The New York herald., 1870-08-19
BRITISH NEUTRALITY.

BRITISH NEUTRALITY
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Tho Cabinet Policy and Code as Between
France and Prussia-PrOvisions OF the New
Law and = Glance at the Old-How the
Queen and Government stand Toward.
the Belligerents-The Alabama Claims
Case-Hints for tho United States Execu-
tive-Wiu Queen Victoria Pay Ups
LONDON. August 8, 1870.
In one OF the late Lord Macauay's essays-that on
the 'Seven Years War;" think-after referring to
the breach OF faith Of which the English were
guilty in abandoning the cause Of Frederick the
Great he goes on to say that the result OF this act
treachery was that, many years afterwards all
the efforts OF Pit to get up coalition against the
First Napoleon were for long time fruitless the re-
membrance OF the perGdy OF which Great Britain
had been guilty on a former occasion being still
fresh ia the minds OF the German people,
The moral deduced from this incident by the great
essayist Is that nations never can hope to escape
paying sooner or later the penalty OF
any crimes they may commit. distances
may be adduced,' he says Il quote from
memory, not having the volume at hand,, 'of indi.
viduas who have committed great crimes and who
have yet gone down to the grave in the full enjoy.
ment OF all the advantages they had ever hoped to
have obtained from those crimes. But in no case
does nation escape retribution and for the simple
reason that the life OF nation, unlike that OF an
Individual is not limited In duration, the whrligig
OF time, sooner or later bringing its revenges.r
These remarks OF Lord Macaulay apply with singu-
lar force to the present position OF this country
During the late American civil war; utterly regard.
less OF public morality and looking only TO the imme-
date advantage OF the trading classes, the English
government while protesting to act according the
to the nttlng out In British ports OF prvateers for
the service OF the C0nfederates.
To the remonstrances of the American Minister
Lord Palmersron's Cabinet turned dear ear refus-
Ing to admit even for one moment that 1t was their
duty to remedy by legislation the defects in the ex.
listing law, nOtoriously inadequate as 1t was TO deal
with the emergency, and rejecting any suggestion to
that effect with AL aectation OF virtuOus Indignation
"The present law said Earl Russell, sis sufficiently
stringent, If properly carried out to prevent any
violation the part OF our people OF the neutrality
we profess; and even If 1t were not so, 1t would not
be consistent with our dignity to entertain The idea
or altering II al the suggestion or request OF any
foreign government
The neutrality We profess Profess is a good
word forsooth Well, the Alabama escaped-her
dOngs are matter OF historythe result being that
the american mercantile nag was almost driven, Tor
The time, from the sea.
Apropos OF The Alabama, the London Standard OF
last Wednesday, the sd inst, In the course OF an
ID,
makes the following damaging admission
The Alabama allowed to steam out Of the Mersey at
Sa R1 s2 to OF the
oophoes afforded him BY the somewhat scanty evidence
Subsequent experience has only shown the fscy OF sailing
close to the wind.
TO return. The immediate gain TO the English
people from the line OF conduct adopted by the gov
ernInent was considerable. "But what will be the
ultimate consegSeaces nee o W. ooIeeted some lew
their noses. 'Oh ~ was the reply, "the South Is
certain to secure It's independence the London
Times said. The federas and Confederates can no
more be reunited under one government than the
heptachy restored In Engand', and the North will
be so exhausted by the struggle and SO weakened
by the separation tnat we can afford 10 desplse Its
enmity.H
If, again it had been suggested at that perioo
that, day, u war might break out in Europe say,
as has happened between France and Prussla-the
one strong enough at sea to blockade every one OF
Its adversary's ports-and that as the weaker
Power in tins respect might seek to play over again
the same game that the C0nfederates had done, 1t
would be wise to provide for the contingency; the
man who had made such proposition would have
been laughed TO scorn. "Snf,cient for che day Is
the evil thereof; let the morrow take care OF ITSELF"
was the motto OF the British Ministry oT that epoch
THE CRISIS COME
Wen, the contingency, which any one deserving the
name OF statesman ought to have foreseen must,
necessarily, day present ITSELF has arisen; and
what was refused to America at the hour OF her
utmost need has been done, In not haste IN antci-
bill to amend the Foreign Enlistment act was
read a second time in the House OF Commons on
Monday aSt and Is, says Tile StU5tU07u, 10 De nur-
red through both houses at express speed In order
that shipbuilding Tor belgerents and their agents
may be placed under q ban which viii efectually
prevent European reproduction OF the Alabama
controversy.
NEUTRALITY TO-DAY.
The bill Is entitled "The Neutrality Act OF 1870"
IL repeals the old statute OF 1919 and substitutes
new code. lts provisions generally, however, do
not differ very materially from the enactment
of 1919 except that the clauses are expressed
with greater precision and leave less op
pOrtunity for evasion. The part OF the
measure which bears more particularly upon
the present Juncture OF AFFAIRS is that entitled e
gal Shipbuilding and Illegal Expeditions Here
the language differs widely from that OF tie former
statut and shows that the lesson OF recent unsuc
cessful prosecutions has not been forgotten Any
builder who with intent or knowledge or having
reasonable cause to believe that the same shall or
will be employed In the naval or military service OF
any foreign State at with any friendly Stare,n
Is liable to fine and Imprisonment and 10 the coniis
cation of the ship. The same punishment Is to be
inflicted on any one who equips ship causes It
to be despatched with the like intent with 'rea-
sonable cause to believe" that She Will be illegally
employed obviously the net OF the law Is made far
more comprehensive and Its neshes closer than they
were under the old act. The former law forbade
tnal equipment or attempts 10 equip but q ship
might be constructed In English ports with O fun
conviction on the part OF the English builder that
she was to receive warlike apparatus and arma-
menis elsewhere and to be employed for beligerent
did not come under the operations OF the statutory
| words "equip, furnish, fit out arm" That was
the result OF the decision respecting the Con ederae
ship, the Alexandra, But, under the present law u
cruiser cannot escape In this way, for the act
of building, with reasonable cause to believe the
Illegal destination OF the Grail, Is now rendered
penal offence.
| Under the new act too not only are much larger