St. Johnsbury Caledonian. [volume] (St. Johnsbury, Vt.) 1867-1919, 1869-06-11
OHI. Relations With EHUIoHd.

OHT HPfdf'OHS WtIH EHOf0HH.
The London papers and Mr.. Smith lay
.reat stress upon the fact that we do not !
eel 50 anCri!y toward France and Spain (
md tie other powers fiIat simultaneously |
granted hclligcrcnt rights to the rebels. |
he reasons seem to US evident. Eng !
and * our mother country. England /
vas the chief anti-slavery nation and |
that might net have authorized |
Ier 20 make a league with Us against the |
'ebelS and although we had officially |
put slavery out Of the question. yet at
ea~t the sympathics OF such nation
need not apparently lean against us.
Moreover. the political sympathies of the !
/ Mon party in this country were, a. we
supposed. shared by the Liberal patty in
power in England, and we therefore ex-
prctel nothing more Tor the rebels than
The strict letter of the law, certainly we
lid not anticipate favor for them. And
above all, England and not France was
tie chosen and successful base OF the hos
ll!r expeditions against Us ON the seas.
Had the French press constantly SANDER
ed IL. had the French Chambers chcered
;F.c ,c,rcdaliuus upon our marine. had
the French minister openly Smecred At us,
and had privatcers escaped after our otii-
cill and repeated remOn,trance, and ray
uecd cur commerce, we should have the
same conviction that France was not an
impartial neutral that we now have i'll
REGARD 70 England.
There Is one : riking evidence of this
uutrirudincss which was mentioned III n
very able pamphlet 10y Charles {. Lor-
iu1. OF Il sion. upon the neutral position
d ENGLAND, which was published in lSd3.
When the rebels were recognized ~ Il
hclii.crrut power il must have been npun
| the implied condition that they would
conform 10 The laws OF nations. Now,
I ID any thing may be considered establish
ed in international law it Is that prnper-
/ ~ captured at sea remains in allegiance
until condemnation by ii competent court
which must he held in the country oithc
Iranlar~. Iiut the rebels never had any
pr,z. court. and they never pretended 10
have. The rebel captor srurtted and
, burned his prize and appropriated the
cir.o This was not once, hnt always.
II continued tor iuur years. 1t was in
rilcc, sheer piracy. 1t was defiance OF
one of the most sacred laws OF war, 10y Il
brili"crrnt St.kiua to establish a slave
empire upon the RUNS OF a !rr" govern
lGru, anrl i.u.,aid. in whose ports thu
-hi,- had been huiI,. manned, AMI equip
,.y,l. auI who. ~ ''n.i~ire-S OF the seas.
mi.iu he supposed peculiarly hound IL
prevent the prostitution OF international
I law to protect piracy. did not even shru@
her shoulder. and OF course dill not pro-
test. Ii the Union ships had burned cv-
|orv thing thry took and appropriated
t.ci. c:irgnee without even a preten>c OF
pr.za courts. would England probably
nave remained passive Was il not tn,
plain duty OF a sincere neuiraI to rrm"n-
state with the bclI,gcrrut whom il hao
recognized, and threaten 10 withdraw
hat recognition uale-- the offender con
formed To the laws ct nations
How tni- suhicct was viewed AT til,
time ht friends in ENGLAND may be seer
IN an extract ir"m an article 10y Prolc--
,ar Caurnc-. in FrI-er's Magazine t"'
January. 1861. ''L't IL crdrayor t,
ry.tr.-,.ut @ our. VS. i.i!- vpi-p.!c in oar
history a. :. will ba rr-lrlrI 10y an I'M
iarilu po~,rrlly. Barring q great chi
strife hctwryu TWO branches 81 u kIniieu
uuli.n-.nto the H. rii~ OF li.c cause al