The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1856-1888, 1863-11-05
England Alarmed at Her New Naval
Doctrine.
Form Tie London Times, August 28th.I

" We hold and acknowledge it unla w
full 70 equip vessels of war for the use of a belli-
gerent, we being neutrals, and yet every cruiser
in the service of the Southern States has been, as
a matter Ot fact, sent 10 sea from the ports Of this
country. 1t is not the fault of the Government,
rs the Government, as the case Of the Alexandra
sufficiently proved, but there must clearly be 4
fault somewhere, when we see tho spirit of the
law evaded, and things done which we would
rather see left undone, and which our own ma
tiOnal interests call upon US to stop.
We admit that the case is exceptional. 1t
turns, IN fact, upon the passionate and oyerrul-
ing determination with which the Federals are
enforcing a prodigious blockade. To this one
mOmentous Object they have devoted their whole
naval resources, and have thrown the police Of
the seas upon US. If their squadrons were not so
busy on the seaboard of the Southern States mat
tiers would not have been managed 50 easily in
the Alersey and the Clyde nor would the Florida
be quietly lowering about the Channel TO pick
up her new cOnsorts on their coming out. As it
Is, this kind OF trade is left undisturbed, and the
Federals, instead of swapping up the would-be
cruisers on their first appearance, complain of
us for allowing them To appear at all. just
lately they have ordered the construction Of six
powerful iron steamers expressly for the purpose
of patrOlling the seas. and if this new squadron
should not be abruptly diverted to Charleston or
Norfolk we shall soon hear less of the Alabama
and her dUings. Hitherto the Southerners have
been left with this field of action entirely to
themselves, ana So profitable have they found 1t
that they have recently proposed to throw their
whole energies into the work. In that event we
might see such an extension given to the trade in
question as could hardly be tolerated.
1t Is a hard thing to say, perhaps, that we may
sell a hundred thousand rifles or a whole cargo
of gunpowder to a belligerent, and vet not a
ships hull !; but we can only add that some such
distinction is actually recognized. and that it is
not our interest to invalidate it. We ourselves
have maintained it as we'll as the Americans.
During the Crimean war we addressed Il protest
to the Washington Government on the subject of
a vessel believed to be destined for Russian use,
and the Americans listened to us. When they,
again, the other day, protested on the subject of
the Alexandria, we listened 10 them, and did our
best TO detect any alleged breach of law. On
both sides, therefore, it is felt that neutrals
should not supply belligerents with vessels of
war, and yet a Confederate cruiser is said to be
somewhere in British waters awaiting the ap-
pearance of her new cOnsorts ut a rendezvous.
Can this be right? We think not. 1t is not a
question of sympathy at all, hut Il question of
law, we may once more add, of British interests.
If we were unhappily plunged again into war
we might soon find reason to wish that we had
supported with greater zeal the representations
OF the Federals in the matter of these Southern
cruises.