Richmond enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1815-1867, 1863-05-01
CONSUMPTION OF roRK1ssERa.

ifa bli Icf copsoflptlon VI tnoo' fe
.IaHrrs To DC foreigners who arc trading ana
,nstlcs fozturea by the war, and VINO claim
exemption by virtue Of "protsctions" given
.Aeu by pretended "consuls," acting 'or ns-
lions " hioh DO not recognize our national ex-
stance sad Of whose own national existence
w. c,.n ,t,sreforo know nothing. Our own
.,,irs.,. and traders are compelled to servo
in :,f,nec not only Of their own properties
ana liberties. but also OF these foreign rsst-
dents. who hYs At homo at ease, and who
care not how long tho war lasts, because
they prof. by it.
ohs thing WAS decided in 'aecret session.
.5r It seelaa there is something especially
mysterious in the nstter. Important ooou~
,nsBts" ~ hich the vulgar public would reaA-
" like % s.e) were to DO road. One would
-,sh to iyrow who wrote these Documents
,n5'to y..om they wore addressed, and what
they contsip. Opa thing is certain: they 90
mt co,as f.o;a auy official source whatsoever.
They CO no. bring "sscogniton;' they DO
10. promise recognition, either at an carly
a.y r. .1s;s, We do not believe In the ex-
;z.e,ce Of any documents which, if made
,,bli-. would justly this Confederaoy In SO
hrnbline itself before the Powers OF Europe
"A % receive conaus from those who Will
,.e,ive none from us-ssnd ministers to
con =, which refuse to know the existence
of o,- shv,.nroat- admit tho nationality
Of sos~ens.a whose soVe'eisns do not ADMIT
ours.
Eu known well enough, however, what
s,uome,.t bss been pressed upon Congress to
hrjus * - this decision. 1t Is that We nave
e,,-.s.n ,hi,.s-c:.war in preparation in Eng
I'm. .nl thst TIT British Government might
40 .fr.ss.s,! t. our action in taking British
soai.ai- 70 snrve in our armies, snd might
,s--.,.: j. by prohibiting our ships from put
l!,,., =, .es. Ard in such case it might be
pretended that the hostile interference would
49, /. aozL Of retaliation for our injury to
those subj cts ;>ss il it we.o any Injury to
,:.o.o Dsrsons tc t:eat them as we troat our
o..l people, il tho absence Of any official no
t;a:a;;on that they a-e foreigners ut all.
Lat Us sce wha: u tho value Of this srgu-
n..nE. aud what wo 40 likely to gain BY our
ca'aplsisanos.
Iheru are not, perhaps, twelve, but posi-
ny thEca ol four, or i've, ships now in British
sock yarda, getting ready for our navy. bat
Inc fsnkes Secretary Of State and Yankee
a,istsr at Loadon ere sl awake to the fact;
suuw IT, ton tbeir capacity, to gun their
Intended SInanent, TO morse power their
uml+niGr: Thsy and their newspapers even
ss.gsera.s all these things in their angry OK.
p1si.ors ~ The g.sl. feet which the "Elpps-
rag o: Gina" president Davisl has upon
me s;oohs in Epglsnd. = greSt effort sill
CO msde; t.reata IF repIi'sls, even OF open
warswil 10 coed &c coercs the British Gov
s,unact to interference with Our ship build.
:ns operations; and no excuse will be left to
, lord Rrasel for pretended ignorance in Tie
saos Of es!i"roo Shall we ever got those
ah'17!
No, probably, If Lord Ra.sslf can help it.
sls IS the Eoghah Secretary for Foreign Al
E.irs We bad already known how that little
liberal" felt disposed towards our slave
siding C2nfsdsfacy. And his explicit stste-
osrt 10 nia letter 10 Mr.. AdGms-whioh we
have sircsdy publishsd leaves no room for
doubt ca 10 The zesl with which he sought to
s:op tho A!.b:,n, from putting to yea. He
sayst
Il you 1850 that her Msjesty's Govern
peGs wifuiiy delayed OF neglected the mea-
surS By which tho character of the Alabama
oouH have been legally sscertained, must
gi's rorit;ys and complete denial of the
;rcth OF any soch assertion. The opinion of
.he law officers, until the receipt OF which her
A,isstr's Government could not not, was de-
tered st ths Foreign Of1co On the 29th Of
JAY; hu:' "a the morning of thst day the
Ai.bans. under prstext Of pleasure excut-
sion, escaped from Liverpool.
a.s lotdah;p he'd not been Furnished with
sfTlsTits Of tie facts in sufficient time, and it
seetrs he mad then TO tsko the opinion Of the
AAw cn!cers pf Tho Crowd" That opinion Of
the lay officers was in fsyos Of seizirg tho Ala
hams, sl:aough then sn unarmed ship; and
.h,s 7c.y morning, 81 ho declares, orders were
dispatched to Liverpool, but the Alabama
4.d Just "oscsptd."
Well, doubtless the sfadavits ars forth
r>m;ng .his time; his Lordship has already
mo opinion OF The lsw-otficers; everything is
sec.ly, 40 coon a. any one OF ttoss vessels
shall bs almost ready for ses--and Argus-
yes sre ~a.caing-ara Lord Russell, even if
II. y zt.ed 80 let Us hive cur ships; which, we
buy And pay for, will be left without apology
II they escape" BIN. II is true, British
stIp-owpcrs, md the British Government
hsvc, 81 SIC try to persuade ourselves. q
great :nteroet In covering the sea with South
ern cruisers to cut up rival commerce, and
raise insurance upon Yankee bottoms, and de-
~ ahippers from charterinS Yankee ships; per-
hxps, if thers were no oounservaiiing inhu-
enoc, i. woald evan pay England we'll to
b7i!d ships Of war for as grstui:ouslY ard
make rs a present Of them.
BIZ. we have deceived ourselves often
enough snd long enough as 10 the presumed
interests of England; wo do not, perhspa, take
them ali into account. and balance ono with the
other. We are too apt to conclude that tho
Intereet which bears in our favor will be the
pre2onderaut and governing one. Now, in
this case there is countervniling influence;
sud shat ". tho apprehension OF wsr with
The Yankees. True, the Euglish are not
,Gr.;d Of the Yankees and could do them
'ncrs h.rn than they would uustatn at their
hands bu: thcy are very much afraid of rar
nth tee Yankees, fo- the present. 1t seems
70 rs, therefore, highly probable that Lord
Ras-oil will keep our ships IN the dock