The evening telegraph. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1864-1918, 1870-07-19

ana tnoSe must stop, tOr Jnere Is ALSO y fruS-
sian man-of-war not far away
with regard to the splendid passenger steam
ers many of which also have fine trade in
frst-class freight, is the statement of the
whole case with regard TO French and Ger
man commerce. Each nation has naval
power enough to drive the mercantile marine
of the other from the seas. What shall be-
come of the numerous trade thus done-and
of the great number of ships engaged in it
that are not fit for war, and ought not to rot
in blockaded ports2 England already has
covetous eyes on this great trade, and in the
assumption 'that business will fall to neu-
trail flags" the Government is urged to remain
neutral despite every possible complication
that may arise.
British neutrality in this war will no doubt
result greatly to the advantage of the British
shipping trade, and for this reason alone
every nerve will be strained to keep Great
Britain out of the Continental struggle
Will this effort be successful? 1t is doubt
full. Already we hear that neutrality will be
inconsistent with the honor of England if
the Low Countries seem to be in danger, and
this reference to the fact that England is one
of the powers that guarantee the independ-
ence of Belgium is too plain for misconcep-
ton. Again, we hear the intimation that
England morally stands behind Prussia and
that any sign of failure on the part of the
latter power will draw England into the strug-
gle. The very fact that these things are can
vassed renders the neutrality of English ships
uncertain, and SO unsafe, and the probability
is that the United States alone will have it
within its power to reap all the harvest of
this war. Indeed, this is O change that is
Justly due us in the whirligig of time; for as
one war destroyed our commerce and built up
the maritime trade of some European ports
at our expense, it is but proper that another
war should build up our trade again at the
expense of the commerce of Europe.
But it is not only from the effects of our
war that our commerce is prostrate, 1t was
stricken down by the war; but it has been
kept down by the inconceivable folly of GER
tain of our laws-laws like the compact with
Shyl0ck-framed to 'protect" certain inte-
rests, to give those interests their pound of
flesh, though this could only be done at the
expense of the whole body from which the
flesh must be cut. Before, therefore, war in
Europe can give us again that of which war
in America deprived us, we must first set
aside these most foolish, villanous, pocket
picking laws; these laws framed to enrich ten
men and starve ten thousand; laws which de-
clare that this great nation shall own no ships
except it can make terms with Mr.. Kelley, of
Pennsylvania, and O few more men of his
kidney; laws only second in atrocity to those
slave laws that the nation has recently torn
out of its life at such frightful cost; laws
whose authors and supporters, if the slave
holder deserved all the opprobrium cast upon
him, should be stoned in the streets of every
city of the republic.
The world has for not many generations seen
a more bewildering, confounding spectacle of
imbecility, of downright inability to COM
prehend and grasp simple thought, than that
shown by the United States Congress when
its attention was properly called to this sub
| ject on Friday last. The President, by special
message, pointed out the opportunity, and
hinted at the way we could improve it. but
his words fell on minds preoecupied with
another thought. What was this grand
thought that left no room even for the propo-
sition to erase the last great disadvantage left
by the war? 1t was the reflection of
every member that he had his ticket
in his pocket, that he had made up his mind
to go home, that he did not want to be
delayed and stop for the bother of any more
legislation, however imperatively necessary
for the interests of the nation and in this
pitiful haste to get away, and for this puerile
reason, the Congress of the United States
turned deaf ear to one of the most important
messages that ever came to it from the
Executive. Some members there were who
proposed measure that might have covered
the case; but Mr.. Kelley, of Pennsyl-
vania, was there, standing, as one might
suppose, bludgeon in hand, determined
that the nearly lifeless body of Ameri-
can commerce should not rise while he
could strike, and in the criminal indifference
of the mass of members to their duty he was
able to kill the proposition that was made.
Such, then, is the patriotism of the Republi-
can party, and such is the contrast between
its conduct in the presence of real national
emergency and the ready attention it once
gave to the niger and now gives to every
nfn ,OINl Glon
nifty pass because of recreant and imbecile
Congress, or must the Government study
means to evade the operation Of oppressive
laYs2