The Portland daily press., 1863-11-18
"wednesday Morning, November is, lses
The Rebel Rams In the Mersey.

1t is a pity that Mr. Laird, in sketchiug the
history OF the Alabama, did not address him
self more directly to the doubts of the public,
instead OF challenging the sympathies of his
own immediate neighbors. The real ques-
tions at issue in the matter of the Mersey Iron
clads are now thoroughly understood, and the
precedent of the Alabama is naturally regard
ed as governing the case in its most impor-
tant points. 1t is now held that the adventure
OF this famous vessel was really an illegal ad-
venture. We cannot say that there was lille
galty on the part of the builders, nor would
1t be easy to distribute the blame involved in
the transaction; but as matter of fact we
know that the Alabama was not sent to sea
as q vessel of war in any lawful fashion. When
the Federals complained that a cruiser under
the Confederate flag, which had never been
equipped in Confederate port or despatched
from Confederate territory, was attacking and
capturing their merchantmen on the high seas
the complaint was justihable. 1t did not fol-
low that our Government had done wrong,
but there was wrong somewhere. Now, Mr..
Laird had certainly some hand in this bust
ness, as he tells us, indeed, without the least
disguise. Il am not ashamed TO acknowledge"
he says, that some of my family have had .to
do with that ship" and SO he enters at length
into the story. There were two ways in which
he might have satisfied the public. He might
have declared that, although his sons were,
indeed, the builders and designers of the Ala
bama, they had no knowledge OF the service
for which she had destined, but delivered her
simply in the ordinary way of trade to those
whom they considered lawful customers or
he might have declared that in his and their
opinion, there was nothing contrary to our
laws in building cruiser for the Confederate
service, to be employed against State with
which We were at peace. In short, he might
have pleaded either that there was no law
against such dealings, or that, if there were
such law, there was no intention of trans gress-
ing it. What has occasioned SO much misciy-
ing is the suspicion that the transaction was
felt to be an equivocal one and accomplished
by maneuyres and evasions. With the case.
then, In this position, what did Mr.. Laird say
TO 1t In the statement which he volunteered?
He said that the Alabama was a remarkably
swift vessel, and that though the Americans
boasted Iabout their shipbuildng they had
got no such specimen among their steamers
built to go twenty miles an honr. "Lades
and gentlemen, the Alabama goes thirteen.
but the Americans have never been able TO
touch her." No doubt this graduation was
jnstiiiable, but the point was not oae on which
we desired explanation. In the mouth of The
Lord OF the Admiralty such pretensions would
have been extremely satisfactory, but nobody
ever said that Messrs. Laird were not excel
lent shipbuilders. The question was whether
this excellent ship, which had defied the whole
Federal Navy, was or was not designed by its
builders Tor that very purpose; but on that
question Mr. Laird said not word We
then revert to the circumstances under which
she put to sea. and inquire whether she did so
like an honest vessel, confident in her own
right and character. Here, as the point is a
very critical one, Mr.. Laird shall speak for
himself. "The Government of this country
said he, have made certain statements and Civ
on ~ Arfo a. lafva .s.xsnr -
have talked about the vessel having escaped
Certainly they have, and the public looks at
the facts exactly in the same light. Does Mr.
Laird, then, refute these views? He puts the
case in the form OF an allegory: IL sec my
friend Mr.. Hind and other gentlemen who
are somewhat Of sporting men, and well they
know what / mean when say,-when hounds
approach fox covert the fox scents the
hounds, and when the huntsman comes up to
the covert the fox is gone. Ii is nonsense to
Talk about the iox escaping, or about the AL
ALBANIA escaping" We can only say that if the
truth Of the case is conveyed in this parable
escape" is the very word to describe the de-
parture OF the Alabama from the Mersev. The
hounds must be ministers of justice: the fox
person who well knows that the ministers
OF justice are naturally on his track. The fox
steals away from the covert because he would
be otherwise snapped up, and the Alabama
ditlons. But why should she have vanished
Ia this manner if she was not of the kind to
be chased by the hounds? Why did she re-
main quietly in the covert and let the hounds
ind out that she was no fox at all ? Mr.. Laird
has not improved his position by these illus
trations.
We want to hear from those who can tell US
one OF two plain thngs,-either that the Iron
ciads in the Mersey are not designed for the
n a hall An
merchants OF neutral State have a right TO
design vessels for such service and are stand
Ing upon that right. Mr.. w. S. Lindsay ad-
dressed US yesterday in a letter calculated to
support the former proposition, though when
he censured Government for stamping the
"broad arrow upon every ship supposed to be
for the service Of brave and oppressed peo-
pie who have already given abundant proofs
that they are nation" he introduced matter
seriously prejudicial to the force OF his pro-
test. II these Rams are really not destined
for Mr.. Jefferson Davis, it signifies little what
claim the Southern Americans may have upon
our sympathies But Mr. Laird gives us no
clue to his views at all. Ninety-nine out of
every hundred people in the country suspect
mat the vessels detained by Government were
Intended to follow the Alabama. and to be en-
Ployed on the same service after the same fash
lon. OF this Alabama, Mr.. Laird. being per-
fectly well informed in the matter, gives us A
little history, but only to the effect described
above. Are we to conclude, then. that the
two lronclads now lying in the Mersey are as
fair game for the officers of justice as fox is
for the hounds, and entitled only to the same
kind of "law| Ifso, We think the country
will be of opinion that the huntsman ha. man
aged his pack better this time than he did be-
fore-having caught bis fox, as it was his duty
TO 90. instead Of letting 1t escape
Mr. Lindsay takes Of the "heavy blow, in
nicted upon very important branch of Brit
ish industry by the stoppage of vessels but
we look all through Mr.. Laird's speech we
shall not discover what this industry is which
ts thus damaged. For whom was ihe Alaba.
MA built and for what service was she desian-
ed2 Mr.. Laird may go on LAUNCHING shps by
the score, but Government maintains that a
shipbuildep has no right to be party to ,be
equipment 0fa vessel of war for hostile sery.
ice against State with which England Is al
peace. II either Mr.. Lindsay or Hr. Laird
would deny this propositlan, we should know
what they ment; or II they would establish the
innocent destination of these suspected Iron.
clsds, their meaning would be clear enough
but as 1t is we are left In state of doubt and
mlsgving by no means conducive of that con-
clusion which these gentlemen would desire
The growing impression Of the public has
Peen relying In these matters, not upon the
latitude of commaroial adventure in which