Rutland weekly herald. [volume] (Rutland, Vt.) 1859-1877, 1864-12-15
RUTLAND HERALD.
SATURDAY, DECEMBER 10, 1864,
The Florida

deep CONCERN la reference 10 the seizure
nj ,h'- nira'" ship In the neutral port
of haL.., ley cd ,on all maritime
nations 10 un..> the defence OF neu-
TIA. rights, and In furnishing the bold
aggresso,.
1t ia cer'aiuly right and proper for en-
hghtened I'D ,n.,-' .ad newspapers 70
labor earnestly la sLc cause Of truth and
justice, both at home and abroad. SO
far as in them lies, great aud powerful
nations too should exert their influence
IN favor Of national aud individual
nights, There have been times in which
Me English nation interposed for the re-
Nef OF the oppressed of other nations,
Nothing stands out more prominently
and beautifully In the career of Oliver
Cromwell than his friendly and success
hul interposition In the behalf Of the
Prerch Huguenots. Did we not unfor-
tunstely know few things, we might
in our simplicity suppose 1t TO be the I'M
doubted prerogative OF all Englishmen
10 be horrifed at the recent alleged
outrage 10 the port OF Bahia, and TO
ruster crusade for the purpose OF re-
aIeSsi ng the grievance.
Surprising that all such christian
nkc editors and gentlemen have bibles
within their reach, we would, II We
could, request them 20 read carefully
and prayerfuIly the first Ave verses OF
the seventh chapter of Matthew In King
James version. We on this side of the
blue Water" can discern any quantity
of numbering beams and spars, in re-
moving which those same English pa
pers might find ample employment for
the next six months II not for the next
six years. 1t has not escaped our ken
that all the pirate ships like the Florida
were British vessels. All or nearly all
the blocksde-running is done In Brit
ish vessels, and maintained by British
capital. The British ports of Nassau,
Bermuda and Halifax are so infested
with these smugglers, and with articles
contraband Of war, that they deserve to
be visited with such calamities az have
befallen the Shenandoah valley and the
city Of Atlanta. The Secretary of the
Navy very Justly places these nefarious
operations of the English on par with
.heir enforcement of the opium trade
upon the unwilling Chinese.
In his instructions TO Acting Master
Thomas Z. Hogg, lately captured, Mr..
Mallory. the rebel Secretary of the Navy,
says, Should you cap
ture any bullion, 1t is suggested that II
no better means of shipping 1t to Eu-
rope occur, you place 1t in the hands of
a BsITIsB MERCHANT of established char
scter at Valparaiso. So then, are there
British merchants "of established char
acter" who are parti1ipss crhnir's In this
piratioag enterprise 1t certainly looks
like 1t, ana as one of our contemporaries
Justly remarks it would be well TO find
out their names and publish them.
But still. more to our present purpose,
we mark that In an article recently
put shed in the Boston AdveI tiser, MIR.
81 aer mas cited eighteen instances In
which Great Britain has violated neu-
sr; lights and refused all PREPARATION
Several Of these have taken place in
American waters as in the case OF the
Caroline in the Niagara river, The frig-
ate Essex was captured by two British
nigates in the nes.ral port of Valpa-
raiso.
Or one occasion when some French
ships were burned at Lagos, Lord
Chatham did indeed instruct the British
Minister at Lisbon to apologize to the
Portuguese government, but to add that
the idea OF making any restitution or Of
censuring the British Admiral was out
Of the question. Now we know that
any number OF squares will not make
circle, neither do eighteen wrongs make
right. But If the English people had
any sense OF shame, to say nothing of
justice, they would, In view of the huge
beams which loom up in sight, refrain
from peerng about for infnitessimsl
notes in their ueighbors' eyes.
Luckily our government has been re-
heved from a most disagreeable duty If
indeed 1t was duty by the accidental
sinking Of the pirate ship; for 1t can
hardly be expected that she will raise
the miserable hulk from beneath the
fifty feet more or less Of water where
1t now rests in peace, for the purpose of
placing it where Capt. Collins found 1t.
Judging from the past record of this
government, 1t may be safely presumed
tia he will adopt that course in the
pr seq which is right and honorable.
r.. III