The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1865-02-24


United States see = number NJ CHI.
coming, some way or other, from Enpl;sh
ports and English rivers, and afterxayd
used as ships Of war to injure their COM
merce, which has very gricvously suffered
from that cause, it is natural that thew
should feel that they have considerahjs
matter of irritation. But they ought. AT
the same time, to ask themselveSwhetber
the British Government has done all
that the law Of nations authorizes and
that the municipal law of this country
permits, to prevent this country from
being made the basis of warlike opera.
tons, so rs to involve rs. in war with that
Government. With regard to Canada
the noble Earl seems to imagine that the
United States, from mere hostility to
us, had denounced that useful conycn.
ton withrcgard to the lakes. But the case
was that the Confederate Government
apparently seeking, if possible to involve
this country in war, and finding their
own resources insufficient to carry on a
successful war, sent persons into the
lakes (Which are no part of their own
territory, but which belong either to the
United States or Great Britain), to take
possession by force of certain vessels.
and to set free certain persons who were
prisoners Of war of the United States.
| say again that it was not wonderful
that the Government of the United
States, considering that the lakes were
in the possession Of Sovereign friendly
to them, should be indignant when they
| found that operations of war were car
ried on in those lakes. They adopted A
mode which think again was not I'm
natural. They say that if they remain
in those lakes with unarmed ships the
Confcderatcs would come into those
lakes and take possession Of those ships.
1t is very painful thing, and matter
dangerous to the peace of the two coun-
| tries, that the United States should be
obliged to suspend that convention which
was so useful to the interests Of both. |
cannot expect that the United States
| should ever permit that war should be
made against them on the lakes, and that
they should be without the means of
defence. For my own part, | think that,
though it may be natural on the part of
the Confederate States, their attempt to
make Canadian soil basis for opera.
lonesome, no doubt, of a bcllgerent
character, but others more resembling
tho robberics and murders that take
place in social lifc-arc doing that which
is most unjust. And | trust that Her
Majesty's Government will be enabled
as they proposed to the Canadian Par
Lament, to preserve the neutrality Of
this country.
| At the same time, in the irritation
that has been aroused, there has been a
disposition with respect to two questions
to make most unfOundcd accusations
against the Government Of England
They have complained that we have al.
lowed belligerent character to the bel
lisercnt States. Well, looking at TIE
| Character of tho contest, at the eXtent0
the territory which they occupy, and at
the great operations of war which they
have carried on, what could VIC do but
allow them the character Of belligerentS;
Cheers. | know Of no instance in
which there has been so'mighty an en-
tcrprisc OF war carried on, and in which
bclligerent character la, not been al
lowed There is another question with
regard towhich there has been great deal
Of popular agitation, and every now and
then there has been sort of threat that
the day will come when the United States
Government will make demands uponllCr
Macsty's Government Your IOrdShlPS
l heard last year, and the year before, that
, demands would be made for the capture
r and destruction of merchant ships by the
/ Alabama and other vessels having some
of their original build in England, which
were afterwards conveyed to dlStan'
: parts, and there received arDameni
which enabled them to cruise aganStth
} commerce Of the United States.
must say, my Lords, looking at a.
the presidents, looking at the interra
tonal law, looking at the declarations
that were made by the United States 10
yernmcnt themselves in the case OF The
81 anish and Portuguese var, when thee
were ships of war directly fitted Cu'
from the United States ports for the
South American continent, where th'T
t prcycd on the commerce OF Span am
| Portugal, that such claim upon the "e
, vcrnmcnt Of this country would he III
tcrly unjust. Well, | say that while vs.
make every allowance for Irritation il@
C NAV arise in the United States ii u,
| course of the war which has come UfV'
, them Unexpectedly, and has caused
, both sides great loss, We think ui.e'
: cessarily, and arc most strict ana s,'a
i pulous in performing all the duties
: neutrality, We must not alto" s"9 ~
t founded claims to be pressed as io"no'.
@ in Justice. There is ono thing es''t