The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1863-09-28
THE RAMS IN ENGLAND ONCE MORE. =

THE RAMS IN ENGLAND ONCE MORE. -
We noticed on Saturday the pharisaical
argument of the Exeter press in favor OF
suppressing these formidable leyiathans,
and published the fierce assault which
one of the number made upon their own
especial favorite, Lord Russell, because
he did not, i'm violation Of all law, lay
upon them the strong hand Of posses
sion. 1t seemed to be utterly regardless
Of the palpable encouragement which he
had already given to some Abolitionist
to come forward and pernre himself by
swearing that he knew the vessels were
designed for the Confederate States.
Surely Russell did not deserve such treat
ment from his friends Of the humalita-
rian stripe. No man has shown himself
more inimicai to the Confederate States,
or more subservient to Seward and Yam
kee Doodle. Two opposite passions seem
to be in possession of his soul, if it is to
he presumed that he has Il soul, aud that
it has warmth enough to entertain any
passion whatever. One Is the destiuc
tion Of the Confederate slayeholding
States. For this he would be willing to
risk everything, were it not that the con
1iicting passion neutralizcs this one, and
creates that pause between the concep
ton and acting Of Il dreadful thing when
we are told ''tie genius and the mortal
instrument" are at war He thinks il
for the interest Of England that the bel
ligerents should fight until they utterly
destroy each other, aud he fears that de-
sirable contamination cannot be obtained
if an end be put to the strife by the
Srmed intervention Of England. For a
similar reason he cannot be expected to
grieve very much ut the destruction Of
iankee commerce by Sem,nes and Maj
fit, iar he knows that il secures the en-
tire carrying trade to England and
Danishes the "gridiron" from every sea,
unless when it floats from the mast of u
Ship.ofwar. Bat for this latter consider
alton, beyond doubt, he would long
ago have found some law for siezing the
rams.
We arc told by the Exeter Hall press
that privateering was abolished by the
treaty Of Paris. Now, as we stated on
Saturday, the United States were not
only not parties to that treaty, but Lord
Russell himself has, by his own act OF
omission, acknowledged it to be already
obsolete. 1t required that blockade to
be binding must be etfectiye-that is,
that it must be an actuai blockade, SO
strict that vessels cannot enter the block
AIDED port without being captured
There probably never was blockade
that answered so badly to that descrip-
ton Is that which the Yankees have in
stituted. The trade Of Charleston, so
far from having been reduced, is, beyond
all comparison, greater Chan it ever was
before. With what face, then, can the
Exeter Hall press demand the observance
Of the treaty of Paris when it makes in
favor Of the Yankees, unless they de-
1nand similar observance when it makes
in our favor? We are not much versed
in international law, but We believe that
the continued, habitual violations Of one
clause Of treaty amounts to an aboli-
ton Of the whole instrument. This, at
least, is common sense, If it be not law;
for II one party violate one clause at will,
another party may violate another clause,
and thus the whole treaty come to be en-
tirely disregarded, which We take to be
pretty much equivalent to abolishing it.
II the Exeter Hall men intend to effect
anything, let them go boldly to work,
and insist that the whole treaty, in all its
perta, be faithfully executed. Do not let
them pick out the parts which suit their
purposes, and ignore oil the rest