The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1863-12-09

WI WNESd HH3Iffst USf by M 0tIFd States IN re
elssance OF her illegal kinctk a. 1877 by an Nc
guiescence In ths Fedefzt q &aI b!otka.ie uf iss
ne most alarming feAiufo Mis- statement IL n
admission nr a Just cain e. (t Part OF the Unite
states To require Of Efeai e. aiH, during this war
disregard Of ake retognsH1 pfiHcipies Of mode N
public iaw and ef her oN1 rnmpacts, when~v.e
any questionable ceiisuctf18 Great britain al,
i0rnt-r tiNes' can he cited precedent. It'll
mol inconsisfent with ~ n( BsaNd admiration n
tne great people whuss G0NNE1nent have given a.
thls warning n susgest ihse 20 history. ikc .,,a
0f m1nhind In general, pii0uai Ins nee,
OF lndefensib!a conduct III 6Emer iimee;', an.
we may well deny the mosnll1t OF violating secen
engagements through defsrekee 10 the evil preec
dents OF the past.
Aftrr defending In ibs nl1hacr lust stated ,i,s
course OF tue British EoveFMAfnt Gu the enhiec
Of the tdoc kade, Her Msies4&A Foreign Seer.ta
takes eaFa to leave no duGbtf ti,e further nu,noss
y. ue hifttsll t,overnite nj ttgcse<t"ur pure has,
" vessels ~ sTeat BrtfaI mile supplying o1l
enemies " fth rinss aad Oh "a munitions nf war
and states tho inteutiun To 0E3y tn Par lament fn
the 1ufthevance OF this dea =. lle gives IN th.
United States the assuf8t that he VIII do /,
their favor not only "eveyf ing that the ia,y a,
nations requires, everythfG Hat the present for
cfgn enlistment act Tequtl ~ but that he vii
ask the sanction sf PasilM 3 ato further mee "a
m.es Ut tnat ficr k1ajestys ni ers may still add. >
MS language IL 90 uHmts 41jy an Official ex
position Of the policy adnp9 ~ thc British Cav
efhmeht IN relation To cur aiss, that tho dut:
imposed on me by the C0n kntion of RtyIuw Won
I,oIn time 20 Ume ''iniofm i OF the state Of the
ConicacSacy,' would not l&e been performed n
had failed to place il dtstliy before you.
;es, 'eisr ~ ,y yon aor aue. dss. On this whole sub
Ifct 10 the correspondents ef the State Depart
mcnt which accompanies Message. Tie facts
which have briefly aase ~. trust, suficlcnl
: ssss's sss g ss:.;s :,.s, e 6 ,s q:
fnent OF France shages the views so nnreservefly
av0wed by that Of Great Britain, no published cor
respondence Of the French E6vernmrnt on The
sufu"ct having been received No public protest
nor opfns i:inn, however, has been made by His
Imperial Majesty against The prohibition to trade
with us imposed on French citizens by the paper
blockade Of the United States, although have
reason to believe that an unsuccessful attempt was
made on his part % secure the assent OF the iish
Government 10 course of action more consoaant
with the dictates Of public law and with the de-
mands Of justice towards us.
The pa:tlality Of Her Majesty's Government In
faVof OF GUS enemies has been further cvincel In
the marked difference of Its conduct on the subject
Of the purchase Of supplies by the two clgerents.
THIS difference has been conspicuous since the
very commencement Of the war. A early as the
Ist May, 1861 the British Minister In Washington
vas informed by the Secretary of State of the
United States that he had sent agents To England
and that others would 60 10 France, to purchase
arms, and this fact was communicated to the
British Foreign Office, which intcrpo.ed NO ohisc
ton. Yet in October of the same year Earl Russell
e entertained the complaint OF the United States
Minister In London that the Confederate 5tatt :
were importing cnntraband Of war from the island
Of Nassau, directed inquiry into the matter, and
obtained report from the authorities Of the
island denying the allegations, which report
was enclosed to Mr.. Adams and received by
him as satisfactory evidence to iisspate .'the
suspicion naturally thrown upon the authorities c;
Nassau ny that tuuwarrantable act " SO, too, when
the Confederate Government purchased tn Great
Britain, as neutral country, (and with strict Oh
servance both OF the law OF nations AMI the munt
cpai law Of Great Brtain,) vessris which were
G q m m ed "a .
pfwar, after they had been far removed from Eng
llsh waters, the British Government, In violation
Of lis own laws and in Difference to the importu
hate demands OF the United States, made All inef-
feetua! attempt to seize one vessel, and did nc
Iua!Iy seize and detan another which Touched a:
The island Of Eassn1 on iier way to a Confederate
port, ana subjected her t" an unfoundsd prose
cutiOn 1T the very time when cargoes OF mu-
nitions of war We're being openly shipped from
British ports TO New York, to be used In war
fare against US. Even now the public jour
nails bring intelligence that the British Gov
arnMent has ordered the seizure, In a British
port, OF two VESSELS, on the suspicion that they
may have been sold 10 this Government, and that
hey may be hereafter armed and equipped in cur
service, while British subjects engaged In ire
and by tens of thousands to proceed TO the United
States for warfare against the nsd-racy, In de-
lance both Of the law of nations aHd Of the
press terms of the British statutes, ard are trans
ported Iii hrif.h ships, without an effort at con.
:eaimebf, TO the ports Oi the United States, there
lain, und to bo einp!o: ed against our people 10 Il
war tor conquest. No royal prerogaiive Is invoked
executive interference IL interpOsed against this
agrant breach Of municipal and International law
DH the part OF our enemies, white strained con-
5uuo.Ions are placed on existing statutes, new
naCtUents proposed, and questionable expedlents
ir Yieed for precludin2 the possibility ot purchase,
by this Government, of vessels that are useless for
beIigerent purposes, u..sess hereafter armed and
equipped outside Of the neutral jurisdiction Of
Great Britain.
For ncaiJy three years this Government has ex-
ercised unQuesuoned jurisdiction over many NIL
lions Of willing and united people. it has met and
defeated vast armies OF invaders. who have in
vain sought its subversion. Supported by the con
idencc and affection of its citizens, the COnfede-
racy has lacked no element which distinguishes an
independent nation according to the principles OF
public law. Its Legislative, executive, and iudt-
cial departments, each In its sphere, have per
formed their appropriate functions with regu-
larity as uudisturbed rs in a time Of profound
peace, and the whole energies of the people have
been developed In the organization OF vast armies,
while their rights and liberties have rested secure
under the protection of the courts OF JUSTICE
This COnfedcracy Is either independent, or 1t
is dependency of the United States, for no
other earthly power claims the right to gov
ern It, Without one historic fact on which
the pretensiOn can rest, Without one line or word
Of treaty covenant which can give color to title,
the United States have asserted, and the British
has chosen to concede, that these SOW
ereign St1tes are dependencies Of the Government
which is administered in Washington. Great
Britain has accordingly entertained with that Coy
the closest aud most intimate relations,
while refusing ON its demand ordinary amicable
intercourse with us, aud has, under arraR sements
made with the other nations of Europe, not only
denied our just claim Of admission into the family
Of nations but interposed passive, though effect
ual, bar 10 the acknowledgment Of our rights by
nther powers. So soon as 1t had become apparent,
by the declarations of the British Ministers In the
debates Of the British Parliament In July last, thai
Her Majasty's Government W6s determined 10 per-
sist indefinitely In course OF policy which, under
professions Of neutrality, had become subservienf
10 the designs OF our eemy felt II my duty to re-
ea!l the Commissioner fo,mafiy accredited 10 that
Court, and the correspondence on the subject u
submitted TO you.
tits due 10 you and to oit country that this full
statement should be made of the Just grounds
which e1ist Tor with the conduct OF
lhe British Government. am well aware that We
are, unfortunately, without adequate remedy for
The injustice under which we have suft red al the
hands OF powerful milton, at a juncture when
our entire resources absorbed In the defence OF
our lives, liberties, ard independence, against an
enemy possessed Of greatly superior numbers and
material resources. Claiming no favor desiring no
aid, conscious Of eur cwn ability to defend OUT
own rights against the utmost efforts Of an infu-
rate foe, had thought 1t not exiravagant to eh-
pect that assistance would be withheld from
our enemies, and thar the conduct OF Tor
eign nations would be marked by genu-
Inc tmpartiaiity between the belligercnts. !,
was not suppos. that professed neutrality
would be so conducted as TO justify the
Foreign Secretary of the British nation In explain
ing, In correspondence with our enemies, how
!" the impartial observance OF neutral obligations
by Her Majesty's Government has thus been ss-
ceedingly advantageous to the cause OF the a. ore
powerful Of the two contendtng parties" Ths
British Government may deem this war q favorable
occasion for establishing, BY the temporary saeri.
fee of their neaira! rights, aprecedcnt which shal
nstify the future exercise nj those extreme belii
eerent pretensi0ns that their naval power render
80 Formidable" The opportunity for Obtalning thu
tacit assent at European Governments 10 hne o
conduct which ignores the obligations OF the de
caratoa Of Paris, and treats that instrument raihe
as a theoretical exposition Of principles than