New-York daily tribune., 1863-09-15
PMREE DAYS LATER FROM EU-
ROPE.
Continued from First Page.

10 disguise their destination thcy have been designed
from the beginning 70 join the Florida and Alabama
and prey upon the commerce of the Unonsts as those
ships have done. The consequence is that the Unonists
and their friends are naturally enraged and We nie as
sured that the suspected vessels allowed 10
pssoe between America and England eaR no longer W
maintained.
TO the correspondence on the subject which we pup
hshed yesterday We row aid another commuhicauuuaa
containing exposition of the existing Jaw on .nis
critical question. According 10 thc views wnso, - ~;
without authority there laid down sAip u war 10
% far contraband that If il is scd by neutral 10
beeerent the other beigeren. would be entitled 70
make prize OF IT, exactly as V7ze would DC haue VI
arms or munitions Bat Is only on tne sn sss @ "
hgerent port that the seizure can he effected An
En- gish shipbuider may sell ship of war impartiaiy
r. either Confederate or Union purchaser. anu
deliver without any breach Of law; but the vessel il
babe capture and coseation If she is oyeraken at
sea and her destination can be proved.
" There is nothing in our laws, or in the law OF ma
hons that iorJds citizens from sending armed yes
reIs werns munitions Of war to foreign ports for
eouhd 10 pohi5t, and which only exposes the person
engaged n IT TO tho penalty OF coniscetion That IS
the doctrine laid DOWN, not by the British Court oe Ad
piIaly but by tDe Supreme Court OF the United States
II rs American. p.Cs English law. and no law can DC
eiearer The Essss in fact, is with the FedeIas the;h
selves. They foregoing their own rights IN order
TO cary ont more efectnally certain paramount on
Sect Their crrls,rs should be where the FLORIDA ~
endhe Confederate steam rams If such they are ouge5
Instead Of meeting cOnso TO al INTO the hahas VI
eaptor but seoh is the oyerw wheniinS anxiety OF the
Onioniss pres the blockadcOi tho southern por,s,
shat they no squadrons Tor the ponce VI INC
seas. -,
However AFTER stating the facts far as they can be
ascertain ,et ard the law find 1t LAID GONE We ae
ready to ai irf that there is much more 10 ne addeS
There k comparatively recent statute called the For
eigu Eklistwont act which was certsmly Designed 70
control tb roceedings of neuiIals IN deans with PEI
bge-eIn; and there is distinctive feeling on tho
part of public that the construction and sale OF sneh
vessels the Alabama FOR such as those TO which
.nr hlfezma is turned. ought not whether actually
jawfn sr otherwise To be allowed by law. After max.
all atstements due 10 the exceptional character OF
tbc wilr Between Federals and Conederaies we must
needs s nit that the Oi war ships Is not Ike the
case 81 munitions of There is not so much direct
inter- prONOcation in as there Is in the
otber Rifles and cuupowder are lost sight Of but
esh, of is an active engine, endowed as II were,
with ti and personality, and tracesb!e in her achieve
neEs. tom day 10 day.
Indsed IF we suppose that not only the hull but the
guns stores and the furnished more or less
firrit0usy from the neutral State II Is hafd 70 see
how sbc supply differs from that Of regiment OF sol
1eN. We have only TO ask ourselves hat onr feelings
pcnld have been r. while we were boekading the nus
eian ports during the Crineen War. some neutral state
had furnished the Russian Government with cruisers
eenigh 70 close the against onr commerce. W
<oarse we should have allowed them such range
a sie Alabama has enjoyed but come day or o.heT even
fl Ii is not our Interest 10 allow such precedent ~
&c established for the hrst time If Il does not exist
e1,stence OF all the doubts which the question con
tins ought to give ourselves the benefit and our
Interests as II happens coincide on this occasion WITH
Che desires OF the Federal States
Still the Americans whether Of the North OF of tie
South must be perfectly aware that We can make no
concession 20 menace and tha. the laws of England
Uhnteyer they be not 10 be changed az the die
xation Of q foreign Sete We believe that If our Gov
erimen could feel itself justified in stopping any
pected vessel the public would be glad to the power
exercised. We DO not think j: morally right iha. ships
like the Alabama should leave cur ports for sach ser
vice as that which they engaged. We do not
wish 10 any OF them sail the like errand
fhongh the Unionists have themselves mainly to thank
for the mischief which these cruisers have been PEI
Jnitted to work We are even disposed 20 think thai
the Foreign Enlistment act is not comprehensive enough
20 prevent such dealings Il might he advantage
made SO, out our aussoriies can only administer The
law il stands.
TIE alleged destination Of the vessels in question ia
apparently denied. and even ii it were admitted. tie
absence of any equi ment might render the bargain
lawful The fedcrls tOc shoa.1 be reasonable enough
sc remember tha5 our impartiaty in respect Of this
kind OF trade has been GbUndariy proved. Whatever
may have been the yahes Of the cOuntry, there has
bean favor shown IN the matter Of commerce. The
Northerners have had without stint mole station
cannon, rifles powder. and every other desei Of
wariikc Inateral 10 ther hearts content They best
knog what they have hId beside and what otfcr items
might be added 70 the ist OF their imports from IN
gland. But without entering into these questions We
can truly say that the Feaerals have found Tree and
GT market IN this country for a their wants aud have
Dever had an impcdiment thrown IN ihoir Way. Oar
peutraity therefore, has not been yated by anything
liz preference and little Ia the pTeseat
ore inf by sympafhes that IL fhese steam
rams really destine f0r the Confederate Govern
Ne1t sincerely hope the law may be strong enough
% stop them.
wAR-sHIPs FOR TIE CONTEMPORARIES.
IT. ,A< Editor u TIE Daily Ners.
SIR: The Times, on the 9th OF Ap-,i 10 st, had
an article denonncing and deriding those who urged
fe Government 10 its duty IN the matter OF the
Alabama and the other ships CIwar fitted out ia 0gI
{,or,s to prey the commerce OF our allies. We
bbould have thought. said Tie TtraeS in that article
that in England least ths controversy forever
laid at rest and thai the most skeptIcal must have
been convinced that nothing had been done against
which America had any right 10 remontirate or q
which any English subject hid a right 10 complain.
The whole article a. the same sense, yioeii!
protesting against any amendment Of Foreign En
Esfment Law, any increase Of ygor IN its admins
tretion; hrsnding as traitors those VINO deinahGed
that the duties Of neutrality should be strictly per
formed, and defying the Americans 10 war.
Tie advice given to the Government in this article
wa in effect not TO enforce .he law at all The law
hgs prohibited certain things, but il has not made them
wrong in themseyes we able to see why the sell
ing OF slps t. bciigercuis by hs subjects OF neutral
States should be prohibited by the municipal law. II
eeems Gnwise 10 enact further Restraints natural
liberty than the law Of nationshas imposed and thus to
give oTe IN States ard their adhcren's claim 10 inter
{ere in the management II our domestic affairs" We
desire enjoy Liberties aud for that purpose 10 live
C1der the rule Of law.
We do not w4h 20 a regrn 20 er-egieio prosecu
4 t,ns for violations Of siafufc which II is open to any
<Le who pleascs 10 enforce; aud while we abhor the
ala wish tiIdiiy which would call upon government to
abr tge Liberty at home N order 70 conciate airhosy
aJrt ud' Nc are hruly convinced that, law has
S>een suo.S enough - plt up"n smuggling when
large pTOi j. cft The Transaction the Northern
Gsae,i mnt provide themselves with some better do.
feI fan our Foreign Enlistment Act and their own
jnefici navy If they wish 10 arrest the depedsons
ana cOTOd ihe enterprise Of the Confederate States
" hen tLat article was written the fortunes OF the
dag last Ile ItDes had another article On the sub
ject in winch aer depTecatng the partsanship from
wbef ITSELF 80 free and raising subtle qucs-
foDs bout the difficulty Of liking the character Of ships
Of wa iron plated steam rams armed with steel
Jroys and turrets went on 10 admit that there IN
fhese proceedings something short perhaps Of legal
off,nse which ourselves II were bellgcrcnts
BOd be stroDgi, disposed 70 complain Of as breach
6f neIsralhy." III i continued, vessels were built
.f. 81