Gold Hill daily news. [volume] (Gold Hill, N.T. [Nev.]) 1863-1882, 1865-03-13
HOW ENGLAND RxAcrs NEU-

1He outrageous SouISc PuASue0 ny hhb
land towards the United States under the
hypocritical mask Of neutrality, has been
the subject of much bitter and most JUST
denunciation. We are familiar with 'ne
history Of the utter disregard wnlch She
has always shown toward the rights Oh
neutral powers, when she herself has oeen
at war. and it is equally interesting to
observe with what rigidity she has de-
m,ndsd the strictest observance of the
d,,;os If neutrality whenever she
mich, be the sufferer by an infraction of
those duties. The Albany Journal has an
article upon this subject, in which several
remarkable instances of the kind are
quoted. Take. for instance. her treat
ment of Denmark in 1901. England was
at war with France. Denmark saw fit to
enter into an alliance with Russia and
other Northern Powers for the mainten-
ance of what was termed an EARNED neu-
trality." For this offence British fleet
was sent into the Baltic, the city of Co.
penhagen was bombarded, and the squad
ron lying in its harbor was captured or
destroyed. 1t was not even pretended
that Denmark had committed any overt
act of hostility. There was no evidence
that she meditated any hostility toward
the 4" Sea-girt Isle" But she was sus-
pected of sympathy with the enemies of
England !; twas even pretended that some
of her citizens had furnished supplies to
such enemies and she was made to
suffer.
The conduct of England toward Spain.
few years later, was still more fragrant.
That Power had shown that her leanings
were rather against than toward England
in her quarrel with Napoleon. But she
had taken no part. The most that was
alleged against her was that a few vessels,
suspected of an intention to convey laid
and comfort to the French, were lying in
the ports of Ferrol and Carthagena. Upon
this bare assumption of hostile intention,
orders were issued to the English Ad-
miral to seize the Spanish treasure-ships
on their way from America. In &C
cordance with these orders, four British
frigates fell in with as many Spanish. laden
with dollars from the Rio de la Plata,
attacked them, captured three of them and
blew the fourth one up. And this is re-
taliation not for what Spain had done, but
for what it was charged she intended to do!
The reason given by the English Foreign
Secretary Lord Harrowsby) for this high
handed act, sounds curious enough in the
light of the experience Of the past four
years. His Majesty" says his Lord
ship, cannot allow Spain to enjoy all the
advantages of neutrality, and at the same
time to carry on against him double war
by assisting his enemies with pecuniary
succor to which no limit is assigned, and
by obliging him at the same time to divert
apart of his naval force from acting against
those enemies in order to watch the arma-
ments carried on in ports protesting to be
neutral" This might readily be mistaken
for an extract from one of Mr.. Stewards
dispatches to Earl Russell, complaining of
ornaments for the benefit of the Rebels
gong on in English ports under the eye
of the English Government. The analogy
between what England complained of with
respect to Spain and what we suffer at the
hands of England, is striking. The same
pretended neutrality; the same active
sympathy for our open enemies the same
assistance to such enemies " with pecuni-
ary means :" the same hostile ornaments
"carried on in ports protesting to be neu-
trail" But here the comparison ceases.
Spain did not fit out pirates to prey upon
British commerce did arm them with
her guns and man them with her sailors !;
did not open her ports as places of refuge
for them. Nor have we followed the eS-
ample of England in retaliating for the
wrongs she has inflicted upon US. We
did not recall our Minister from her Court,
nor did we seize her treasure ships and
declare war against her. While We suf-
fered infinitely greater wrong, we showed
more Christian forbearance.