New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1866-06-06
GOALS OF FIRE.


vasion of Canada, and copious comments thereupon
Probably would be too much to hope that The Times
and its contemporaries would reproduce those admirable
dissertations on the rights and duties of neutras by
which we were instructed during the four years of
the Rebellion. IL an object then to show that
neutrality covered all privileges and few obligations
Now, the English press having completed its homilIeS
on that side of the question will present the other
view with equal sincerity and force, and will discover
vast number of duties which the American Govern
ment is called upon to perform in order to prevent an
expedition from its soil into British territory. MIR.
Vernon Harcourt, having exhausted his learning and
his logic TO prove that no precedent could be found
against the fitting out of piratical cruisers IN neutral
ports 10 prey the Of belgerent, VIII re-
appear in The Times with fresh arguments for the OBJ
legation resting authorities to protect the Can
ada frontier of thousand miles against all hostile ex-
cursons We have not the slightest doubt that he Will
succeed in this enterprise as well as in the old,
and we can easily predict that the dear stupid British
public with its chronic ncapacity for seeing two sides
Of oueston at the same time, will read its morn
ing Bible and "IIistoricus" its prophet, with an
faith not less implicit than when he diseourSed
upon the same topic from different point of view 1t
will not be difficult TO adduce, in this new line of ar
gument a number Of historical parallels.
We may compare for instance, the crossing Of the
Feniaus with the escape of the Alabama. We find
Gen Grant, the moment the matter promised to be-
come serious hurrying TO Buffalo, summoning his
officers TO duty, and suggesting that the militia be
called out to prevent hostile expeditions from leaving
the United States II would complete the parallel
were We able to say that the Lords of the Admiralty,
when first warned Of the Alabama buried down to
Liverpool to lay an embargo her departure. When
il was announced that the Fenans moving
between the American aud Canadian shores, the
armed American steamer Michigan, with number
of consorts. patroled the intervening waters TO
prevent either reenforcements or retreat The name
Of the British man-of-war which did police duty
in the Mersey to intercept the Alabama on
a similar occasion has escaped our memory.
We find Gen. Meade first at PASSPORT in Maine, then
in Buffalo, " " then racing along the railways to
Ogdensburg, to resist successive movements of the
Fenions against different parts of Canada Who is
his British rival in activity and zeal When the forces
under O'Neil are compelled to retreat, the Michigan
captures them, and Sir Frederick Bruce at Washing
ton bees Mr. Seward that they may be detained till
demand can be made for their extradition. Mr..
Seward with his reverence for precedents, might
have quoted to Sir Frederick Bruce the Shenan-
doah returning TO Liverpool with British crew, and
could have recalled with much effect the adjudication
Of Lord Clarendon that there was no evidence
upon which any Of the men could be held.
Following that example he should have directed the
discharge of the mistaken patriots whom the indis-
erect commander of the Michigan had made prison
ers But we find Mr.. Seward ordering their detention
in the custody Of the United States Marshal. Surely
this is such an act of disrcspect TO the Foreign MIN
lister 81 Great Britain as will provoke digniiied re-
monstrance When Sir Frederick addressed Mr..
Seward on the general subject Of invasion he should
have been me-. as Mr.. Adams was met by Earl Rus
sell with the assn, rance that the Foreign Office was
in possession of no ofcln information on the subject
He should have been assured hat due inquiry would
be made He should have been referred to the Col
lector of Customs at Buffalo the proper oica! 10
institute an investigation, and by the Collector
should have been passed along to the Board of
Advisers, and by them to the District Attorney,
and by him to the Grand Jury for the Dis
trct. and so indefinitely. That would have been in
strict accordance with British precedent and il is
greatly TO be regretted that Mr.. Seward should have
shown himself forgetful of these monuments of in
ternatonal law arising out of our own most recent
diplomatic negotiation. Tho fact that he exchanges
places with Earl Russell, and Sir Frederick Bruce
with Mr.. Adams, cannot alter the law under which
the cases are to be decided The fact that is your
bull and not my OK that was gored never did make
any differcnce--did it
Well we believe the British nation and Govern
ment, though they did MS grievous wrong and HARM
are still capable of generous impulses, and WILDE put
to honorable shame by the strenuous and intell
gent efforts of our Government to execute its neu-
trality obligations. To have gone back to British
precedents, to have called up all the remembrances
from our civil war which might have justified us in
disregardng international comfy and good will, |
would have gratifed momentary passion among the
people; but we are that twenty years hence !
America will be glad to recollect that no evaporation
was bitter enough to violation Of our duties
or TO occasion an official blindness toward the acts of
men who, with only federation extended Them could
could easily have wrested from Great Britain /
her most important North American colony /
Whether, however, Government has not shown /
an oyeranxious and superservoeable zeal against |
the Fenians IS a matter on which there may be two /
opinions We would have had the President do his |
whole duty under the law yet keep rgidly within the
requirements of International comfy. There was no
occasion to do more than our duty. We had legal,
not moral obligation, to Great Britain, and we
doubt whether all the activity on the frontier WHICH |