The Norfolk post. [volume] (Norfolk, Va.) 1865-1866, 1865-11-09
treat of this right and acknowledge its

treat of this right and acknowledge its
existence.
In 1853 the King of Prussia awaited
himself of it by seizing the debts OF
merchants within his kingdom
to make some of his subjects whole, in
Of the outrages committed
ON their property by English privateers.
The States of the United Provinces in
17S3se in the same way some Vene-
tian vessels to compensate their citizens
for claims against the Venetian repub.
lie. 1900 .....t
In 1895 the King of Spain directed the
seizure of English property in that coun-
try as an indemnity for the illegal de-
tention of the Spanish frigate Minerve.
There are also some cases in point In
French history made against the same
sggressors. So that the British Goverli-
ment must be quite familiar with the
application of the principle Indeed,
they may read their own history to
some advantage on this subject. In
1852, in the time of the Commonwealth,
Cromwell, Afterwards Protector, issued
to English merchants, letters of reprisal
for damages done them by the Dutch,
and on their reimbursement proffered a
return of the balance. They will also
discover both in the famous treaty of
Utrecht and that of the Pyrenees that
the right of reprisals was fully admit
ted.
But if we do not choose to resort to
this national and legal remedy we have
still another, which is purely of a peace
full character. IL, IT,
1t is to adopt measures of hon-inter-
course, as we have several times done
before in cases arising from much less
provocation. We may say with perfect
propriety to Great Britain: eff you de-
cline doing us justice we will no longer
trade with you." This would be the
heaviest blow we could infiict upon her.
Her best customer at this moment is our
own country. She essentially needs our
cotton and tobacco, as wellas our cereals
and provisions. She is now flooding us
with her manufactures, does nearly all
our carrying trade, and constantly draws
immense sums i'm gold from us. To
deprive her of these advantages and this
support would be to impoverish her, Sc.
riously injure her merchants, manufac.
turers and banks, lessen her revenues
and even endanger her solvency.
1t is, then, our obvious and convenient
policy to resort to this measure without
the necessity of firing agun. There is
British property enough in this port
and city to cover all our losses by the
Alabama liable to immediate seizure
under this law, and the reprisal would
be in effect "sharp, short and decisive"
This indemnity in hand would go a
great way to prepare US for an encounter
if it should come but we are inclined
to the opinion that the people of Great
Britain would much prefer to come
fairly to terms than lose their best Gus.
toners, and the merchants and bankers
would rather continue to draw theil
millions of gold from us week after
week, than run the risk of deprivation
and insolvency. And although the i'm
mediate effect of non-intercourse upon
ourselves would be the suspension OF
our traffic with England, it would give
an immense start to that between us and
all other foreign nations, SC that our
customs revenue would be but little af-
fected. But if it were, we should stop
at once sending gold abroad, and it
would accumulate here rapidly, and be-
come so much cheaper, as to make il
more available than ever for the pay
ment of interest on our national securi-
ties. In either case the result would be
about the same.
It would be, in fact, much cheaper for
us to buy few millions Of gold from
our own miners, in case it became ne
cessary, than to incur another immense
wal .lebt, when we have at hand an easy
remedy, recognized by all nations, well
known to the British ministry and par
ticularly applicable to this very case.