, 1865-06-14
BRITISH OPINIONS.
MERCY RECOMMENDED FOR
JEFF. DAVIS.
THE OWL on AMERICAN
DEMANDS.
TIE ALABAMA uAIMs-wHAT IS TEE DCTr
OF A NErIRA sTA1Es
From the O8l.1

TIE ALABAMA c1A1as-wuA1 IS TEE Dr1r
OF NEcIRAL srA1Es
[Fron the Owll
Tic Inevitable moment Is rapid1y approach
lDE when We shn1l hive to abandon policy
Of expediency for one Of dtfintts and deter
however amiable, there occurs moment
when he must say a No - and In like manner
when great nations, to use our transatlantic
cousins phrase, are cotnered," they must
give q d,fuite snswer. Within The last few
da,s We hare BEEN definitely asked by the
Cabinet OF Washington to pay an indemnity
for the 6tpfcda1i MS Of the Alablma and
c4her yess,ls wl.icb, escaping our vigilance,
cleared from English po:1s, and ticn under
thr Confederate fla. inflicted severe damage
upon the conrncrce Of the Fedcrals. TO Ills
d:msnd onr reply Is tlat our conscience Is
clsar, thut the Law is patent, and that ~ we
do rot owe We do not In :cnd to poy one shii-
ling Of the danagea sought for.
The Yankee r.folnder Is that We did the
u1tschset and that VIC shall be compelled TO
l'ay. Hence atises remarkably unpleasant
question. Another question, not easy Of
s,lutio,, springs from the demands far the
extradii0n cf fSoutheraert, OF so-styled rea-
els, which The United s:ates are making upon
CaEada. This matter, hoReyer, has not az
get reached stsEe at which the influence Of
Ihsston and injustice over Ttason and right Il
openly pr claimed. The Government OF
virtue to which 1t does not pretend in others.
Fair sp.+ Oh is stil held toward France, aud
while 1hc reu hitting Offices OF New York en-
lft i1oors Of immigrants cTcry day for the
AIMED colonization Of Mexico, under the
auspices OF J1agex, the Cabinet of the Tui1-
eountenance no violation ct international
Law. We. nerd, nevertheless, but cast
eursory glance over the most recent tele-
grams to perceive TINT an immediate inya-
sion Of Mexico i contemplated, and We hare
OILY TO reflect for one moment upon the tone
and temper Of the American government to
feel certain that our tufn must shortly come.
The calculation probabIy is hut England
vii not assist The French, and that, there
fore, theY are TO be dealt with first and that
Subsequently the long due vengeance upon
the British flag may be carried out when We
are thoroughly isolated. The peace Of the
world scc1ns, therefore, to depend at this
land and France. Without committing our
selves to The policy Of Cur ueighbors in Mex
leo, 1t will be easy to let the United States
understand that The two great Western Pow
ers Of Europe arc cne as to their mode cfre.
gsrdiDg International obligations and the
sacrrdncss Of public Law. If this conviction
be at once conveyed thoroughly home to the
confident that they will not only pause bcfors
they commit Themselves to an indefinite con-
tiict, 1u. that their practical common sense
will 1eeol frem the dangers with which their
country would le menaced by the comtina-
lion Of 1he two greatest naval an Il military
ard defensive, offers the best security for tie
welfare Of mankind.
prom the Loudon Times, My III
The law which, according to the Euglieh
FleW, governs cases Of this kind has been SO
clearly explained. and will be, doubtless, go
powerfully stated in answer to the American
demands, that there is no need for us t. s,y
any thing further on the subject Our point
is simply that nations in state of war must
protect thtlr oRn interests. and cannot expect
ncutEala 10 guard THIN from the pperstioQs
Of the enemy. It is enough for rs to show
ttat nothing was done In Ind fifth by this
country. The Alabama was, 1t It true, built
by British subjects, and her armament was
also furnished from M English por: but this.
ttopsh cutpab!e act On the part Of certain
Euglsamrn, docs not comprcmfae the Gov
cilms Mt, + Itch used reasonable means to
Irtvtui sucll proceedings, and Eopld have
stopped lie Tesssl had oct The Confederate
lllat can be said is that the affair was one
hat is always possible in maritime war. In
getting uady :. No. 229o,' The Confcde1ates
and their agents were too quick for us and
lot the Tedtrals also j; they carried their res
sci into the ocean before VIC could seize 1t in
the Me,scv, CT the Federals could seize 1t in
the marrow teas; if We were e1o~, the Fede-
formed the B'ltish Government OF the char
acter Of The Vessel, might have as easily COM
mun1cated with tie nayat authorities Of his
own country, and taken measures 10 eapture
the, vessel IS eoon as she left our jnt1sdlc-
ton. 4 bellleerent government can hardly
claim to be compensated for the results Of an
accident, when 1t is plain that It's OWL agents
neglected 10 maintain proper watch over
The spcn,5's proceedings. Tie British Goy-
ernment, hoTeTer, does not, We conceive,
assert that neutln1 country is not response
bic morally for The fitting out Of ships or e1~
petitions within its limits against one of two
brlliectents On the contrary no government
would be more ready than our own to allow
TINT such equipments were real grounds Of
complaint. That there Is no desire to defend
the legality Of The fitting out Of the A1a5ama
ls shown W the iJct that proceedings were
aken against TIT constructors Of tue Alex
nrdsn, and that this vessel. Us Hell rs the two
Government In spite Of the protsstations and
obstinate legal opposition oi those concerned
In building them. This conduct Of our fsov,
c,nmtpt sufEctcn1y sho*s what It cops:ders
the duty Of q neutral State to be. A weIl.
meant but defective act was passed half
century ago TO forbid the yelY proceeding Of
Which Tie Americans complain, and certainly
no State in Europe or the new world has
maintain cd the principles Of neutrality and
1on-in. tssertnce more strictly than cur own,
: AL Tint We now contend for is that when
veestl does sctual1y cvade sueh far vigil
ance as n. pt1ai may be expected to main
thin, bt:1lfeertnt has no CHIN to be COM
rensated, especially In case like the present,
whtre tie vessel actually vent out to sea IN
armed, was armed IN the open ocean, aud
might have been caTtustd without opposition
it tie bel1tcc7ent Who nov complains TAD
used the commonest precautiora..
which necd Inspire apprehension Of a rupture
either now or 1t any intuIe time, 1le Ame1-
iran commercial marine has indeed suffered,
lu, suth calamity must be expected whtn
q maritime AMI trading State elters into =
cyn1cst With :n cntrctt'c snd active enemy.
be pec!,le Of :he l'nlt:d sta:t3 n1B:, how