reach Of c0u6scsti0u
An attempt st such cor 6ssarioa would Be repro
baied By msukind T6s United States alone il
modern tines hsv5 oourted such rspr0bation
And lasl deteztatioa lad been universally OK.
pressed of sa6ir eoEGscaden laws passed during
she pending war. The G1varunsat Of G-est
Z Britain on ne contrary, has as AL times mani
tested It's a5h0ueucs Of such breaches Of uuofia
fsits, and in the Crimsan war gave 10 the world
I = memorable example OF its own high regard fol
public honor by paying ever to the enemy
money which il vel knew Wouli be immsdi
atsly employed in wsgiug hoslili.iss againsi
/ itself The gates Of this ConfsderHcy are emu
lous Of examples Of honor, aad they according
iy rsfTainsd on the breaking sut OF ho5siltiss
from even tks temporary seqasstTation Of the
dividends Of their public dsbs due 70 their enc
mics. Il was not until they received notice Of
the eon6seatioH law PASSED by the Uuitsd States
/ on the 8 sh August 1861, that thsy consented %
the temporary sequsssTsti0n Of the property Of
! thsir enemies. and even then the sequestration
was declared 10 be for she ssls purpose OF seeur-
/ ing q fund 10 indemnify the s1ffsrsrs under ihs
/ con6seaion law of the United States.
/ The following clause Of eur law, sZempti1g
/ public debts from its operation, is extracted as =
preof Of The sacred regard f9E publie faith mani
I fss-ed by these Siat6s u8dsr srrong temptation
10 rst4lsts and under al the exaspsrati0a Of the
savage warfare then actually Hsgsd against
/ them: Provided further, that The provisions Of
this act shall not extend 20 the stocks or pubic
] securities Of the Confederate GovernmsHt, or
I any Of the State8 Of this ConfedsraeT. held or
/ owned BY any alisD enemy OF 10 any debt, obi
I CATION OF sum dHs from the Cenfsderats Gov
ernmsns Of the Stssss to such alisn enemy. !"
rs FssstTatlon lao Of CsHfsdsrats States, passed
/ 39ih Aug, 1851
Such being he obligations imposed on States
( in regard to the payment Of public debH te-
I ward even their enemies, No deeper rsPr0ach
can stain their name thaa the refusal TO do ius-
[ tics TO neutral creditors. Tha observance Of
plightsd public faith eoncsrns mankind 81 large;
/ in it All nations have common interest; and
l the bslligsTent who BerVeris the weapons Of
/ lsgtimsss warfare into an instrumsntality for
I tssciug his enemy 10 dishoH0T his obligations
and incur the reproaeh ef being faithlsss 10 his
1 engagements, wages piratcal snd not an hon
1 Crsb.s wtFfsra, and becomes k0stts esnsris hJ-
IaaHi Public A0asF Is held sacred By inter
uad0aal iaE against the atissk Of the NOS ms-
lsToleni foe, and as susceptible Of loss only BY
I the rsersaney Of lis posssssor.
What possible lawful interest could The
| Uuilsd States hsvs in preventing the regi.tancs
4 Of the specie dua 90 the creditors cf the State
/ Of Aiaba a. Bl9ckaies srs allowed hT the law
r. a Of
sion Of an enemy By the destruction Of bis com
me1ce the exhaustion Of his resources and con-
ssqusnt forced sbandoHmsEt Of ths struggle.
The remittznce Of the specie in the present case.
/ far from retsrdng these lsgitims objects tended
on the contrary 70 promote them b. the diversion
or she money rom application 70 military pur-
| poses. The Upited Ststss could nos have desired
thai the specie should remain within tba C0nfsd-
eFacy save vita 0ae Of two motives; lst, 70 Dis
/ honor tie Ssats Of Alabama By giving color to
| the repTosch that It wss regardless Of public
faith, snd on this comment has already bssn
made; OF, secondly, IA the hopa shat by the for
| tunes OF war -as money would come within the
reach Of spOliati0n UGdsT its canliscsti0n law.
L is scarcely necessary 60 observe that the de-
sire to enrich itssit, 9y piuudsr, q. ths expense
/ Of neutral creditors, is as little coa8onaut with
| respect Tor public law aad tie rights Of nsnIsls,
/ as the purpose f0rcibiy 20 prevent the STATE Of
WAsssyer may Be the value 20 Ehieh these
| views may be justly entitled il is eertain taat
/ there are but two aspects in which the Stats Of
/ Alabama Can be regarded By her Msjesty's GOV
| ernmsnt Alabama is either one OF the States Of
/ the former Uni0n engaged in armed rebsllisn
| sgsinss the legitimate authority of the United
! States, or is sn independent STATE. and member
/ Of this ConfedsTsey, engaged in lawful war
I against the Uai'ed States. An examinations Of
/ the effect Of either Of these relations upon the
| facts connected with the dismissal Of Consul
/ Mages and the appointment Of Mr. Cridland
I viii now be presented in yihdicstiOn of the ac-
/ ton which the President deans it his duty 10
take on this subject.
/. If the British Government think proper to
/ assume (alshough the contrary is deemed by
| this Government TO Be fully establish BY con
/ vinCinS reason aud victorious arms thst ths
/ STATE Of Alabama IS still oHe Of tie United
/ S:atss, theu the Government Of tie United
States is bound toward Great Bditsin, as well as
90 sii other Hsatrai nations, 90 render an legti-
/ mate sid In the collection Of their Just claims
/ against that State. Although by the Consiitu-
/ ton Of the United States its G1vernnsnt may
be without power 70 snf1rcs the payment of g
/ debt due to foreign subjsels or powers BY an
unwilling State, none can doubt It's duty % in
| terp0sa no obstruction to the payment Of such
debt; and no more legitimate ground Of com
/ the Government Of the United Safes, fhsu an
/ opposition made BY that Government 70 the pay.
/ Elaut Of Just debt due By Alsbams 10 the aub-
/ jacis Of GraSt Britain 10 this aspect Of the
/ case therefore, the British officials at Mobile
were doing duty which oughs ID have been
/ equally acceptable both 10 the United States and
| Great Brissia, when they facilitated the trans
mission of fands By that Sists for that purpose
/ 20 England, where he debt vas msde payable,
/ and msritei applause rather than a msniiests-
| ton Of displeasUs
/ 2. II, on the contrary, the Ssate Of Alabams
Dc regarded las IN right sad fact she really isl
/ an Independent State engaged in Wsr against
/ the United States, IS 6 foreign enemy, then the
J Pfesiisnt cannot refrain from observing that
me action Of bsr Britannia Msissty's minister
/ at Washington ssvoFed On this occasion rather
Of unfrisudly cooperation with an enemy than
/ Of just Observance Of neutral obligations. For
IN this view Of ths ease, a minister accredited 70
the Government Of our enemies bas not only
/ assumed the exercise Of suth0rity within this
I COniedeTscy, without the knowledge or consent
Of its Government, bas has done Sc under cir
lcumass8ees that rather sggEsvsss than palliate
the offsnse Of disregarding Its sovereign rights.
/ His seton further conveys the implication that
/ this Conf8derecy Is subordinate 60 The United
States and that his credentials, addressed TO the
Government at Washington, justify bis ignOr-
ing the existence Of thus Government and his
/ regarding thsss States as an sPpendags Of the
country 70 which he is accredited. Nor viii
her Majssty's Govemmsnt fail TO perceive that.
/ ia no sense can il Be considered e0nsonsnt With
the rights Of this Government, or with neutral
obligssi0us- that pubhe minister should be
maintsinad near the cabinet Of cur sasruiss,
charged both with the duty Of entertaining am
icsbie relations with them, and with the power
Of controlling the conduct Of Bciiisb eff sisls
resident with US
marks be al al impsiFsd if her Majesty's Gov
| ernmeut, declining 20 dstarmins tho true rals-
ton Of the Sia.a of Alabama to the United
States, choose 60 consider that question as siill
in abeyanee and to regard that Sgsts as simply
a bsIIigerent whose ultsrior status must await
the event Of the war In this hypothesis, ths