Wilmington journal. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1844-1895, 1864-01-21
The RebsI Steamer rsappahannoek,

| The Admiralty, it appears, wanting room in our
docks, Determined to sell, by public uction, number
of stout steam s0ops, exactly the thing the COnteder
ates wanted. -Four of these vessels were offered for
sale about six weeks since, and readily bought up
They proved on Examination, to be sound, services bic
vessels, OF excellent construction. One OF these the
Victor, OF eight guns, suddenly enters the port OF
Caais under Confederate coors and bearing the sign
| icant OF tie RIppahannocE. The Coniedera tes
had cIevery bought The four ships, and set about
| pairing them Ihe RappahanLock was full Of carpen-
teEs and artisans VINO worked at Der witt wllr' in
the smooth waters Of Calais The French OH
GERS sc zed the snip once but Iees sed Ter 10 twenty
Guc hours. Orders had been telegraphed from Paris
to permit the captain Of the RaPpahannock to depart
when be pleased II We understand this phase rightly
the Emperor OF the French thus gives the Confederate
captain full permission to prepare the ship for war; and
to depart when he picase8 ii the track Of tho Ala
| bama.
! Here is " a neeg," as Lord C0aey said of the En-
| perors speech What i3 to be done now. The Prince
Uonsor cannot be sent to seize the vessel and carry her
CT from French port. That is not to be though Of;
for France is powerful and quick at reaentng in
| Jury Are 10 blockade Calais and wait until the
Confederate Captain p!ease to put to sea That can
not be done her for the snip fairly sold to the
highest bidder, d, regularly IN Gissioned
she is as safe rom US as is the Alabama. be Kappa
hammock must be lett 10 her will; but
storm will tits tr ,nsaction raise at New York -
How DIR. Sewaru Will rage, ana Mr Adl ms The
cape OF the Alabama nothing this.
The Federal5 have pladslbe case, and they will
make the most OF it, *
he British Admiralty would have been delighted if
the Emperor the French rad ed and detained til
snip un the over. lie would have saved
them from a shocking difficulty. But the Emperor
rather irriteted present. England has refused to
join the Congress, and say that the in
which Earl Russell g sent apology is dscOu teous
aud exaspesanug. Louis Napoleon, moreover, Is .oDd
of making mischief when he do safely. He seiz
ed the KappahainOck when be tbught her TO be- prl
Vate vessel but tie nom ut lie discovered that weeks
since she OF Her Brtapic Maj sty's f,et re
ported tit tor strVic-,' and that she sold by the
Admiralty themselves TO Go federde agent he took Of
the detaner, and with the most pleasing urbaDl,y In
formed the Confederate Captain that he might d part
when he pleased. All the eioque nee OF The Attorney
and Solicitor neral viii be 4Eed prove that her
Majesys Ministers aie not gLity OF Completely with
the rebel Conederates.
The however, illustrates The absuIby of the pro
ceedngs OF the Government against the builders The
steam rams Ii the Gueernment gaily and limo
Gently sell any actual ship CT the highest bidder
why should not private shipbulder possess the sama
right? Why should not Mr.. Slem be permitted to sell
the Alexandria to anybody he pleased, when Lord Ola
reEce Paget himself sells her M0jcsys ship Victor, to
the highs bidder, without asking single question re-
spectiUg her tuGure destination ?--LlUe, pool (Eng)
Courier.