Gold Hill daily news. [volume] (Gold Hill, N.T. [Nev.]) 1863-1882, 1864-11-17
THE BRAZILIAN TROUBLE.

! ASAbSAAt o-AN s@@S
matte ink in notes of distinguished con-
sideration. We have insulted the dignity
of His Imperial Majesty Don Pedro H. oy
firing shot and shell promiscuously about
the Imperial harbor of Bahia San Saliva
dor, and BY out-sailing his men-ot-war
when pursued thereby. If in so dong
we have violated those international usases
and customs, which though OF vague anu
dorb,snl origin, and still more profile
ma,;cal binding force in modern days. yet
are respected by all nations (when they
Al nor interfere with their notions OF
policy. we shall have to do the handsome
thing, and apologize to Don Pedro II,
Emperor of Brazil. If, however, it
should turn out that those excellent laws
of Nations" which were so beautifully
applicable during the first and second
Punic wars, were, upon close and thorough
investigation, found to be totally and en-
tirely obsolete in these days of steam and
electricity, and, moreover, incompatible
with the best interests and policy of the
United States, then comes the trying ques-
ton, What will Don Pedro II do about
it," We imagine that wise descendant of
the Bourbons, who is somewhat of a pro-
gressive individual himself, and has a very
good customer in the United States, will
take philosophical view of the matter,
and conclude that as neither himself nor
his subjects were injured by the shot or
she'll of the Wachusett, there is no great
harm done; and that if old Vattel and
Pufendorf don't care about it, it is not
worth while to trouble himself about the
matter. 1t is not the first time that the
memory of those ancient philosophers
has been de6led. The Laws of Nations,
upon which they descanted so learnedly,
have never been allowed to stand in the
way of any nation with whose policy they
materially interfered. Great Britain is, to
be sure, no model for other nations TO fol-
low upon points of national honor; but
as she was for so many years the big chief
among nations, and is among the Oldest of
nations now of any Importance, she
may be fairly quoted for presidents of
how much respect the Laws of Nations
are entitled to, when they conflict with
existing necessities. In our last war with
Great Britain, our Commodore Porter
came around into the Pacific, where Eng
land had but limited navy, and made
terrible havoc with British shipping. To
attempt to hunt him on the high seas, was
about as futile as our search for Confed-
crate privareers proved for more than
three years. Porter kept on his career Of
devastation with his fast sailing Essex,
until the affairs of British commerce grew
desperate and admiralty orders were
issued to capture her ichersger she could be
found. While lying in the port of VAL
paraiso, neutral port, in company with
her consort, the Essex Junior, two British
men, of-war, the Phoebe and Cherub, being
in port at the time, one day it CHANGED
that the British vessels dragged their an
chors and got aground, lying perfectly at
the mercy of Porter. he saw their help
lessness, but respecting the neutrality of
the port, merely hoisted his flag and fired
blank gun. 4 short time afterward, in
the same port, the Essex met with SINH
lar mishap, when the chivalric @ Britons
opened fire on him, and after severe
action, in which Porter was killed, the
Essex surrendered the Essex Junior hav-
ing struck early in the action. We have
stated the details of this affair, to show
how little were not only the Laws of
Nations" but the laws of honor and of
chivalry regarded, when actual necessity
demanded the destruction of the enemy.
The terrible affair of the General Arm
strong in the neutral harbor of Fayal, has
been celebrated in history, song and story.
and is another case perfectly in point. In
both these cases, the vessels captured were
legitimate cruisers of an acknowledged
sovereign nation, and there was not cir
cumstance to mitigate or excuse the breach
of the Law of Nations" The British
Government justified its action in the
premises upon the plea of military neces-
sity, and urged that an enemy should not
be allowed to screen itself by the plea Of
sanctuary of neutral port. These are
strong cases of observation-disclosures than
we need in the present instance. Thieves
sci captured in the port of Bahia was not
the vessel of nation friendly to Brazil,
nor of any other nation known to the di-
plomscy of nations. She flew no flag
that was recognised by any power on
earth. She merely few the distinctive
ensign of portion Of the American peO-
pie who are in revolt against the Govern
ment of the United States, Government
on terms of peace, amity and close and
important commercial relations with that
of Brazil. A similar case occurred with
in the memory of men still young. 1t
was the case of the Caroline, captured and
burnt by the British in 1887. A portion
of British America was m revolt, and a
steamer was fitting out on the American
shore, by the rebels, for the purpose of in
vasion of Canada. An armed British
force crossed the river, cut the steamer
loose from the wharf and burned her.
The British Government authorized and
justified this seizure, and Allan McNabb,
who ordered the expedition, was Knighted
therefor by his Sovereign. The American
Government after long diplomatic cores
| pondence, virtually admitted the correct
ness of the principle upon which the act
was done.
We expect to hear a great "to-do "
about this Brazilian matter; but it will
all end in talk. Meanwhile the Florida
will burn no merchantmen, and the stop
,;,r, If her mischief is worth an apology