Belmont chronicle. [volume] (St. Clairsville, Ohio) 1855-1973, 1869-04-22

cussion, and its original statement, on
the occasion of the Greek revolution,
does honor to its author, unquestion-
ably the brightest genius ever directed
to this subject. According to this rule,
belligerency must be proved to exist, it
must be shown. 1t cannot be imagined
or OWNED or invented; it must exist as
a factp within the knowledge of the
world or at least as '.fact" susceptible
of proof. Nor can il be inferred on the
ocean merely from its existence on the
land. From the beginning, when God
called the dry land earth and the gath
ering of the waters He called seas, the
two have been separate, and the power
of one has not necessarily implied power
over the other. There is a dominion OF
the land and the dominion of the ocean.
But whatever power the rebels possessed
on the land, they were always without
power on the ocean. Admitting that
they were belligerents on the land, they
were never heliigerents on the ocean.
The oak leviathans whose huge ribs make
Their clay creator the clear title take
OF Lord of thee, and arbiter of war;
These they never possessed. Such was
the "fact" that must govern the present
question. The rule, so simple, plain
and Ineligible, as stated by Mr.. Can
ming, is decisive touch-stone of the
British concession, which, when brought
to it, is found to be without support.
Unfriendly in the preciptancy with
which it was launched, this concession
was more unfriendly in substance. 1t
was the first stage in the depredatiens
on our commerce. Had it not been made
no rebel ship could have been built in
England. Every step in her building
4, nj
any munitions of war have been fur
nished. The direct consequence of this
concession was to place the rebels on an
equality with ourselves in all British
markets, whether of ships or munitions
of war. AS these were open to the
national Government so were they
open to the rebels. The asserted neu-
trality between the two began by this
tremendous concession when rebels, at
one stroke, were transformed not only
into belligerents but into customers.
THE ALABAMA.
The Alabama case begins with fatal
concession, by which the rebels were
enabled to build ships in England, and
then to 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 negli-
gence on the part of the British Govern
ment as TO constitute sufferance, if not
connivance; aud then again the case re-
appears 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
jurisdiction was we'll known. Thus at
three different stages the British Gov
ernment Is compromised; first, in the
concession of ocean beliigerency, 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
built, manned, armed, and equipped; and,
thirdly, in the open completely which,
after this evasion, gave her welcome,
hospitality, and supplies in British
ports. Thus her depredations and burn
/ ings, making the ocean blaZe, all pro-
ceeded from England, which, by three =
different acts, lighted the torch. To
England must be traced also all the
wide spread consequences which
I ensued.
take thee case of the Alabama, because
lit is the best known, and because the
building, equipment, and escape of this
ship were under circumstances most
g.
be forgotten that there were consC ri
ships, built under the shelter of that
fatal proclamation, issued in such an
eclipse of just principles, and, like the
ships it unloosed rugged with curses
dark.u One after the other, ships were
built; one after the other, they escaped
on their errand; and, one after the other,
they enjoyed the immunities of British
ports Audacity reached its height when
iron clad rams were built, and the per-
yersity of the British Government be-
came still mere CONSPICUOUS by its long
refusal to arrest these destructive en-
i gines of war, destined to be employed
against the United States. This pro-
ltracted hesitation, where the consegien-
ices were SO menacing, is part of the
case
1t is plain that the ships which were
built under the safeguard of this ill.,
f omened proclamation, which stole forth
from the British shores, and afterward
enjoyed the immunities of British ports,
were net only British in origin but Brit
ish in equipmeat, British in armament,
and British in crews. They were Brit
!, ish in every respect, except in their
!, commanders, who were rebels; and one
of these, as his ship was sinking, owed
his safety to British yacht, symbolizing
the omnipresent support of England.
British sympathies were active in their
behalf. The cheers of British passenger
ship crossing the path of the Alabama
Encouraged the work of piracy, and the
r3cheers of the House of Commons encour-
I aged the builder of the Alabama, while
he defended what he had done; and ex-
claimed, in taunt to him, who is now an
lillustrious member of the British Cabi-
net, John Bright, that he would rather
be handed down to posterity as the
builder of dozen of Alabamas" than
: be the author of the speeches ef 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 the very name ofIiberty
!, to an utter absurdity," while the cheers
of the House of Commons echoed back
, his words. Thus from beginning to end,
from the fatal proclamation. 10 the re-
ljoicing Of 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.
AGGRAYATING CIRCUMSTANCES.
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; opening
to them everything that was open to us,
whether ship-yards, founderies, or man.
ufactories; and giving to them . flag on
i.t ha Aa,r nf no