Green-Mountain freeman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1844-1884, 1864-12-06
The Florida.

Some Of the embarrassment growing ont Of the
,sizurs Of the pirate FIorids, in the port OF Bahia
has been removed by the accidental sinking Of
that vessel ne. Fortress Monroe, which Admiral
Porter reports as follows;
FORTRESS MONROE Nov %.
Hon. Gideon WeH,s, Sec'y Of Many:
| have Just received telegram from the com
mander OF the prize steamer Florida, informing
me that she had sunk in nine fathoms OF water.
She had been run into by an army steamer and
badly damaged
have not heard the particulars. | will in
form the Department when recsivs the written
report. DAVID ID. PORTER,
Rear Admiral.
OF course hi, dispose, of all questions abou.
the return Of the pirate to Brazilian waters,
leaving the question now to be determined one
Of apology, rather than of reparation.
The British pre-" have made its usual haste
to condemn the seizure Of the Florida a, a high
handed outrage on neutral rights yet no power
has been oftener guilty Of similar acts than Eng
land. The case OF the Caroline seized 10 an Ameri-
can fort on LAX. Erie i, as strong a case of vio-
lation OF neutral rights as the seizure Of the Flor
ida and Senator Sumner has recently published
an article, in which he shows that England at
least, il she remembers her history, ought to be
the last nation TO demonstrate against such an act.
In this article Mr.. Sumner says:
"The French ship OF the line, L Imperieu1,
separated in storm from the flee. to which she
belonged, and mnch disabled, was discovered Sep.
tember, 1906, by several British men. of-war, OF
Cape Henry. The French ship turned her head
to the land and was actually aground before the
British ships came within cannon shot But,
though in this disabled condition, and on the very
shores Of the United States, she received Brit
sh broadslde. The French commander protested
vainly that he was on neutral territory. Ills crew
we're taken prisoners, aud his ship was burnt.
This act was violation OF the law OF nations,
doubly noticeable, az the immunity OF our coast
within cannon shot " had been expressly reeog-
nised 10 the Treaty Of 1894 between Great Brit
ain and the United States. As the ship was
burned, there could be no question OF ito rssttu-
ton. But 1t does not appear that there was any re-
psrston Of any kind-nor even an apology"
Mr.. Sumner sls mentions the fact, that lin
1889 French fleet was attacked near the coast
Of Portugal by British feet OF superior strength.
Some Of the French ships we're captured, and
others were forced on shore and burnt. The
Government Of Portugal claimed tha, the Por-
tugess territory had been invaded, and demanded
PREPARATION. The answer to this demand was writ
ten by William Pitt. and in the course OF it he
said:
Though it be sufficiently implied BY the
above words, oil reasonable Satisfaction a, far a,
Ms Majesty can pih honor, that these things
which His Majesty could no, possibly on any so-
ooun, comply with, have thought It may no, be
improper for your more certain guidance, express.
" 10 signify 10 you that any PERSONAL mark on a
great 0dH,irdi Whs has done 70 essential s,rpie,
10 his country, or on any on. under has care, is
inodmis'ibi,, a, u,R a, N, idea Of restoring ne
ships Of rdr taken. You will, therefore, ia case,
in your conversation with the Portuguese minis.
tiers, any suggestion pointing to either Of these
method, Of satisfaction should be thrown out, take
special care to say enough 10 shut the door entire
" against any appreciation Of that KIND being At
the same time particularly attentive to avoid in
manntr, everything tina; can carry the uit o, per.
smptorines or hafshnes,"
=" 'h'' N"'V '"V oh'Ps NVie ueNet restored, nor
"" any indemnity offered therefor. And this /,
the way England on the sea bs, regarded the
rights OF neutrsl,i and while she now /, eloquent
and bitter in her condemnation Of ", she need,
only to consult her own record to find abundan;
reason fer refusing to asiail our navy, when We
have ouly followed and modes,y and At distances
the example which she has in many Instance, set
ior the imitation Of other nations.
English ,ensiivene. on this subject has in il,
however, much Of human nature il no, Of reason
The Florida was built Ike all the rebe pirate, 10
English dock yards, with British capital, and
manned by British sailors, and il could hardly
be expected that the nation could keep from re.
monstratns against any act which pu, an end to
the career of these English privateers and when
It's known that the Florida is sunk, the British
press will undoubtedly make an extra howl over
80 much q their national venture gone to the
bottom Of the sea. We can now afford to wait
Tor their wrath TO ,ubsids and in the meantime
our Government will listen to all circumstances
from Brazil, and will ,rea, that nation fairly in the
matter, but will no, be very much disturbed by
the Examinations Of the pre-. Of tho. nation,
which have little interest 10 the question, sxcsp,
shs, grows out OF the fact, that they have bull,
equipped and manned ,hs,e pirst, vessel, which
have 9, last me, a deserved fate.