Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1865-11-09
Sselisfellaneoas Artitles,
A sPEcK OF WAR.

| ~ "A SPECK OF WAR. t.-y
| By the arrival of the Steamship Hiberni.
an.at New York, We have adyices from Liv.
ernool to the 18th ultimo: We learn from
| the New York Herald, Of the 24th, that an
important dipfomatie correspondence be.
tween Minister ADAMS and Earl RUSSELL,
lis ispublished in the London Star, of the
11th ultimo, received BY this arrival. A
rupture with England seems by no means
improbable:
| "The correspondence begins With letter
from Minister Adams, dated the 7th of A
pril last, in which he calls the attention of
Earl Russell to the official reports respecting
the raaages of the Alabama, and announces
that for the damages caused by such crui-
sers his government cannot avoid entailing
the responsibility upon Great Britain.
The reply Of Earl Russell is dated May
IA. He says that the duties Of Great Brit
ain towards the United States are not meas,
ured BY the losses which the commerce of
the latter may have sustained The ques-
ton is simply whether the Queens govern,
ment have faithfully and honestly perform.
ed. the duties which International laws end
their own municipa! laws imposed upon
them.
] The reply of Mr.. Adams is dated May 4.
He says that the insurgents became beIiger.
ants on the ocean solely BY reason of the ia
cilities furnished in her Majesty's ports for
them to do so. He complains ofthe secret
sympathy of her Majetsy's officers in the
port of Liverpool, and contends that after
the information which he supplied respect.
ing the Alabama it was by the Aagrant neg.
ligence of her Majesty's Board of Customs
that this vessel, admitted to be intended
for war purposes, was suffered to depart
from Liverpool.
An interval of three months elapsed be,
tween the above letter and Earl Russell's
reply to it. In response Earl Russell pro-
ceeds to justify the course of her Majesty 8
government in recognizing the beligereuts,
and reasons are given why there was ex-
treme difficulty in giving orders to exclude
from British ports vessels ofwar partly fit
| ted up in the United Kingdom.
A very important point is referred to in
this letter. Earl Russell notices statement
in letter from Mr.. Adams, in 1868, as to
the government of Washington being ready
to refer these disputes to arbitration.
Earl Russell declines this offer, and says
it is a question, in the first place, whether
the Queens government have acted in good
faith in maintaining their neutrality, and 10
the second place whether the law officers Of
the crown have correctly interpreted Brit.
ish ststute.
Earl Russell continues 1.-THE Queens
government can refer neither of these ques
tions to arbitration" The words used by
him are as follows :-'Her Majesty's gov
ernment are the sole guardians of their own
honor They cannot admit that they have
acted with bad faith in maintaining the
neutrality they professed. The law officers
of the crown must be held to be better iu
terpreters of British statute than any for
eign government can be presumed to be
Her majesty's government must therefore
decline to make reparation and con,pensa
tion for captures made By the Alabamo,
or to refer the question to any foreign State
Her Majesty's government conceive that if
they we're to act otherwise they would en-.
danger the position of neutrals iu all future
wars Her Majesty's government are, hoy
ever. ready to consent to the appointment
of commission to a0hich shall be referred
all claims arising during the late ciuil
s0ar, a0hich the too Poaoers shall agree to
refer to the commissioners"
The reply Of Mr.. Adams is dated the
18th of September, and as very serious IN
its tone. ..
Mr.. Adams considers that there is now
no dispute as to the fact that the recogni-
ton of the South as beligerents was such an
act as scas never done by one nation to-
pards another IN state of anaity He
charges the British government with hav-
ing acted a0ithout knowledge and upon
mere presumption in assuming that the evi
dence of the blockade of the Southern ports
was imperfect. The blockade, be says, soas
the consequence, not the cause, Of British
policy. He thinks that the only excuse for
the British government is that its conduct
was precipitate. He then itimates that II
the doctrines and practices Of the British
government are aUo,oed to become the rule,
the United States soiH not be the greatest
losers thereby. .'. ... g..
Mr.. Adams does not appear to think that
the proposal of Earl Russell to refer the
questions ip dispute to commission will
be accepted by the United States govern,
ment.
=, The papers generally comment on the
Adams. Russell correspondence. The Lon.
don Times can hardly doubt that the pro-
posal for commission will ultimately be
accepted, and says it is the best, if not the
only, solution and the candid and friendly
tone of the argument between Russell and
Adams justi6es that expectation.
Other journals hope for an amicable solu.
ton. The Post is silent on the correspon.
dence.
The London Nea0s says Besides the
magnitude of the questions affecting neu-
trails, the matters in dispute are closely con-
nected aoith the maintenance of friendly
relations Jet,oee,e England and America.
The London Star, in referring to the es.
| oona of tho Alohom, froro Enoland ra