The Dawson news. (Dawson, Ga.) 1889-current, 1898-05-04
honr of suffering and OF peril.

hour of suffering and OF peril.
But the labors OF spain did not end
with this England, driven to desptr-
alton, used all her arts to draw the
northern powers into her alliance, and
with Russia succeeded so well that
orders were issued to fit out fifteen
ships Of the line at Cronstadt, and the
intimation was given by the Empress
Catherine to Sir James Harris, after
wards Lord Maimesbury, that this
feet would soon be ready 10 aid Eng
land in her contest. British ministers
announced the joyful fact, and one Of
their journals, even before the ice was
open in the Baltic, declared that the
Russian feet had already arrived at
Plymouth.
ain one week all this was changed =,
and there suddenly appeared in the
spring of 1780 the important declara-
tion OF Russia that led to the armed
neutrality, which has called by writers
on international law the character Of
liberty of the seas By this the en-
press declared that her fleet was fitted
out, not to aid England, but to main
tain the principles that free ships
make free goods-that the neutral flag
covers enemies prOperty-and that no
blockade made merel by the London
Gazette would be recognized as valid.
"JOhn Adams, then minister at The
Hague, saw at once the whole force of
this step, and a dispatch to congress
said: "A declaration If war against
England on the part of Russia could
not have been more decisiye;' and
again, The pretended, pre-eminence Of
the British flag is now destroyed. Rus
STA will now never take part with Eng
land, and all the maritime powers
must either remain neutral or Join
against her.
In the house Of lords wall of de-
spair was sent up. Il shudder, said
the Earl of Shelburne, when | think Of
this Russian manifesto. BY it the indie
pendenCe OF America is consummat
ed : and Lord Camden declared that
the queen If the seas was deposed, and
her scepter fallen!
desperate efforts were made by
British ministers to meet the emer-
gency. Appeals were addressed to
Denmark and Sweden, but without eff
feet; and during this year, 1880, SWe-
den, Denmark and Holland Joined i'm
the league with Russia, which was in
lis effect league of hostility against
England. Holland also soon Joined in
the war; SO that on one side stood
England solitary and alOne-On the
other, using all their forces against
her, the United States, France, Spain,
Hyder Ali, Holland; while all the
northern powers were armed nominal
ly neutral, but really hostile to her
autOcratiC pretenSiOns.
zone Of our Wisest statesmen, John
Adams, exclaimed few years later ::
We owe the blessings of peace not to
the causes assigned ,Sbut to the armed
neutrality And who was the real au-
thor Of the armed neutrality! Who
conceived that act, and who, by his in
genuity and interchangeable persever-
anCe, led Russia and with her northern
powers to adopt it? Florida Blanco,
the minister of Spain. And to him and
bis country | here render the honor,
with al the more pleasure that this
has not usually been done, and that
she documents which establish their
claim to it are In my possession.
For such aid as the armed neutrali-
ty gave Us again we have to thank
Spain.H