The daily Gate City. [volume] (Keokuk, Iowa) 1855-1916, 1863-09-16

interfere on technical grounds, instead
of altering the law to cure these tech
nical advantages for its evasion. And
even now, when their own citizens are
calling the attention Of Government to
the important naval expedition filling out
in their waters, the Government enubs
the informants and elbows an utter indis-
position to enforce the law, unless CON-
PEELED to.
But even the Royal Procla nation gives
no sanction to the preparation in England
of naaal expedition against the COM
merce of the United States. II leaves
the Parliamentary Statute. as well as the
general Law of Nations, in full efficacy
to restrain and punish such an offsnse -
And yet in the face of this obvious pro-
hibition, standing forth in the text of the
law, and founded in reason "before hu-
man statute purged the common veal, :"
also exemplifed by the National Govern
mens, which, from the time of Washing
ton, has always guarded its ports against
such outrage, powerful ships have been
launched, equipped fitted out and manned
IN England, with armsssupplied a. sea
from another English vessel, and then,
assuming that by this insulting hocus po-
Gus all English liability was avoided. they
have proceeded at once to rob and destroy
the commerce of the United States
Ennlard bav haa, tha,r rayal haoa frop,
which were derived the original forces
and supplies which enable them to sail the
sea. Several such chips are now depreda-
ting on the ocean, like Captain Kidd, un-
der pretended commissons-each in itself
a natal expedition. As England is not
at war with the United States, these ships
can be nothing else than pirates; and
their conduct is that of pirates. Unable
to provide Court for the trial of prizes,
they revive for every captured ship the
barbarous ordeai Of FIRE. Like pirates,
they burn ali that they cannot rob. Ely
ing from sea TO sea, they turn the ocean
into furnace and melting-pot of Ameri7
can commerce. OF these incendiaries
the most famous is the Alabama, FitM a
picked crew of British sailors, with
GRAINED gnnners out of her Majesty,s
naval reserve" and with EVERY thi pg else
from keel TO top-mast British hlch, af-
ter more than year of unlawful havoc, is
still burning the property OF our citizens,
without once entering Rebel Slave
monger port, but always keeping 1he un-
biical connection with England, out Of
whose yomD she sprung, and never losing
ihe original Nationality stamped u BON her
by origin, SO that at this day she is a Brit
ish pirate ship-precisely a. natife born
Englishman, robhiug on the high seas,
anu never naturalizel abroad, is British
pirate subject.
i. il bad enough that al this should
proceed from England. Il is hard TO
bear. Why is it rot stopped at once
One cruiser might perhaps elude 4 watch
iul Government. But it is difficult to
see how this can occur once twice
three times and the cry is still they sail
Two powerful rams are now announced
like stars at a theatre. Will they too be
allowed to perform? l wish the Re were
not too much reason to believe that al
these performances are sustained BY pre-
vailing British sympathy. A French
man, who was accidentally a pris soner OF
board the Alabama at the destruction 0
two American ships, describes a British
packet in sight whose crowded passenger
made the sea resound with cheer as the.
Witnessed the captured ships han ded owe
TO the flames. The words of itucretiu
were verified .Suauc etiem belli certans'
; ma magma tueri. But these same cheer
were echoed in Parliament, as the build
er OF the piratical craft gloried in hi
deed. The verse which filed th e ancien
theatre with glad applause, de clared
sympathy with humanity; but Englis
applause is now given to slavery and it
defenders al am an Euglishh nan, an
nothing of slavery is foreign to me. >
Accordingly slavery is helped by Englis
arms, English gold, English ships, Eng
llsh speeches, English cheers. And ye
: for the honor of England. let it be knowr
that there are knglishmen, who hav
stood firm and unshaken amidst this pair
ful recreancy. Their names cannot b
Q forgotten. And still more for the hone
of England, let it be spoken that Il
working classes, who were called to suift
: the most, have bravely borne their caan
u ity. without joining with the enemies
the Republic. Their cheers have bee
s. for Freedom and not for Slavery.
o But beyond acts and words this sam
:, British rabbia shows itself in the ofici
/ tone, which has been adopted toward Il
/ National cause in its unparalleled stru
gle-especially throughout the CORE
Of pondence of the British Foreign Office :
. OF course, there is no friendship in ar
. of these letters. Nor is there any syn
' pathy with the National championsh
ar against Rebel Slave e-mongers, nor Oh
,e word Of mildest dissent even from Il
.. miscreant apostolate which was presche
in their behalf Naturally the tone is
harmony with the sentiment. Hard. cul
= captious, cynical, it evinces an indifft
Of ence to those kindly relations which n
e. tions ought to cultivate with each othe
and which should be the study of wi
craftsmanship. The Malay runs a-mue
81 and such is the favorite diplomatic sty
it 10 dealing with US. This is painfully co
II IL