Richmond enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1815-1867, 1863-10-16
ceptble of loss only by the recreancy Of Its

posSPS"6r
Wha: ro.sible lawful interest could the
United States have in preventing the remit
tancc of the specie due to the creditors OF the
State Of Alabama Blockades are q lowed
bv the law Of nations n means nf enforcing
the submission Of an enemy by the dcsrruc-
ton of his commerce, The exhaustion OF his
resources and consequent forced abandonment
of the struggle. The remittance Of the specie
in the present case, far from retardinG these
legitina;n objects tended on the contrary to
promote them hy the diversion Of the money
from admiration to military purposes. The
United States conld not have desired that the
spccic should remain within the Confetleracy
save with one Of two motives: lst, 10 dlshonnr
the State Of Alabama by giving color To the
reprnach that it was regardless If public faith,
and on this comment has already been made ;
or. secondly, in the hope that hy the fortunes
of war the money would come within the
roach of snoliation under its coniiscation law.
tis scarcely necessary tn observe that the de-
sire to enrich itself, by plumber, ,at the expense
of neutral creditors, is as little cOnsonunt with
respcct for ruhl;e Law and the rights rf neu.
trails, as the purpose forcibly tn prevent the
State of Alabama from redecming its plghted
faith.
Whatever NAV be the value to which these
views NAV be Justly entitled, it is certain that
there are bnt two aspects in which the State OF
Alabama can be regarded by Her Majesty's Gov.
ernment. Alabama is either one OF the former
I'non engaged in armed rebellion against the
legitimate authority of the United States, or is an
independent State, and q member Of this COnfed-
cracy, engaged in lawful war agHinst the United
States An examination OF the effect Of either OF
. tIn Oppts1 Nyitl thp
dismissal of Consul MaGce and the appointment
of Mr. Crisllanl, will now hc presented i'll vim
dcation of the actiGn which the President deems
it his duty to take OH this subject.
|. IF the British Government think proper
to assume (althuugh the contrary is deemed
bv this Govcrnmcrt to I've fully established
by convincing reason and. victorious arms,
that the State of Alabama is still one of the
United States, then the Government Of the
United States is bound towards Great Britain,
rs we'll as to all other neutral nations, to rem
der all legitimate aid in the collection Of their
lust claims against that Sta;r. Although By
the Constitution Of the United States its Gov
ernment may hn without power to enforce the
payment of dept due to foreign Suiccts or
Powers by an unwilling State. none can doubt
its duty to interpose no Of structloin to the
payment of such debt; and. no more lesitl-
mate ground Of complaint could he afforded
to Great Britain against the 6oyernment Of
the United States, than an opposition made
by that Government to the payment of just
debt due Ivy Alabama to the subjects of Great
Britain. In this aspectof the case, therefore,
the British officials ut Mobile were doing q
duty which ought 10 have been equally arccp-
table both to the United States and Great
Britain, when they facilitated the transmission
of funds by that State for that purpose to
England, where the debt was made payable,
and mcritcd applause rather than manites>
tation Of displeasurc.
. If, on the contrary, the State Of Alabama
be regarded (as in right and fact she really is)
an independent State engaged in war against
the United States, as a foreign enemy, then
the President cannot refrain from observing
that the action of Her Britannia Majesty's
Minister at Washington savorcd on this occa'
sion rather of unfriendly cooperation with
an enemy than Of Just observance of neutral
obligations. For in this view Of the case, q
Minister accredited to the Government OF oul
enemies has not only assumed the exercise Of
authority within this Confederacy, without the
knowledge Or consent Of its Government, but
has dore 80 under circumstances that rather
aggraTate than paliate the offence of di,re
gnrding its sovereign rights. His action fur
ther conveys the implication that this CJnfede
racy is subordinate to the United States, and
that his credentials, addressed to the Govern
ment ut Washington, justify his ignoring the
existence of this Government and his regard
ing these States rs an appcndage of the coun
try to which he is accredited. Nor will uel
Maiesty's Government fail to perceive that il
no sense can it lie considered consonant with
the rights Of this Government, or with neutra
obligations, that Il public Minister should b.
maintained near the Cabinet of our enemies
charged both with the duty Of entertaining
amicable relations with them, and with the
power Of controlling the conduct of British
officials resident with US.
Mr. will the application Of the foregoing re-
marks bc at al impaired if Her Mairstj IS Gov
crnmcnt, declining to determine the true rela
ton Of the State 0f Alabama to the Unite!
States, choose to consider that question as still
in allegiance and to regard that State as simplya
bclliserent whose ult"r0r status must await the
event of the war. In this hypothesis, the oh
lection to dclegating authority over British
officials residing with Us, to minister charged
with the duty ofrcndcrng himself acceptable
w 'ui - Gun 'tNCl liih "puid SAiS'
in tho case O. ;iastile nations equally recog
n,zad as in,iap penient by Il neutral power. Foi
in the latter rusc the parties would have cqual
ability to vindicate their rights through the
Il ;ual channels of official intercourse, whereas
in the former the bcligercnt which enjoys ex
clusivcly this advantage is armed by the neu
trail with additional power to inllict injury on
his enemy.
Il. -. =,
cited, seen renewed reasons for adhcring tt
his determination, mentioned in my preceding
dispatch, of prohibiting any direct communi
cation between Consuls OF Consular agents
residing within the Confedcracy and the func
tionariel Of their governments residing
amongst our enemies. He further indulges
the hope-which Her Majesty's Government
cannot but regard as reasonable, and which
he is, therefore, confident will be justified by
its action-that Her Majesty's Government
will choose some other mode of transmitting
its orders and exercising It's authority over
its agents within the Confcderacy than by
delegating to functionaries who reside among
our enemies the power to give orders or in
structions to those who reside among us.
Finally, and in order to prevent any fur.
thcr misunderstanding in Mr.. Cridland's
case, that gentleman has been informed
that he cannot be permitted to exercise
Consular functions at Mobile, and it, has been
intimated to him that his choice Ofsome other
State than Alabama Cor his residence would
be agreeable to this Government. This init
nation has been given in order to avoid any
difficulty which might result from the doubt
full position of Alr. Crii!and, who is looked or
here as private individual, and who, in Ala
hama, represents himself as Acting English
Consul"
The President is confident that Her MAZE
ty's Government will render full justice to the
motives by which these measures are prompt
ed, and will perceive in them manifestation
Of the earnest desire entertained by him II
prevent the possibility of any unfortunate com
plicatons having a tendency to impair the
amity which it is equally the interest and the
desire of this Government to cherish with thai
of Great Britain.