Burlington free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1827-1865, 1865-11-24

GEO. ". & G. G. BENEDICT,
Editors Projectors
The Pirate Shenandoah at Liverpool.
The arrival of the rebel cruiser Shenando-
alb at Liverpool on the 9th inst. and her sur
render to her Majesty's Ship Donegal caused
a great commotion in England, and the En-
glish papers are filed with dispositions on
what is to come of it. They all feel uncom-
Portable, and wish that the Shenandoah had |
fallen into the hands of some u S. vessel Of
war, instead of coming back to the country
where she was fitted out, to cause additional
complications between the two governments.
If she had only been sunk by an American
man-of-war, as the Alabama was, glad
enough would the English ministry and rul-
ing classes have been. With a wonderfully
innocent air, her commander, Waddell, in
auired Of the pilot when he came on board,
whether the war was over or not y
lie said he met with an English ship, the
Barracuda, on the 30th of August, which
told him the war was over, and that there
upon be slowed his guns in the hold and made
his way as fast as he could to England to
learn about it. As there is abundant evil
dence that he had been told repeatedly by
American vessels which he destroyed, that
Richmond was taken, Lee and johnson sur
rendered, Davis captured, and that fighting
was all over, even the English stomach is
hardly strong enough to swallow his sto-
II of pretended ignorance-though it is
mentioned, by way of apology, that
he did not believe the statements of
the American vessels, and so kept
on his burning way-doubtless as long as he
thought be could do so with any reasonable
chance for escape The Shenandoah is an
English vessel, purchased by the rebel agents
in England, and fitted out there to a great
extent She went to sea in October 1864
under the name of the Sea King. cleared for
Bombay with coal. She went to the island
of Madeira where she found an English
steamer called the Laurel, which had brought
her guns, ammunition and an addition to her
crew The Laurel ran out Of Funchal, and
transferred the munitions, &c, to the Sea
King at sea. When this was accomplished,
the English flag was lowered and the rebel
hoisted. The ship was then put in commits
sion as a rebel priyateer, under a new name
the Shenandoah. Her cruise was then
continued. All American vessels found were
burned and destroyed. She touched at the
island of Tristan d'Acunha, and landed the
crews of the vessels she had already captur-
ed, and then went 10 Melbourne, Australia,
where she arrived on the 25th of January
last. On her voyage, she captured and de-
stroyed eleven or twelve saII of all kinds. At
Melbourne, she received thorough repairs to
her boilers and machinery. was locked and
had her bottom fixed, and augmented her
crew, IN violation Of English neutrality, by
about eighty men. The English authorities
granted every favor desired, against the ur-
gent protest OF our Consul, Mr.. Blanchard,
end after leaving Melbourne she went into
the North Pacific, where she destroyed twen-
ty or more of our whaling vessels. English
vessels were unframed by her.
Referring to Waddell's pretended igno-
rance OF the fact that the Confederacy was
dcfunct, and to the troublesome points of
the case, the London Times of the sth
saYs
We have 10 wish TO PREJUDICE a case which
must become the subject oflegal inquiry, but it
is impossible TO let such statement pass IN
challenged. 1t is expressly negatiyed by our
accounts from California, derived from the testi-
mony of persons belonging to the ships which he
had destroyed. We have their positive assur-
ance that Captain Waddell was told of all that
had happened by some of his prisoners, but re-
fused to credit it because it was based on North
ern authority. How it could otherwise have
been brought to his knowledge, or how he could
expect TO receive Intimation Of it from an
Office which, If it were true. no longer existed,
il is for HIM to explain, for by refusing to ac-
cept such notice he certainly took on himself all
the responsibility of his subsequent acts. Why
did he not at least run into the nearest neutral
harbor to verify report which, unless false,
so grayely compromised his further proceedings
1t is possible that good answer may be given to
these questions, but We must repeat that the
onus probandi lies entirely on Captain Waddells
side. All the world knew and believed the news
which he rejected, and which wss not so impro-
- lfae h. 30
obstinate scepticism. There is an old saying
about none being so blind as those who won't
see, and the facts here suggest an almost ire
sstible suspicion that Captain Waddell was
determined not TO arrest his destroying career
till he had done his old enemies the utmost pos
sible mischief Nor il tend to remove this i'm
preston if it should prove TO be correct that on
the pilot coming on board be asked Innocently |
whether the war was over or not
1t would have been a great relief to ourselves, |
though little to the advantage Of the United /
States, had the Shenandoah been simply exclud-
ed from the Mersey and left to rove the seas till
she should fall into the hands of her pursuers.
As it is there seems hardly any legitimate alter
native but one. Captain Waddell and his one
hundred men cannot be handed over as prison.
ers Of war upon any hypothesis consistent with
that OF the war being at an end. Nor under
any circumstances can they be given over to the
United States. They might possibly be prose-
cuted under the Foreign Enlistment act, but eI-
perience has shown the extreme difficulty Of es-
offences of that nature. The crime of
which they really stand sccused-suppoeing
hem to have wilfully ignored the termination Of
hosiilities-is that of piracy, and on this charge
I is possible that they may be apprehended and
ried before an English court of justice.
According TO arrivals of the llth inst.
he English authorities have endeavored to
Tough the case of at once, by giving the
essel in charge of the U. S. Consul and let
ing the officers and crew 60 at large.
Judge RedfeId's Letter.
HAT THE WAR HAS DONE, AND WHAT OUGHT TO