, 1866-09-07

are added others which lnVOIVo more
tangible grievances, though, perhaps, the
language OF ONE among us did more to
eXacer6ate the American mind than ma
terial injuries committed in the way of
business. The blockade running, the
immunity afforded to certain Confederate
cruisers of unhappy memory, the obsta-
cles which our law opposed to the action
OF the representatives of the States, the
tardy and grOdged aid that was afforded
to allies, arc all brought up and dWelt
upon with a bitterness which is to be
depIorcd, but at which, perhaps, we
have no right to be surprised,
This is the dark background in front of
which IS set the bill for revising the
American neutrality laws. The House
OF Representative has unanimously as
scented to that bill, 1t will operate upon
the Well-knoWn Act Of 1918, which pro
yldes that any person fitting out, or at
tempting to lit out, vessels for the SER
vice of any foreign Government that is
at war with an ally of America, shall be
guilty of an offence for which a severe
punishment is prescribed. The Act of
1878 contains some stringent provisions
for enforcing its DEGREES, permits the
taking heavy securities from suspected
vessels, and even for lheiY detention.
The new bill proposed that all the pro-
visions Of The Act shall be nugatory,
provided that their operation shall be
suspended by the President when the
STATES are at war or when the mainte-
nance OF friendly relations with any for
elgn nation may seem to require such
suspension. II England were at war
with Russia, aud the new bill should be
law, The President might at once, ifhc
wished TO stand we'll with Russia, re-
lease all The sbipbuildcrs of the States
from their duty to neutrality or, if he
knew that Spain was DESTROYS to Join
Russia against England, and was delayed
only by the non-possession Of a fleet, the
President might encourage the American
dockyard to supply the deficiency.
1t is useless to rage and Glamour
against the proposition. 1t may be more
to the purpose to point out that, in so
far as It's adoption is the result Of bad
feeling, that course is Il mistake, and
that as a matter Of craftsmanship the
cause Of the American politicians is
retrogradc. We have said that the Re-
personalities have unanimously carried
the bIll-that is to say, the opposition
has had no chance. But it may as we'll
be remembered that The present Con-
gress no more represents The present
feeling of the American nation than The
angry utterances of TOO many of our
own people during the war indicates the
sentiments now existing among US. The
American elections took place at a time
Of the @fiercest excitement, and they re-
f1ected the anger of the people which
was then stirred to IFS depths, but which
has since been triumphant, and has con-
sequently Gained. Had the President
the power which m English Premier
possesses, Of consulting the people when
a changed condition of politics arises, we
may say, at the risk Of much abuse, that
be would obtain a very different Legis-
lature from that which is continually de-
flying him, and which he successfully re-
sists in the interest of the great American
people. Surely the Senate, and more
surely the President, will think twice
before allowing war-passions to be inn
ported into peace-legislation. The very