The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1869-04-19


blameiess. But the Alabama never
concluded her voyage until she sank
under the guns of the Kearsage, because
she never had port of her own. She
was no better than the Flying Dutch
man, and so long as she sailed was liza
BILE for that original sin which had inn
pregnated every plank with an indeli-
BILE dye. No British cruiser could
allow her to proceed, no British port
could give her shelter without renewing
the completely of England. The Ala
| bama case begins with fatal conces-
sion by which the rebels were enabled
to build ships in England and then sail
them without being liable as pirates; it
next shows itself in the building of the
ship, in the armament, and in the escape,
with so much intelligence on the part OF
| the British Government as to constitute
sufferance, if not coDnivance; and then
again the case reappears In the welcome
and hospitality accorded by British
cruisers, and by the magistrates
of British ports to the pirate ship,
when her evasion from British juriS-
diction was we'll known. Thus at
three different stages the British Gov
eminent is compromised-drst, in the
concession of ocean belligerency, on
which all depended; secondly, in the
negligence which allowed the evasion
of the ship in order to enter upon the
| hostile expedition for which she was
| OullGS llduueuY dIulcu duu
and thirdly, in the open completely
which, after this evasion, gave her wel~
come hospitality and supplies in Brit
ish ports. Thus her depredations and
burnings, making the ocean blaze, all
proceeded from England, which, by
three different acts, lighted the torch.
To England mustbe traced also all the
widespread consequences which en-
sued. take the case'of the Alabama,
because it is the best known, and be-
cause the building, equipment and es-
cape of this ship were under circum-
stances most obnoxious to Judgment;
| but 1t will not be forgotten that there
were consort ships, built under the
shelter of that fatal proclamation, is
sued in such an eclipse of just princi-
pies, and, like the ships 1t unloosed,
'rigged with curses dark" One after
the other ships were built; one after the
other they escaped on their errand, and
one after the other they enjoyed the i'm
munities of British ports. AudRcity
reached its height when iron clad rams
were built, and the perversiLy of the
| British Government became still more
conspicuous by its long refusal to ar
rest these destructive engines OF war,
destined to be employed against the
United States. This protraCted hesita-
ton, where the consequences were so
| menacing, is part OF the case. 1t is
plain that the ships which were built
under the safeguard of this i'll omened
proclamation, which stole forth from
the British shores and afterward eujoy-
ed the immunities of British ports, were
not only British in origin, but British
| in equipment, British in armament, and
British In crews. They were British
in every respect, except in their
commanders, who were rebel, and
sinking, owed his safety to British
yacht, symboliztng the omnipresent
support OF England. British sympa-
thies were active in their behalf. The
cheers of British passenger ship cross
ing the path OF the Alabama encouraged
piracy, and the cheers of the House of
Commons encouraged the builder of
the Alabama, while he defended what
he had done, and exclaimed, in tauut
to him who is now an illustrious mem
Der of the British Cabinet, John Bright,
that he would rather be handed down
to posterity as The builder of dozen
| Alabamas" than to be the author of
speeches of that gentleman "crying up"
the institutions OF the United States
which the builder OF the Alabama,
rising with his theme, denounced "as
of no value whatever, and as reducing
absurdity," while the cheers of the
House of Commons echoed back his
| words. Thus from beginning to end,
from thu fatal proclamation to the re-
ioictugof the accidental ship and the
rejoicing of the House of Commons
was this hostile expedition protected
and encouraged by England. The same
spirit which dictated the swift conces-
sion OF belligerency with all its deadly
incidents, ruled the hour, entering into
and possessing every pirate ship.
There are two circumstances by which
the whole case is aggravated. One is
found in the date of the proclamation,
which lifted the rebels TO an equality
with the National Government; open
ing to them every thing that was open
to us, whether shipyard, founderies or
manufactures; and giving to them
flag on the ocean cO-equal with the flag
of the Union. This extraordinary mani
festo was issued on the day before the
arrival of our Minister in England, so
that when, after an ocean voyage, he
reached the British Government to
which he was accredited, he found
this great and terrible indignity
to his country already perpetrated,
and the noOdGateS opened to in
finite woes. Tho Minister had
been announced; he was daily expec.
ted. The British Government knew OF
his coming. The other aggravation is
found in its fragrant, unnatural depart
ure from that anti-slavery rule which,
by manifold declarations, legislative,
political and diplomatic, was the
avowed creed of England. Often was
tQlS DuLS IL W. eASSPL
the great act OF emancipation, never
more pointedly than in the famous cir
cular of Lord Palmerston, while Min
| lister of Foreign Affairs, announcing to
all nations that England was pledged
to the universal abolition of slavery.
And now, when the Shareholders, in the
madness of barbarian, broke away
from the National Government and at
tempted to found new empire with
slavery as Its declared corner stone,
anti-slavery England, without a days
delay, without even waiting the arrival
| of our Minister, who was known to be
| on his way, made haste to decree that
this shameful and impossible preten-
sion should enjoy equal rights with the
| National Government in her shipyards,
| boundaries and manufactures, andequal
| rights on the ocean. Such was the de-
cree. Rebel shareholders, occupied in
hideous attempt, were taken by the
hand, and thus, with the official pro-
lection and God-speed of Rnti-slavery
England, commenced their accursed
| work. close this part of the argument
by the testimony of Mr.. Bright, who,
| in speech at Rockdale. among his
neighbours, February 8, 1868, thus eX-
hibits the criminal completely of Eng
land:
III regret more than have words to
express, this painful fact, that of all
the countries in Europe this country is
the only one which has men in it who
are willing TO take steps in favor of this
intended slave Government. We sup
ply the ships; we supply the arms, the
munitions os war; we give aid and
comfort to the foulest of crimes. Eng
| NEst, a. / 10