The Nashville daily union. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1862-1866, 1864-01-31
plplomatlc Correspondence.

In the diplomatic correspondence
which has recently been published, the
people have had much light thrown upon
the vexed question of the building aud
equipping of rebel war vessels in En-
gland, and they have seen what narrow
escape we made from war with that
power. This is the most interesting
in fact, at the present time it is the only
question in dispute between the Gov
ernments Of The United States and Great
Britain The firm stand taken by Sec
retay Seward, and the address and
watehful care of Mr.. Adams, have turned
US past the dead centre which threat
ened, for time, to interrupted the har-
moniOus workings of the two Govern
mcnts. Mr. Seward plainly puts the
case in its true light by stating that our
Government will hold the English Gov
eminent responsible for the damage done
to our commerce by the rebel cruisers,
which were furnished to the latter
through English agency and English
means. Mr. Adams, in a note to Earl
Russell is equally explicit IS to the facts
of the case /; he says -" The history of
the past two years has proved that the
insurgents have been steadily and per-
sistently engaged in transgressing the
rules of neutrality. They have built
ships in the ports of this kingdom. with
the intent to make war on the United
States; they have equipped and armed
those ships with the aid of British sub
iects; they have manned those ships by
the enlistment of British subjects, and
without ever entering any insurgent
harbors, they have sailed on the high
seas, committing depredations on the
property of the people of the United
States under the protection of the British
flag"
Mr. Seward, in bis letter to Mr. Adams,
dated July 18th, 1863, brings the subject
to the point Of diplomatic crisis. If
these things IRE permitted TO continue,
he says, "there will be left for the
United States no alternative but to pro-
tect themselves and their commerce
against cruisers proceeding from Brit
ISL ports as against the naval forces
of . public enemy; and also to claim
and insist upon indemniiies for the in
juries which all such expeditions have
hitherto committed, or shall hereafter
commit sgsints this Government and the
citizens of the United States.
After this service of notice, Earl Rus
sell put in his disclaimer of all response
bility on the part of his government in
regard to the proceedings of the Alabama
or of any other Confederate cruiser, aud
he hopes Mr. Adams will not be instruct
ed to put forward claims of that sort.
This will make 3 nice little affair to be
settled st some future time by our diplo-
matte folks when the war shall be over
and it will keep them awake in the
drowsy times of general peace. But
that portion of Mr.. Stewards letter above
mentioned, which doubtless had full
weight in the argument referring to the
necessity of protecting our commerce
against these Anglo Rebel cruisers is as
follows ITO this end this Government
is now preparing . naval force with the
utmost vigor, and if the national navy
which it is rapidly creating shall not be
sufficient for the emergency, then the
United States must bring into employ
ment such private armed naval forces as
the mercantile marine shsll afford" But
Just here 8 case in point turns up. Why
not put part or even the whole Of this
naval force In commission TO catch the
Rebel cruisers 1t would certainly be
essier to sweep them from The seas than
to make tilt against the whole naval
power of England.
But Mr.. Seward, In his bold and mas
terlY correspondence, has safely carried
us over this difficulty with England, and
that Government now happily shows 3
discrimination to construe their neutrali-
ty laws in . spirit Of fairness which viii
make the friendly relations Of both coun-
tries mutually stronger than ever before.
Something like family jar, after the
affair is over and the difficulty adjusted,
the friendship becomes brighter from the
friction caused by the contact Of oppos-
ing elements.