, 1864-11-22
. FROM TIE SOUTH,
The Capture Of the Is E'loridn., >,

%@@~-AA-1~ttA
The most popular hero in the Yankee couu.
try at this moment, not excepting Sheridan,
is Capt. Collins, Of the sloop-of.War Wachu.
sett. He has surprised and captured the
Florida, Confederate steamship, while she
WIS lying quietly In neutral port, while
"scvcnty Of her men were known to DO on
shore, and the others, Just returned from
liberty, we're asleep and half Intoxicated u
| Collins, who had just arrived in port, held Q
| consultation with his officers, and showed
them how easy would be such peculiarly
Yankee ezp!oit-to run suddenly into the TN
gnspecting Florida, take possession Of her
and run out to sea with her, leaving the En-
peror Of Brazil to protest at his leisure.
It was true that the Florida was under the
protection Of the neutrality Of Brazil +; and hel
commander no more thought Of danger than
il he had been in Southampton or in Cher
bourg. But here vas he very beauty Of tht
case, In Yankee eyes: Brazil is not England
neither Is It. France; and the feat would bf
so easy, 60 bloodless, 80 complete, with q
touch Of fraud, too, and insolent disregard OF
the right Of q weak nation, which would make
the performance so peculiarly and esquisitely
officers In conncu could not resist the temp,
t9tion. When the Alabama WAS in the har.
| bor Of Cherbourg, the Captain Of the Kear.
! sarge knew he dared not molcst her there ;
80 be resolved, having. first ascertained that
nc had heavier metal, and taken care to arm
AlS hll1p hAtA E1tAll ulAt1 W aH1lk ucE OuLsi1E.
Collins, Of the Wachusett, probably thought
he could not encounter the Florida on lair
terms he saw his chance Of striking her o
c0~ardly blow By surprise, and seized it like
bold Yankee tar, as he IS.
There is no part, no featureof this whole
proceeding which does not enhance it's value
and virtue, us q whole, in the eyes of Collins
countrymen. It is very complete and char
acteristic Yankee trick, made only the more
delightful BY the spectacle Of the insulted En-
peror Of Brazil left Indignantly demonstrating
On the shore, Indeed, to heighten the charm
Of the whole affair, the New York papers print
at full length the Emperor's proclamation Of
and defining tue privileges Of belligercnt vcs-
sells while IN his harb0rs, Good, worthy man !
Small account q Yankee makes Of his procla-
nations!
The New York Rsroza remarks With kind
Of grin:
II in the multitude Of nice legal points in
relation 10 neutrality, re shall be found to
war is over, and the Florida Is no longer Of
any account, We will make suitable reparatton
to Brazil.
There is nothing, in fact, which could add
e 70 we III f s e nal 70 ras Ta5s s
over the world about the audacious insolencc
Of the Yankees, and their contcmptuous
tIampling upon the neutral rights of Brazil.
The Yankee nation expects to be accused Of
all this, md viii be charmed to own the soft
impeachment. This suits them cxactly, for 1t
is only your strong. frst-rate, conqucring,
bullying nations that can venture on such
acts; md beside, if English Ministers make
anynoisc nbout it, they can cite English ex-
ample as Justification, and It is all the justi-
fcation they need, or Will look for.
They already begin to reckon up the dolngs
Of British naval commandersin in similar style
how one Of them captured the United States
figute Essex In the hafoor of Valparaiso;
and another attacked the General Armstrong
In the harbor Of Fayal. It is true that on
those occasions there WIS no surprise, no
ccwardly triumph over handful of sleeping
men in the absence of the crew !; but the ana
lcgy Is at least perfect in the disregard of
neutral rights-and the neutral nations thus
insulted By England Chill and PortugaD were
not her match, no more than Brazil IS .
match Of the United States. Here is the
grand point, the noble feature in the affair,
which proves the Yankee nation to be worthy
ofits Ang1o-SaIQoz ancestors. They both re.
spcct the rights 81 the strong, and trample
upi,n those of the weak.
We may be very sure That Mr. Seward IL a.
ready preparing his list Of English cases and
precedents, to (not excuse, for he scorns ex-
cutcs, brt) authorize this capture Of tile Flo
rida, rs well as any other atrocity his people
Mey choose to commit by land or sea. If
Sheridan leaves the Valley OF Virginia smok-
ing desert o. ashes, as the English papers
complain with much yirtuous Indignation,
Sr. Seward can say, Do you forget, how few
years ago, in 1s4s, your Generals did the very
same thing In the Valley Of Cabool, burning
tic crops and dwellings,, and even emitting
down the fruit trees? And as for respecting
the rights Of ncutrals, wipe out of yonr own
history the two transactions of Copenhagen,
and the many times that your bullying fleet
Las occupied the Tasus' mouth in defiance Of
Portugal, and pointed Its guns over the Pie
:us, In ecorn Of the Greeks, before you begin
sanctimoDiously to rebuke us.
Brazil will, Of course, demonstrate; hut un-
less she can interest fu her cause the great
maratimc nations, her remonst,ance viii be
Wholly In vain. There has lately been cool
ness between the Emperor and the English
Government, and diplomatic relations were
suspended. For that and for other reasons.
the protest from England, If any, Will proba.
bly, be rather cold and perfnnctoEy, md easily
var"Wcrcd by Mr.. Seward. France and Brazil
ase on very friendly terms yet there arc con-
;ideraiions which may cause France also to
bc very cautious in stirring the matter too
roughly. On the whole, NC need not expect
any serious trouble to grow out Of it !; the
good ship Florida fs lost; and our cruisers
Will have learned tho lessou that they had
better for the future avoid all ports except
thoee Or England and France, and their vafi-
oo' e'Aol'ee' ~'~-;, :: :