Weekly national intelligencer. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1841-1869, 1864-12-29
THURSDAY, DECEMBER 20, 1864.
EXPLANATIONS AGAINST GREAT BRITAIN.

observations on the disposition manifested by
portion of the public press and by leaders of opin
ion in Congress and elsewhere, to magnify thu
grounds of popular dissatisfaction against Grea
Britain because Of her alleged unfriendliness t,
the United States at the present time But til,
views which We had intended to submit are, under
one head at least, 50 well presented by the Boston
Courier that shall do little more than recall thu
memoranda which it reproduces for the instruction
of its readers.
Prof. THEoPHILUs PARSONS, of the Cambridge
Law School, in a recent communication to the Bos
ton Daily Advertiser, has avowed the opinion that
"when peace comes the questions between US and
England will be indeed of the gravest character
The origin of these "questions" is indicated il
the following reference to the depredations on our
commerce committed by the insurgent cruisers
which have evaded the vigilance of the British
authorities by escaping to from British ports.
He says:
eve Ought not to forgetshs should not be suffered to
forget and it will be in vain to ask u people ID forget
that the final and motive which induced the Eng
lsb Government to put any check the piracy which
went forth from the shores and OF England on
its career of destruction, and found IN British ports the
means Of continuing that career was the lear mat when
she was again engaged in any war her own commerce
woud on her own principles and her own practice be
swept from the by ships built armed and manned in
American ports
To this he adds:
AT should be sorry to think ! could be more desirous
than now am that when reclamaons for her wrongs
are made against England they should be pressed with
due to rights but with the decency and deco
rum due to ssrespec and therefore not as the de
mands Of England pressed on us Ia the matter OF Inc
Trent in the hour of our weakness.
"There ia abundant reason of the utmost weight why
we should not commit the disagreeabe cly OF retortng
wrong by wrong insolence by insoeDce But no rea
son why we should not think and call that wrong which 10
an and that iusoence which When she charges us
with great wrong, without waiting to know what we do
in the way of acknowledgment or reparaton and brings
this charge in terms of contempuons oboquy there no
WHY we should not cay to her. and show to her,
that if we have this wrong it because we voat
ed rules which England has broken and dsregarded rights
and principles which England has scorned and followed
too closely presidents which England has given u.s..
Another correspondent Of the same journal, I'M
der the signature of Privatus," appears to us to
take a much more judicious view of the whole sub
;ect when, in controvertng some of the ideas pre-
vaent in this country at the present time, he says
Not only has it been said that people will not for
get British nsoence but it ia implied that, Ia considers
lion of certain grave questions yet to be settled between
the two countries it may become their duty not TO forget
II That the prophecy true have doubt The peo
pe will not forget their lesson That the contingent duty
will be scrupucusly discharged by the majority of clt
zens mot excepting lawyers and merchans in the
obest degree probable But may ask whether one
of making grave questions graver not to turn pas
son into conscience For with too many OF the people II
ia and will be passion however cooler and wiser men may
take IL Not only not forget but to blister the memory
from time to lest you should forget Is Indeed the
high road a very OF setting grave questions
If settlement apply the blast to public opinion
IF however peace is the goal would meeky suggest that
no nursing will be necessary To keep our wrath sufficiently
warm for all dplomstc purposes lnsoent manners are
indeed sore trial t. neghbors and Is pity that We
have To deal with saucy boys who Will only grow
more saucy grow more angry TO be sure, there
the rod True you had not bruser behind to manage
To 90 into war the result Of which would be the mutual
devastation Of commerce. with peace as the fruit OF COM
mon exhaustion might yield little national glory and less
national gain. |
For England let those break lance, if they think it
worth while who doubt whether she fight her own
battles 1t is for rake rather than hers that
urge that should not work Ourselves up into mpscab
bitterness ri have just claims against her, we shall
find in calm tesdlast and dgnfed demeanor the sures
means Of asserting and establishing them The popular
WILL Just now meets the curb more than the spur 1t may
seem to be harmless pastme to pour out phippcs on
England 1t is only thrice staying the slain. But mas
much as audby every Of these may be found lying
across the path amt and union it may be wise to seek
out more perfect way
Those who have so much respect for British pre-
cedent. which counenance extreme belligerent
rights, will, it is hoped, have some respect for the
precedents of own country in the matter of re-
CARNATIONS for spoliatons committed on commerce
by begerent cruisers which have escaped from
neutral port On this head We cite the memoran-
ds reproduced by the Boston Courier
In the South American wars of independence the sym
pathies Of vast number of people enlisted
the side Of the insurgents and the active nature Of those
sympahes gave great trouble to the Government In this
general revolt Of the Spanish and Portuguese colonies Uru
quay then better known the Banda Oriental was in
arms to assert its liberty Gen. Argas regarded as
the hero of the revolution, and certain citizens Of
Baltimore resembling the London Star observes
,somevhat our own disinterested Liverpool shpown
ers' imagined that they fair chance Of plumber
which would be justified by the public feeling. Accord
ney they surrepttousy fitted out prvaeers raised the
flag of Gen. Artgas and sailed out to capture Portuguese
traders The result was Of that the Portuguese
Minister complained to the United States Government
and demanded repayment at its hands, of the Losses thus
inflicted upon Portuguese merchants Curiousy, of
the grounds Of his complaint that Gen Atgss had
ports at his command and that therefore ships under
rights In reply to these demands John Quincy Adams
then Secretary Of State wrote the letter given below
which has been reproduced by the Manchester (Engand
Examiner from message Of President Fillmore to Con.
gress in January, 1852
John O. adams to the Cheualter Correa de .Serro.