Gold Hill daily news. [volume] (Gold Hill, N.T. [Nev.]) 1863-1882, 1878-05-02

privateering plan Is In plain words moth
Ing moro nor less than legalizing piracy
ON the high seas. Il Is . relic that has
come down TO US from tho barbarous ages.
and 10 . disgrace to any country which
sanctions II In this enlightened century.
The victims Of the privatecrs. arc private
citizens. engaged In the peaceful occupa-
tons incident TO commercial life. They
are not the governments against which
war Ia being wagei. and thu capture and
pillage Of ten. thousand ships belonging to
an enemy. would not bring that enemy
ono step nearer TO submission. The COM
mercial trade Of a nation may DO de-
stroyed. and yet her military and naval
power need not suffer to the least appre-
cisble degree. II Is true that her ON.
mercial position would be weakened. and
this weakness would injure her future
power for good or for evil. but wars n this
age Of civilization are not waged fora pur-
pose such a. this. They have . definite
object 10 attain. and nothing which does
not tend directly or indirectly toward the
realization Of that end. Ia justiiable ;
nothing that fails 10 do this should be
permissible.
RUSSIAN CRUISERS.
Tho above are self.evident propositions.
aud hence We find the entire civilized
world uniting in . protest against the
agency Of privateers In modern warfare,
and opposed to the granting Of letters Of
marque under any circumstances. Rus
siA. alone. In this year Of our Lord, 1873,
has the effrontery TO insult the intelligence
Of humanity, by threatening 20 use these
ocean highwaymen in the prosecution Of
her Wal against England. She has gone
further than threatening. A Russian
cruiser. known N he such. and under the
direction Of = Russian naval officer. Ia even
now anchored In American waters. only
awaiting the formal declaration Of war, TO
swoop down upon British commerce..
plumber British subjects Of their property.
aud burn British ships ON the worlds
great highway. The Gar Is doing this In
utter defiance Of the Treaty Of Paris. to
which he 10 . party. and which provides
(2&th ProtocolD. for the total abolition OF
privateering. Furthermore. by making
| luln u4lluH " IttlltlNOuA lOT utn pliatttat
expeditions, he il placing ma In o position
which il IL not pleasant 10 occupy. and
which, unless promptly dealt with by our
Government, may involve us in compiled.
tions which il will take years 10 unravel.
rnE GENEVA ~knirRArioS.
IL Is not long ago that the High Commits.
simmer. M Great britain ami Americ, mat
~ -. .-n.-,.., a..
=" o'he'a' '"''@e'iahu' ""e'''' ui'" 'no
Alabama claims which this nation WA
pressing against England. We all remem.
10, tho ,.,,,, ~ ,ho.. e,.,ms anil ,h.
r. -
grounds upon "hieh mo INA AWAru was
made. Confederate cruisers had been ft-
ted ont in British ports, and allowed to
sail from them 10 prey upon our com.
meree. We hal at ih,t time no specifed
treaty with Great britain In reference 10
priysteering. but our commissiouerr took
Inc broad rTounI that II wss a violation of
the ruIes Of civilized warfare that inter.
national comfy demanded its suppression,
and that the very essence 81 neutrality for
bale n Government 10 wink At any At.
,.mnt 10 di.psteh nriv.taers from her