The Burlington weekly hawk-eye. [volume] (Burlington [Iowa]) 1860-1876, 1863-09-19

ENGLAND ALARMED AT HER New Ma
VAL DocTRINE.A - We hold and
acknowledge it unlawful to equip vessels
of war for the use Of a belligerent, we being
neutrals, and yet every cruiser in the SER
vice of the Southern States has been, as a
matter of fact, sent to sea from the ports Of
this country. 1t is not the fault Of the
Government, as the case OF the Alex andra
sufficiently proved; but there must clearly
be a fault somewhere, when We see the
spirit of the law evaded, and things done
which we would rather see left undone, and
which our own national interests cali upon
us to stop. -..,' S.'''.lI -.
g We admit that these cases are ex xeeption-
AL. 1T turns, in fact, upon the passionate
and Overrulling determination with which
the Federals are enforcing a pr0digious
blockade. To this one nofhentous object
they have devoted their whole naval re-
sources, and have thrown the police of the
sea upon us. If their squaaror1s were not
so busy on the sea-board Of the Southern
States, matters would not have been man.
aged so easily in the Mersey and the Clyde;
nor would the Florida be quietly lowering
about the Channel to pick up her new con-
sorts on their coming out. As ii is. this
kind of trash is left undisturbed, and the
Federals, instead of swapping up the would
be-cruisers on their first appearance, COM
plain of US for allowing them to appear at
all. just lately they have ordered the
construction of six powerful steamers ex-
pressly for the purpose of patrolling the
seas, and if this new squadron should not
be abruptly diverted to Charleston or Nor
folk we should soon hear less of the Ala
bama and her doings. Hitherto the South
erners have been left with this field ofac-
ton entirely to themselves, and so profita-
BILE have they found it that they have re-
Gently proposed to throw their whole ener-
gies into the work. IN That went we
might see such an extension given to the
trade in question as could hardly be toler-
ated.
1t is a hard thing to say, perhaps, that we
may sell q hundred thousand rifles or a
whole cargo Of gunpowder to belligerent,
and yet not a ships hull; but we can only
add some such distinction is actually re-
cognized, and that il is not our interest
to invalidate it. We, ourselves, have main
tanned it, as well as the Americans. Du-
ring the Crimean war we addressed q pro-
test to the Washington Government, on the
subject of d 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 Alexandra,
We Listened to them, and did our best to
detect a legal breach Of law. On both sides,
therefore, it is felt that neutrals should not
supply belligerents with vessels of war;
and yet Confederate cruiser is said to be
somewhere in British waters, awaiting the
appearance OF her new coflsorts at a rem
deZvotis, Can this be right? We think
not 1t is not q question. OF sympathy at
all, but question OF law, and, 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 represent
tation Of the Federa)s in the matter of
these Southern cruisers London Times,
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