The Portland daily press., 1864-12-09
PORTLAND, FRIDAY MORNING e 1se4--.e:@7=s@
and the positions laid down by Mr.. Pitt, after
wards Earl of Chatham, are so characteristic
Of English policy, that we present it unabridg-

ar 4=
There is another instance, which. though
earlier In time, l have reserved for the last, on
account of the authentic declarations of an
eminent British Minister bearing on the very
| question now In issue between Brazil and the
United States. refer to the case OF the
French ships burnt and captured at Lagos In
1859, within the territorial jurisdiction CT
Portugal. A British feet under Admiral Bos-
cawen falling in with an inferior French fleet,
the latter took refuge near the coast. What
ensued Is thus described id the contemporary
memoirs OF Horace Walpole: "They made a
running fight, but could not escape the vigi-
lance and bravery OF Boscawen. Two oftheir
largest ships were taken; two others forced
on shore and burnt, In one of which was tne
commander, who was wounded In potn iegs
and expired soon after. The action passed ON
the 18th August" tWalpole's Memoirs Of
George III, rol 2, ,p.27S.l This incident took
| its place among the victories of the year,
which, according to the lively remark OF Hor-
ace Walpoe in another place, we're SO nume-
rous as to force him ITO ask every morning
what victory there was, for fear of missing
one.' Letter to Sir Horace Monn, Nor. so,
1897 But this victory was followed by an
unexpected drawback. Pombal, man Of
genius and courage, and the greatest admin
istrator which his country has produced, was
at the time prime minister of Portugal. He
complained vehemently that the Portuguese
territory had been violated, and demanded
satisfaction Of Great Britain according to the
law OF nations. fHduteflle, DYoits des Ma
tions Neutres. tom LIP. 329.l In Great Brit
ian, William Pitt, afterwards Lord Chatham.
was at the head Of affairs, teaching his coun-
try to be successful in war as In commerce,
and filling the world with English renown.
He met the question promptly. In his in
structions to the Briiith Minister at Lisbon, /.
written before the Portuguese complaint had
reached him, dated at Whitehall, Sept. II,
1850, and marked smost secret he says AIS I
e "ln case you shall find that any violence
has actually been committed by his Majesty's
ships against the immunities of the coasts of
Portugal, it is the Kings pleasure that you !
should express in the strongest terms to the
Count de Oeyras (afterward Marquis of Pom
bal and to the other ministers the extreme
pain which such amost unfortunate incident
must give to the King as soon as the certain
knowledge of 1t shall reach his Majesty. y
-"A At the same time, in case there has actual
ly been violation of territory on our part
you will take care to avail yourself of ali the
circumstances OF extenuatiOn Of nature 10
soften the impressions which the first sense OF
any insult on that coast may have made. But
you will be particularly attentive not to en-
ploy any favorable circumstances to Justify |
what the law of nations condemns, but you
will insensibly throw the same into your CON.
versation with insinuation and address, as
considerations. which 1t is to be hoped may pre-
vent all asperity between two courts SO mu-
tually disposed to each other and whose |
interests are so inseperable" tpp lsA1a4 ,7sai9
And the letter closes by declaring that:
y "His Majesty has nothing more really at |
heart than to give as far as he can with honor.
to the King of Portugal all reasonable salts
faction that one power in amitye can desire
from another, upon an incident so totally nm |
foreseen and without intention or offcnce.n
3 Then follows postscript, as follows: y ssii
'P. ). Though it be sufficiently implied BY |
the above words, all reasonable satisfaction, as
far as his Majesty can with honor, that there |
are things which his Majesty could not posi-
bly, on any account comply with, have
thought it may not be improper, for your
more certain guidance, expressly to signify to |
you that any personal mark on great admi-
raj, who has done so essential service to his
country or on any one under his command, |
is totally inadmissible. as well as the idea of |
} restoring the ships-ofwar taken. You will |
therefore, In case, in your conversation with |
the Portuguese Minister, any suggestion |
pointing to either of those methods of salts
faction should be thrown out, take especial !
care to say enough to shut the door entirely
against any expectation of that kind; being, |
at the same time, particularly attentive to
avoid, fin.the same manner, everything that
can carry the air of peremptoIiness or harsh
ness. 1 am further to give you to understand,
for your private information, that, if the cir
cumstances of the supposed grievance should
come ont to be of sufficient magnitude, such
Is the Kings strong desire to give the most
public and ostensible satisfaction to the King
OF Portugal, that his Majesty will not, be-
lieve, be averse to sending an extraordinary
mission on this OCCASION Mahon's History
Of EnglGnd, col. A, p. 287, Appendir p. 35 49,
y The extraordinary embassy promised in this
postscript was sent to Lisbon; and here we
have another letter of Mr.. Pitt, dated at White 4
ball, May 80, 1850, and marked" most secret. :.
In this letter he declares anew "the Kings i'm
mutable and affectionate concern for the dig \
nifty and independency of the crown cf Portu- 4
gal" and eDjoins upon his ambassador "to for
bear entering into much controversial reason
ing" and ITO accompany his answer with all 4
possible gentleness and cordially OF manner,
and with the most concilliating and amicable
expressions II seems that the Portuguese
Minister proposed to. demand the restitution
of the ships, but this was followed by "the
friendly and confidential declaration, that a
compliance thereaoith tuas not e1pected.'" Mr..
Pitt was anxious to avoid any such demand,
as .invidious use would not fail to be made of
it by enemies, and perhaps by neutral powers"
(Mahon's History, uol A, dppendi1.) From
the Memoirs of Pombal, }" we learn how the
British ambassador acquitted himself. The
glimpse there given Is as follows :1a .s,
"The King OF England sent an ambassador
extraordinary to lisbon to give the satisfac-
tion which was demanded. 1t was Lord Kim
noul who was charged with it, and who ac-
quilted himself of this commission as the
Count d'Oeyras Marquis of Pombal) required.
This lord declared openly and in full audience,
composed ofthe foreign ministers, that the
English officers who burnt the French vessels
on the coast of Lagos were reprehensible, and
that on this account the King his master sent
him to Lisbon, in order to testify that he had
no part in 1t, and that it was contrary to his
orders that they had committed that act of
hostility for which he made reparation
lDezotdtlc, Memories sRr y Administration
de Pombat, tom. 2, p.3.) ~ fas iias
The ships were not restored, and no indem-
nifty was given. 'as.i isos III
1t must be borne in mind that the belliger-
ents, in all these instances, were established
Governments; whereas, In the case of the Flor
ida. the Power to which 1t pretends to owe al
legiance has no place in the family Of nations
1t is mere conspiracy of shareholders against
a free Government, whose avowed object is
to found an empire on the basis of slavery
1t is spurious Government without single
port of entry, and without court Of admiralty
In which to try prize cases; and, in word, it
is piratical Power-all Of which circum-
stances give cumulative force to the British
precedents above quoted, against the position
now assumed BY the people and Government
of that country. m
. I G N s