Weekly national intelligencer. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1841-1869, 1863-10-22

fires Of the cry out sgant that Power, which by
precpitate concession OF alse begerency furnished the
torch As we'll invest the rebelous 1hs Of India who
tasted salt water with this ocean prerogative
that they too may rob and burn as well constitute
landlocked Poland now in arus for Independence, an
be gerent enrol mountain Switzerland in the
class join With Shakespeare in making inland Boz
hernia country with hospitable ports on the
To aggravate this concession of false belgerency the
ships all built, rugged, armed and manned in Great
Britain II is out OF British oak and British iron that
they constructed rugged with British ropes made
formidable with British supplied with British gum
aud navgated with British crews 90 az to cons
tute in all respects British naval expedition. British
ports supply the place Of rebel savemopger ports British
ports are open to them when their own closed
British ports constitute their naval base of operations and
supplies furnishing every thing needfuexcept officer
the ships papers and court for the trial Of the puzas-
each Of which essential 10 the legality of the exp dton
Aud yet theae ships, thus equipped in British ports
and touching port Of the pretended government
in whose they rob aud burn-beiDg simply rio
taken out Of tho eide Of England and contributed to
slavemonger rebs0n-receive the further passport Of
beigerency from the British Government when in fact tn.
beigerency does not exit The whole proceeding from
the laying Of keel in British dockyard to the bursting
danes on the ocean, ls mockery OF international law
and an insult to friendly Power. E
The case is sometimes said to be new but it is new
only inasmuch as no such parrcide il provided against
IN express terms 1t was not anticipated But the prn
cipes which govern it old Justice and humanity
in the interests of which begerent rights are said to be
conceded Here it is all reversed and It'll now apparent
that whatever may have been the motives the British
Government balgeent rights have been conceded 10 the
interests of injustice and inhumany Burning ships and
scattered wr cks are The witnesses If such ia not
CONDEMNED by international law then has this law lost it's
virtue. Call such cruisers by what4ver polite term most
pleases the and You do not change their character
with their name. Without bone and without legal
character they gypses Of the sea- who BY their
criminal acts have become dstubers of the common Ugh
way, outlaws, and enemies of the human race.
But there ia precf dent which shows how impossible
it Is for pretended Power without single port to pos
sees btgerent rights the ocean and how impossible
It Tor the ship Of such pretended Power to be any thing
but a felon ship. James H. Of England after he hsd
ceased to be de jaco king and while he was an exile
without single port, undertook to issue letters of
marquee 1t was argued unanswerably before the Pryy
Council OF William Ill that, whatever might be the
claims de Jare OF deposed prince he could nor receive
from any other sovereign international privileges -
that u he could grant commission to take The ships
OF single nation it would ia effect be "a general
license to plumber, because those who 80 comms-
81 ned would be their judges of whatever they took
and that the Reason Of the thing which pronounced that
robbers and pirates when they formed themselves into
eva snclety became just enemies pronounced alsO that
King without terrific ry without power Of proec ing the
innocent unsbing tho guilty, or in any way OF ad
mlnserng justice, danded into pirate if he issued
commissions to seize the goods and ships Of nations and
that they who took commits sons from him must be held
by legal inference to have associated scelers and
could not be considered members of civil society,".
These words are strictly applicable to the present
Whatever may be the force of the rebel aYemonqers on
land, they are no better the than the depesed
prince without power Of projecting the innocent
punshing the guilty in any way of administering JUS
tee !; and, like the prince they too have {" dwniled
into pirate-except far they may be sustained
by British recognition .
And there ys another precedent, VIII oh shows that
the appropriation of captured ship cargo, without in
dica proceedings, piracy. The is memorable 1t
10 none other than that of the famous Capt Kidd who
his Indictment for piracy long ago 1893, produced
commission IN Justification But it was at declared
that it was not enough to show commssion he must
also show condemnation Of the captured shin The Lord
Chief Baron of hat day sad that he had acted pursu
ant to his commits on he ought 10 have condemned ship
and goods; that by not condemnng them he showed his
aim, mind and inenon aud that he did not act 10 that
case by virtue of his commission but quite contrary to it
that he took the chip and shared the and goods and
was taken IN that very ship that there is color
petense that he intended to bring this ship England to
be Condemned or 10 have cond mned it any Of the Eng
sh plantations; and that while pursue their commits
sons they must be Justified but when they do thngs not
n" commissions Capt. Kidd condemned to DE- a,h
and executed pirate If he pirate worthy Of
DEATH then BY the rule those who burn ships
rob csrgOes and adorn their cabins with Of sten
thermometers without any preteree OF prize court must
be pirates worthy of death likewise.
Bot without now considering more critically what
should be the fate of these Cceancendaries what the
Responsibilities Of England Of whom they came con-
tent myself with the conclusion that they not entitled
10 ocean belllgerency,
But even il reb slavemongers coagu'ated In embryo
government have arrived ut that semi sovereignty aco
on the ocean which ustes tn concession of bsgerent
rights, yet the Christian Powers should Indignantly decline
to make the con- ession, because they d with
out completely with shameful crime. Here avoid de-
tails 1t is sufficient to say that every argument IF fact
ard reason, every whisper OF Conscience and humanity
every indignant burst Of honest against the
cognton OF slavem0naer independence is equally strong
against Any concession to begerency JUDGED such
concession the BALI way house to recognition aud it
be made only where nation ready il the fact cf indie
pendence be sufficiently established TO acknowledge it, On
the priucipe Of Vatte that uhosoever has right to The
end has right to the means" But il is equally clear
that where natio, grounds of conscience must refuse
the ecgntion of Independence it concede brlge
rency for where the eud is forbidden the be
forbidden Also But the illogical absurd ty Of any such
Concession by Great Britain persistent always against
slavery, and for ihsn generation the declared
rent when it Is considered that evey r. bel ship built in
England and invested wi belgerency carries It'll
It the law Of slavery that the ship becomes extension
Of slave territory by British concession.
Aud yet it is said that such monster is entitled TO ths
concession of rights ard lbs British Queen is made
to proclaim them SD day for England when another
wicked compromise struck with slave y, kindred in
nature w that old treaty which mates the cheeks Of
honest Engshmen they read It, by which the slave
trade was protected and it's profits secured to British
subjects know not tie profits which have been secured
by the destruction Of American commerce. but do know
that the treaty Of Utrecht crimson with the blood Of
slaves, not crimson that reckless proclamation
which gave to slavery frantic life aud he lped for time
nay, still helps the demon in the rage with which battles
against human tights Such ship with the law Of slavery
its deck aid with the flag OF slavsry mt it, MASTHEAD
ealing { r slavery, burning for 81 very. fighting for
slavery, anI knowing her gnty than the pre-
tended Government OF rebel sIavrmongers be
ess in spirit and character than slave pirate and the
O. emy OF the human Like produces hike, aud the
parent Power. which slavery, must stamp itself upon
the ship, making it floating o+nce to Heaven with no
limit 10 q andaciiy-Wid, outrageous, impetus a mon
ster OF the deep to be hunted down by all who have not