Daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, Va. [W. Va.]) 1859-1865, 1864-01-28
The Final Notice That Brourht ;Iotn

The Final Notice That brought John
Bull Round. N
The Volulniuous state ccrrespoudence of
the last year, submitted to,Oopgress, makes
some new revelations. The most imuor.
tant one is that the British government.
after resisting all appeals of justice and
good faith in tn matter of the pirates ftted
out in her ports, was brought to better
mind BY wArlike me-ssge. 1t is found in a
despatch of July IL. 1868, from Secretary
Seward to Minister Adams, in which he
uses these plain words -
"If the Law of Great Britain must bs
left without amendment, and be construed
oy the government 10 Conformity with the
rulings of the chief baron of the excheouer.
then there will be left for the United States
no alternative but to protect themselves
and their commerce against armed cruisers
proceeding from British ports, as against
the naval officers of public enemy; and
also to claim and insist upon iudemnities.
for the Injuries which all such expeditions
have hitherto committed or shall hereafter
commit against this government and the
cltizens'ot the United States. To this end
this government is nov preparing a naval
force with the utmost Tigor and If the
national navy which 1t is rapidly creating
shall not be sufficient for. the emergency,
then the United States must bring into
employment such private armed naval
forces as the mercantile marine shall
afford. British ports, domestic as we'll as
colonial, are now open, under certain re-
striclions, to the visits of piratical vessels,
and not only furnish them with Goals, pro.
visions aud repairs, but even received their
prisoners when enemies of theUnited States
come in to obtain such relief from Voyages.
In which they have either burned ships
shieh they have captnFed, or lave even
manned and armed them Is pirates and
sent Ihem abroad as auxiliaries in the
work OF destruction. Can it be an occa.
sion for either surprise or complaint that
if this condition of things is to remain and
receive the deliberate sanction of the Brit.
ish Government, the navy of the United
States will receive instructions to pursue
these enemies into the ports which thus,
in violation ofthe law Of nations and the
obligations of neutrality, become harbors
for the pirates2 The president very dis.
-tinctly perceives the risks and hazards
which naval conflict thus maintained
will bring to the commerce aud even 10 the
peace of the two countries. But he is
obliged to consider that in the case sup.
posed the destruction of our commerce
will probably amount to a naval war waged
by portion, at least, of the British nation
against the government and people of the
United States g. war tolerated, although
not declared or avowed, by the British
government. If, through the necessary
employment of all our means of national
defense, such partial war shall become q
general Que between the two nations, the
president thinks that the responsibility for
that painful result will not fall upon the
United States. '.i'
"In stating thus frankly the views of
this government, it is proper foe me to add
that-it is not the presidents purpose to
resort to the extraordinary measures of de-
feuse to which have referred, unless they
shall be rendered necessary by afiual deci-
sion of the British government that it cam
not and will not interfere to restrain the
hostilities which are now apprehended."