The Nashville daily union. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1862-1866, 1864-05-12


officers Of the Crown, Her Majesty
has come to the decision
that agents Of the authorities of
the so-called Confederate States have
been engaged in building vessels which
would be at least partially equipped for
war purposes on leaving the ports Of
this country; that these war vessels
would undoubtedly be used against the
United States, a country with which
this Government is at peace; that this
would be violation of the neutrality
laws Of the realm and that the Gov
eminent Of the United States would
have just ground for serious com
plant against Her Majestys Govern
ment should they permit such an infrac-
ton Of the amicable relations now sub
sisting between the two countries. The
dispatch proceeds No matter what
might be the difficulty Of proving in a
court of law that the parties procuring
the building Of these vessels are agents
Of the so-called Confederate States ii
is universally understood throughout
the world that they are so. and Her
Maiesty's Government are satisfied that
Mr Davis would not deny that they are
so. Constructed as rams, as these yes
sells are, they would certainly be in a
condition on leaving port, to inhict the
most serious damage on vessels belong
ing to the United States, as was shown
by the destruction Of the Cumberland,
a United States sloop Of war, by the
ram Merrimac, merely by the latter
-s,... 49,. ;,4~ al s.sr,, ,rrstb fIa I'm,
berland. 1t is clear" argues the dis
patch, that a hundred and twenty gun
ship might be equipped for war purpo-
ses with fraction of her armament on
board although she might not be so
prompt or efficient as she would if she
had the whole Of it. A ram would also
be equipped for war purposes, although
the absence of her ordnance and am
munition might render her less effective
than she would be with them" The
concluding paragraph Of the dispatch
is Under these circumstances, Her
Majestys Government protest and re-
monstrate against any further efforts
being made on the part of the so-called
Confederate States, or the authorities or
agents thereof, to build, or cause to be
built, or to purchase or cause to be
purchased, any such vessels as those
STYLED rams, or any other vessels, to be
used for war purposes against the Uni
ted States or against any country with
which the United Kingdom is at peace
or on terms Of amity and her Majesty's
Government further protest and remon-
strate against all further acts in viola
ton of the neutrality laws of the
realm
jeff Davis reply to this dispatch,
through his private Secretary, is writ
ten in a tone of most angry .remon-
STRANGE. One of the earliest paragraphs
says, ut would be inconsistent with the
dignity of the position he fills as Chief
Magistrate Of a nation comprising q
population of more than twelve millions,
occupying territory many times larger
than the United Kingdom, and possess
ing resources unsurpassed by those of
any country on the face of the globe, to
allow the attempt Of Earl Russell to ig-
more the actual existence of the Con
federate States, and to contumeliously
style them the "so-called, to pass with
out a formal protest and remonstrance.
The President, therefore, does protest
and demonstrate against this studied
Insult; and be instructed me to say that
in future any document in which it may
be repeated, will be returned unan-
swered and unnoticed" Having refer
red to the subject of the extract from
Earl Russels dispatch, the reply pro
ceeds: "Were, indeed, her Majesty's
government sincere in a desire and de-
termination to maintain neutrality, the
President could not but feel that they
would neither be just nor gallant to
allow the subjugation Of a nation like
the Confederate States by such bar
barous, despotic race as are now attempt
ing it. He cannot but feel, with the
history and tradition Of the Anglo-Sax-
on race before him, that, under a Gov
eminent faithfully representing the
people of Great Britain, the whole
weight and power Of the nation would
be unhesitatingly thrown into the scale
in favor of the principles of free Gov.
eminent, on which these States were
originally formed, and for which alone
the Confederacy is now struggling lie
cannot but feel that, with such a Gov
eminent, and with the plea of neutrali-
ty urged upon the people as it now is,
no such pitiful spectacle should be wit
messed as is now manifested by her
Majesty's present Government in the
persistent persecution of the Confede-
rate States at the beck and bidding of
the officers of the United States, while
I
intelligence of House of Commons
and OF the world, by excusing the per-
mission to allow British subjects to 90 to
the United States to fight against US by
the paltry subterfuge that it was the
great demand for labor and the high
rate of wages that was taking them
thither. He cannot but feel that a
neutrality most cunningly, audacious-
IN, fawningly, and insolently sought
and urged, begged and demand
ed by one belligerent, and repudi-
ated 10y the other, must be seen by all
impartial men, to be a mere pretext for
aiding the cause Of one at the expense
OF the other, while pretending to be, in
short, but q cover for secret, malignant,
treacherous hostility AS for the spe-
oious arguments on the subject of the
rams, advanced by Earl Russell, the
President desires me to state that he
is content TO leave the world and his
tory to pronounce judgment upon this
attempt to heap injury upon insult, by
declaring. her Maiesty's Government
and law officers are satisfied of the
questions involved while those ques-
tions are still before the highest legal
tribunal of the kingdom, composed of
members of the Government and the
highest law officers of the crown, for
their decision. The President himself
viii not condescend to notice them
The Mobile Tribune remarks upon
the foregoing correspondence that, no
ticine Lyons note, dated April /, it
concluded the whole affair was an
April fool, and that its belief was
strengthened on a second reading of
Russells letter, as it bears strong
marks Of knave or fool