The Nashville daily union. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1862-1866, 1865-10-31
Our Relations with EnEland-The
lnwarFantable Pretensious of the
British Government.

as-tlhlhg tnal "our government has no pres
ent intention to interrupt smicable rela
: tons with England" Il has no intenfio
20 do 80 nov, nor Al any future time
unless the obstinate and arrogant refusal !
the British Government either % redres
the wrongs We have suffered at her hands
or 10 submit the questions in dispute 70
TAR and Just arbitration. should leave rs u
alternative There is every reason WHY w
should be en- friendly terms with Great Brit
aiu, and the single consideration of the ter
ribls evils which would follow an Interrupt
tion Of friendly relations between the tw,
countries, is Weighty enough 10 forbid tht
thought Of such an event except IL the las
resort.
But It is a great mistake for the British
| Government to suppose that We can permit
i 10 dismisI our claims 80 summniiy Al
| Earl Rus ell Affects 70 DO in his correspOn-
dence " tn Mr. Adams, published at length
/ IN the Times OF yesterday. 10 may suit his
| purpose % say that England is the guardian
OF her own honor, and that she cannot al
low TO be called in question her good faith
I m the discharge of her ObligstiOas 10 a
/ friendly power and he may think that this
90 far dispO ,es Of the whole subject as 10
I warrant hin in refusing, IN advance Of be-
/ ing asked, 10 submit the quest On 10 fair
and friendly arbitration But he must not
be surprised 4 Mr.. Seward declines to ac-
cept this decision as conclusive If il actu-
ally expresses the liked aud anal purpose Of
the British Government, it is impossible
that friendly relations should continue be-
tween the two countries. Our government
asserts, and our people believe, thaS we
have suffered injuries at the hands of the
British Government, utterly WantoR in their
character, such as no nation Of sufficient
power 10 make itself respected ever yet sub
mitted to, and such a. England herselfwould
have resented and redressed, at whA'ever
hazard snd 10 the last extremity. What
quality in the American character, or in the
temper o. the American nation, has Earl
Russell detected, which warrants him in
believing that We shall be tanner under in
suits, or more disposed TO acquiesce in the
infection OF injuries, than England herself
would be in a similar contingency
England, in enacting her neutrality laws.
acknowledged the obligation not 10 aid, nor
permit her subjects to aid, the enemies Of
friendly power. That obligation she failed,
in our case, 10 enforce, Her laws we're not
executed; and even when protesting thar
they we're inadequate, she repealed as in
sultng our intimation that she should a.
mend them. Not contentlwith this, she lent
the most active and effective aid 70 the reb-
els in waging the war for our destruction.
Before they had = seaport on the face Of the
earth, before they dreamed Of a navy, be
fore even the British Government had any
knOWlsdge that We hsd blockaded their |
coasts, or that war had commenced, they |
recognized them as entitled TO all The rights |
and immunities Of a belligersnt power, on
The land and on the ocean. And the imme-
date result OF this acknowledgment was
that the rebels adopted a new plan Of hos |
tility, Of which, as Mr.. Adams remarks, the |
basis and the centre were in English ports |
and on English soil, English architects
built them vessels, English capital armed i
snd sent them TO sea. The British Govern
ment, BY It's recognition, backed by British 4
capital and British cunning created for the /
rebel service a navy Of privaiesrsi and seut /
them out with impunity 70 prey on Ameri- /
can commerce, aud the result has been thst /
American commerce has been forced 20 take /
shelter under the British isg, aud has been 1
swept from the face Of the
ocean
We know very well that the true reason
for this "pTecipitate and unprecedented
conduct lies in the conviction Of The British /
government and people that u was ImPos-
-ible for the United states 70 quell the re-
bellio1 Thew did not believe we could pos
siblv succeed, and the Wiah was father 70
the thought" They looked upon the south
srn Coniederaey az a fixed fact, they cared
little, therefore, what excep-
lions ssthe late Unit States" might take 70
their preceding. Perhaps they had rigtt
10 act.-but they took hazsrilss with the
advantages, Of such line OF conduct. They |
ala not 20 into it blindly. They were warn
cd At every step, over and oser again, 20
the disgust Of England and perhaps 10 the
Wearisomene Of our own people, did Mr..
Seward protest and renoustrate against
their conduct as alike uuir.eEdly to ~ and
unjust to themselves, and 81 certain b in
volve them in disastrous complication here
after. To all this they were deaf and de-
liant Throughout all the warthey gave 70
he rebel priYateers shelter aud protection,
and even after the war was over the rebel
armies surrendered, every member Of their
government prisoner, aud al their Priva-
.eers sunk or captured with one exception,
hey gave to that one-preying without
shadow Of warrant upon the peaceful Nha-
ers Of the North Paeifc--iinpuaity ifoIa
pursuit for twenty four hours after depar-
.ure from any British port.
No nst'on less Arrogant than England
would dream for a moment Of being al
owed to dismiss all responsibility for such
wrongs by q ban ghty assertion that her
honor and 70 d faith must nos be brought
INTO question. Her honor and good faith are
not involved unless she chooses 70 drag
hem into an arena 10 is not question 81
good faith or bad, but Of right and wrong.
Vas her conduct IN accordance with inter
national lawY Was it consistent with her
Obligation TO 3 friendly poFer3 Was i
'ulnllmeni OF the duties Of a neutral nation?
II it was, very vel she has nothing then q
answer for. II il wss not, thea she Is re-
for the consequences Of her own
wrongful acts, whether they were commit
ed In GOOD faith or nos AHd 10 aut re-
Great Britain "a hlis casc lcai b
ia. She has never been asked 20 submit
he decision Of these questions 10 arbitra-
ion, nor isiH Ne bs. The United States
understands erequireHisnts Of
law, and the reciprocal relations
md duties oil neutrals and belhgereuts,
lute as well as f. gland does, and she wal
be quite as tenacious and as peremptory in
upon others conformity 70 thelr
requirements. She may not be as peremp
.ory in asserting the infallbilty Of her own
Of them,-bUt neither Will
he be any more easily daunted OF deferred
rom resisting arrogant assumptions o. the
part Of others,
Earl Russell has iutimated bis willingness
70 submit 10 q commission the decisign, Of
such questions in dispute as the ,Eo gov
srnments might agree 70 submit. Il j. pos
.ible that among these questions may be
hat Of responsibility for damages caused BY
.ne rebe. privateers which we're httsd out
md sent into service against our
BY the "preciPitate and unPre-
,edented" sction Of the B fish Government, |
and The active aid Of British subj cts glveh
in contempt OF evasion OF British law. That
point, We take il tor granted, our govern
nent viii take means at once % aseertain-
IS the Necessary preliminary % any reply /
70 the proposition Of Earl Russell. Upon /
bis Lordship's reply 70 his inquiry viii de-
pend, to very great degree NE iuture re- !
lations OF England and the United States /
~ y. Ii8es.