Memphis daily appeal. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1847-1886, 1866-01-07

The Presidents Message In England
Admissions and Excuses.

rhe Presidents Message IN EuSlana-l
Admissions and Excuses.
The passage in President Johnson'sI
message which especially concerns this,
country ought, we think, to be accepted
in a friendly spirit. He could not do less
Ethan review the history Of the Alabama.
claims; and Ia reviewing them he could
hardly say less, at least to an American
sCongTess, than he has said. There are,
sbowever, some things which the PHasi-I
zdent did not say, and which are, never
stl,elase. very material. No Onecan deny,l
sfor Instance, that " the accordance IF bell
eIirarent rights 70 the insurgents was uni
Drecedented.r Lord Russell admitted as
much in his correspondence with Mr.;
Adars; but the question IS whether the
twill war was not unprecedented, toO:;
whether tho United States did nOtl
sassert b~elligerent rights, without conf
a.nltipc. precedcnts, by declaring 3.
blockade: and whether a neutral:
sState could do otherwise than fol.
how their example. Further, it IS per.
ssctly true, rs q matter Of fact, that Eng-I
furnished more efficient aid to theI
lConfaierates than any other Power. I'll
acould not be otherwise, considering that;
zEncland, of all maratime countries, lies.
zneaTest to America, and possesses the
largest private docks in the world; II il
@eona,Iv true that, being also the best:
smerket for arms and ammunition, she'
Contributed more than any other nation.
30 tie suppression of the rebellion.
5Arain. il is an undoubted fact that cruis-
5ers built, though not equipped, in our.
morris. "drove American commerce frOmi
EN- seas and transferred ipi 10 neutral:
bottoms: nor can we be surprised that5
confusion should have existed in.
srhe minds Of the merchants who suffered.
anaerebv, between this consequence andi
sthe motives Of our Government. III
SHOULD have been remembered, however.
seven by those who were least:
disposed 10 rely on "a good faith, that:
TIA lhis respect the interests of our ship.
zowners We're opposed to those Of every.
s1ther class in the community. Liverpool.
2 IOes not dictate national policy til
5the exclusion of Manchester and the;
great manufacturing districts, which lost:
far more by the continuance of the war;
than was ever gained by our mercantile:
marine. We ought not, therefore, 10 be.
Suspected OF favoring the creation of al
Confederate navy on selfish grounds, and.
Fthe failure of n government to prevent
zevasi0ns of our law in one or two case5s
Fought not to be recorded without somei
recognition Of its successful intervention
Son other occasions. The advocates of thes
s~Confederate States never ceased TO pro-5
test against the oppressive construction, !
las they allege, which the law officers OF
1.-THE crown fastened upon the foreign en-S
.is:ment act, and the embargo laid upons
1.-THE two iron clad rams was certainly ami
7arbitrary exercise Of executive authority i
5These considerations should not be for-s
sg0tten, even in America, and the conducts
sof Great Britain during a period Of uni
sparalleled difficulty should be measured,
3not by the losses inflicted on Americana
5trade, but by the duties Of neutrality.
1 Mr.. johnson does no more than justiceF
lin attributing to US the same earnest del
sire for peace which he processes himself.s
aEven when the causes of mutual eXas-5
Iteration were at their height, there nevers
Twas a wal party in this country. Theres
=were those who feared that war might
sbe forced upon u as a dire necessity, but
There were none who deliberately conf
stemplated the contingency without hor-s
5roT. Our pacific sentiments have not, s
sindeed, as vet, been tested by prOvoca-s
5tion as severe as that which the Ameri-f
leans at one time fancied they had rel
sceived, but they are tested at this MOI
sment Ay a grievance far from imaginary.
sThe very same mail which brings uSE
1.-THE Presidents message 10 Congress-
-also brings news of 4 very stranges
proceeding within the territory OF
sthe United States. We are duly in-s
Horned that a Fenian Senate or
rather 'tbe Fenian Senate is in ses-s
s5ion at New York :" that the EenianF
president is about TO issue bonds bearinef
sthe signature Of the irish Republic ands
that q constitutional difficulty has ariseLs
between him and the Senate on this
Financial operation; while in the meant
stime the Governor of New Brunswick
zhas received information Of an intended
sFenian raid on that province. 81 this,
1--WE need hardly say,is Of a peace with
5wnat we have been hearing for months
spast, and we have ceased 10 be startled5
gov the intelligence that American citi-s
szcHs are openly preparing for an inyasiong
s3f her Naiesty's dOmiuiOus under thes
Every eve of their Government. There isl
There no question OF neutrality, for thes
and duties Of neutrality are whCilyE
5ieTived from q state Of hostility; It iii
simple case of individuals levying5
sprivate war, without disguise, against5
"a friendly power. The cruisers
launched in British waters weres
5at least commissioned from Richmond.
slt was thence that they received their
sorders, and thence that they were prof.
5viied with the sinews of war. Bat Fe-s
sniani-m is American from first to last-s
i'm its origin, in its character, in It's obi
fleets, in its Organization. To say that id
shas It's basis of operations in the United
Estates is little, for it is notorious that id
derives from the United States its whole
strength and its very existence. Why,
5then, do We not demonstrate angrily5
.s8gaiust its being tolerated, and demandf
sredress at Washington? Because WEI
7know that President Johnson ought nots
to be held responsible for anything thai
the laws of a free country do not ENABLED
shim 20 check, and which it might be pre-s
mature TO check at the present moment.
We do not ask, or need, equal forbear-s
lnce in respect to urOwu short-comings,E
zbut only that which Mr.. johnson COR.
scedes TO US, The credit Of having acteds
Cup to our own views of honorable neu-s
1raiitg.
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