Richmond enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1815-1867, 1863-04-21

mnnls nflts FEDERAL vessels since the battle,
from good position on MorIis' lslard. sud
hsa kindly surplsmented my ON obse'ys-
tions by particulars that had net fallen under
my .yisw frou Fort Sumter.
| e...-s.e...~
~ : rat!. &:.i FER 2-i'.>,i an.
New York papers OF thu 1llh b;ir6 us a
correspondence between Lord Russell on the
one part, ard Mr.. Adams, U. S. Minister st
London, on the other, together with two let
tels from Russell to Lord Lyons, all on the
subject CT the fitting out Of tho Alabama:
LORD EUsBELL TO Ne. ADAMS.
FOREIGN OFFICE, Jan. -, 1868.
Sir--ft is impossible for me to leave with
cut noticing Como Of lbe statements contsinsd
in your letter of the 30th ultime.
These Statements contain or imply grave
charge against her Majesty's govsrnmsnt.-
You speak of the admitted f.ct of viola
tion of q statute OF this hirgdIm intended to
prevent ill'disposed peysops from involving
il in cificulty, By Committing w.nton and
injurious assaults upon foreign nations with
Minister'S invited 20 take ccgnizance; of
which they do tAbs cognizIncs, 80 far as to
prepare measures Of prevention: hut which,
by reason of circumstances, wholly within
their own control, they do not prevent IN
season to save the justly complaining party
fro u serious injury. Ga the suhstantiaI points
Of the CASE, little rooms aeema left open f1I
discussion.
On the. substantial points of the cssc, ss
stated By you, there is, OIL the contrary, er"at
room lett open for discussion.
must ask first, what are he circum-
stauces within the control Of the goverrment
to which you alude:' DO you mean that
her Majesty's goyernment, in cjastruing {
penal statute, or in Carrying iuto tff,ct the
provisions ei penal statute, were to hurry
at once ta decision, and tn seizs ship
building and fttin- OIL: a- Li-c-3"c!. witnour
beioa :a.iafied by sri.ivncs thst Tie provi-
SiaDs OF the Foreign Enlistment act hsd been
violated in the cssa Of ench vessel. 10 you
moan that her mtjesty's government were to
dispense with proof, aud TO intlct injury
upon tho Queens subjects ny se,z;ng Ahip
upon your mere assertion that lhu owners
Of that ship were violating the Law:
lf such is your meaning, mus. r.p;, thac
lhe government Of this country respect tho
law. They do net seiz, upon property to
the loss and d.m,ge Of its owpers without
proof that they a,e legally entitled to do 60.
Perhspo your meaning is tlat her Majesty e
Govsrum-i: -hould have proceeded on ths
opinion cf Mr.. Collier without waiting for
other authority.
Bat, here sgsin, Em"st reply that tho usage
OF ,his country requlrva that the gevainnsnt
should consult ther own legal advisers, ard
obtain the opinion OF the 1sw officers IF the
crown, before they pro'eel to snfh:re penal
stature.
you mean to contsn1, therefore, that
nation in state Of profound peace should
sat aside the forrnslities Of law, snd act at
once upon assumptions and suru.iIe, ] en-
tircy differ from you. | may remind ycu
that evidence sufficient to satlafy court Of
law IS to the equip aent" rr fitting out" of
Yssel for warllto' purposes, ard Of its SC
lual destination, is lot Lhtainable Without
difficulty.
ifyou mean that her Msjesty's Govern
lnent wiifully delayed or neglected the mea-
sures by which the churact,. t. tho Alabama
could have been legslly aScsrtaihed, must
give positive and complete d"nIal of tho
Truth Of any such assertion. Tine cpiniun CT
the law tticers, until the receipt of which
hsr Msjesty's Government could not act, WIS
delivered &: the Foreign Office on the 29 ID ui
July but ID the morning of that days the
AIsbams, under pretaxt Of pleasure excur-
ton, escaped from LivarpooI.
Tho letter then onter6 into an examination
of the c.se of NJ. Gsnet, French Minister 10
the United Stats, il 1893 ,nd 1894. aid pro-
cee1s thus
Aa to ether points VIC sra reaTl y ngrcaI,
90 fac as the law Of nations is concernrd.--
But with respect to the statement in your
letter that largo supplies # various kinds
havo been sent from this country hy private
specuitors fnr the uss Of the Oonftdsrstea,
have to observe that thst statement is Cnly
repetition in detail Of part Of The assertion
made in my preyoas letter Of the l9ih ult,
that both parties in lha civil war have, 10
the extont Of their wants and means induced
British subjects tn violate the Quren's proc
lamation OF tho 18Th of Msy, 1861, which
for bids hur subjects frcIn stfording such sup
plies to either pac:y.
1t is no doubt true that neutral may fur
nish, IS mstter Of trade, supplias of arms
and warlike stores inpsrtially 10 bath bel
liserfrts in . war, and il was not on tho
ground that such acts were at variance with
the law Of nations thst the rsnsrk WAS made
10 the foru;er notc. Bat the Queen having
issued proclamation farhiG1ing hor subjects
to afford such supplies to either party in the
civil war, her Mrjes;ys Government are en-
titled to complain OF both parties for having
induced her Majesty y subjects to violate that
proclamation, ant their complaint .pplies
IN st to the Government of the United States,
because It is by that Government that by for
tho greatest amount OF such supplies have
i,een ordered and procured.
do not propose to discuss other cGl!ate-
ral topic. which hsvo boon introduced, hut
in explanation Of my former letter I must
say that never msant to scsuae you Of civ
ing any encouragement To the enlistment Of
British suhjacts in this country to serve in
the civil wsr unhsppi!y prevailing in tha Uni
ted States.
BUTT is notorious that largo bountisa have
been offered and given to British subjects 70
s;S;a- IL the Uni:r.; States ~ Engage in .aa
war on the Federal side and these British
subjects acting in defiance Of the lawa Of their
country and Of the Qaeen's Proclamation,
have heen encouraged by the Unitei Staten
Government 80 TO sct.
A recsnt and etriking example of the open
sY0wal nf TIL, course af,oorauct on the part
Of the United States government ia to bo
found in the correspondence between Mr..
Seward and M1. Stuart with reference TO tho
crou IF IN, S,,nhexu IN which slthonch L
DOES not appear that any .bountirs vsro Of
fered, Mr.. 5sws5d has treated an eEdsavor to
induce British sailors Ia enlist 10 the hsllfse-