Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1865-02-03
ENGLISH OPINION ON TIE RAIDERS
QUESTION.

QUESTION.
We do not know that we Gun present our
readers anything more interesting than ex-
tracts from the leading London papers, show
ing their views of the character of the St. Al
bans raid and of Conadas true policy in regard
to it, They are striking, to say the least. We
cannot forbear the reflection that it these in
fuential London papers had from the outset
pursued n course as nearly just as that indicat-
ed in the extracts which we quote, the "great
gulf" which they have done so much to "fix"
between the two nations of the earth which
most need to stand shoulder TO shoulder as pi
oneers and defenders of liberty and civilization
could not have been created Now that they
have begun TO do better, we hope they will
continue. 1t may not be too late to ill up the
hateful chasm.
Our first extract shall be from the London
Times: -
"Nohody can deny that most uniustifable
"outrage was organized and perpetrated upon
"Amercans from our soil A party of raid
Gers as they are mildly termed, crossed the
"Canodian frontier and committed acts of the
"most flagrant atrocity in the town of St. AL
"bans. 1t would be hard to allow that any DO
"litical pretext could divest such acts of their
"criminal character. To assert that a commits
"sion from the Confederate government gave
"license for such deeds is to confess a most
"scandalous offense against international law.
"Either these raiders were mere brgands, or,
"being duly commissioned BY their own author
"itles, they organized from our neutral terri
story hostile expedition against friendly
estate"
The London Post lord Palmerston's organ)
of Dec. 80, speaks as follows
"7he ertradition treaty authorized the Fede-
"ral government TO demand the surrender of
"a such as committed breach of the peace
Sin the territory of the United States. Acting
"upon this power, the Cabinet of Washington
"called upon the Canadian government to give
cup the raiders. But while the application was
ain progress the Judge of the Court of Mont
"real released the prisoners upon mere tech
Unhealthy Which oUgM not to hare been in,po,ted
unto an important political question. .
"The promptitude of the Canadian government
sin setting aside the dctum of the Court Of
"Montreal cannot fail to be received as an earn
"eSt Of the good tdM ,oiM rhich ace cndearor
"to maintain the terms Of the treaty of extra
'dtion, and tile indisputable right Of the init
"cd States 10 peace and tranquility from our
"Ocn Frontier. That these raiders
"really come tcihin the terms of the ertraditiom
"hedty there can, ice conceive, be no manner of
"dOu6t although an attempt was made to re-
"lease them from custody, on the ground that
"they were recognized belligeren,s, whereas the
"articles of the treaty spoke only of ordinary
"depredations. Such pretense will not hold
"ior moment. The Federals, indeed quite
"as much as ourselves, have recognized the
"Coniederates to be belligerents Jm uar is
"only ,odr when ii is ,c0ged either from the open
'sea or from the territory JelonTny to the at
stacking bclHgerents. Quite ire
"spective of this treaty, therefore, we should
"have been justified in Selling and holding in
"custody these Confederate raiders as disturb
GERS both of international and municipal law.
"Ihe misdemeanor would be complete without
'the help of any convention between the two
governments. 1t is only inconceivab.e. there
"fore, that the raiders should have been set at
elderly, if only inasmuch as they had commit
"ted misdemeanor at common law. The trea-
"ty, however, went a step farther, and provided
"lor the surrender of depredaors to the gov
"ernment at Washington. 1t never, of course.
contemplated such case as this arising when
sit was signed but nevertheless il is certain
"dU beliigerentS lose their Jelliqerenf character
"'Erom the moment that they seek the asylum OF
neutral States. They are then amenable TO
"the municipal law Of such State, and this con.
edition appears clearly to bring them in the
''present instance under The eXtradtion treaty."
The Examiner calls the raiders "lhe scoun-
"drels who committed murder ard robbery"
and their crime "a piece of brigandage very
"much like that which the Papal government
''alone permits and protects, in order to keep
cup the troubles of Italy"
Had the British press in no wise permitted
and protected the wicked cause of slavery sin
order to keep up the troubles of America" such
things as these which it now condemns might
not have been. Well, it is something to have
the wrong of the sin acknowledged.