Current:

Leader (1850-1860), 5th June 1858, Edition 2 of 2, Page 13, SATURDAY, JUNE 5, 1858.

Page 13
Page 13
13 of 24

On this page

  • Departments (2)
    • <3P ^J «c m^t^mtx*
    • ^ uhtic Maim
  • Text (8)
  • Transcript

    • Note: This text has been automatically extracted via Optical Character Recognition (OCR) software. The text has not been manually corrected and should not be relied on to be an accurate representation of the item.

      Additionally, when viewing full transcripts, extracted text may not be in the same order as the original document.

      No. 428, Juke 5,1858.]

      No . 428 , Juke 5 , 1858 . ]

      THE I ™ A ¦ ii TVR . - ¦ : •"¦ ¦ ¦' ' ¦ 54 X

      . , , Notices To Correspondents.

      NOTICES TO CORRESPONDENTS .

      ≪3p ^J «C M^T^Mtx*

      < 3 P ^ J « c m ^ t ^ mtx *

      Saturday, June 5, 1858.

      SATURDAY , JUNE 5 , 1858 .

      ^ Uhtic Maim

      ^ uhtic Maim

      T^Ilsligsili ¦ . —_?• —: — . ¦¦¦ ¦¦ : ¦ ...

      T ^ ilsligSili ¦ . —_?• — : — . ¦¦¦ ¦¦ : ¦ . ¦ .. ¦ . ¦ ¦ .

      The American Demands. The Difficulty Of ...

      THE AMERICAN DEMANDS . The difficulty of difficulties m the . settlement , of the demands which the American Government is making upon our own Government at the present moment lies m the idea ot the humiliation , which it is supposed this country would sustain were it to do ^ hat is demanded of it But even if this dreadful humiliation were * inevitable , it by no m . eans ibllows that the sister Republic intends that humiliation ; on the contrary , the injury , if it comes to us , . 11 _ ¦ ¦ if . 4-1- * -. -mienAnrlilAl : nt flllT OW 1 J iuiov — ¦

      "Will coine iroiii ujo «»> u ^"» . — - - officers . The causes that give rise to the demands of the American Government are not one , hut many * The one which attracts most attention at present is the case ot a merchant ship , sailing in the Gulf of Mexico , which was visited by the commander of a British war-ship , Tvhose breach of the law m doing so Avas aggravated by manners personally offensive , and by the fact that he had picked out this particular ship for his visit ¦ andsearch , neglecting vessels of other nations

      which had omitted , as he accused the American of doing , to salute bis flag . The pretext in this case was a search to ascertain the character of the vessel with regard to its being a slaver , or otherwise ; there appears to be no pretext for any an spicion of its being en ^ ao-ed in the slave trade . In another case , » i 4 . _ I . ^ va l- » r > cin o nrorv ^ Ml SPfirfMl iu uut

      . tnere appears uuvc , « « ^ " ^ " * of ships within the waters of a C uban port ; a . search made during peace , and again , in some instances at least , without any sufficient pretext . Other cases we = have already mentioned as having occurred on the west coast of Africa , where " there is a , system of fast-analoose , by favour of which actual slavers are suffered to proceed , at least some way , in the prosecution of their trade , while hond fide traders coming for palm oil are impeded under that siuvuia

      a pretext of the suspicion tuey are . The apology in most of these casea appears : to be that not only are some Americans engaged in slave trading , but that the American j Hag is extensively used by the slavers ofj other nations in order to prevent , if possible , that visit and search which are necessary to ascertain their true nationality . If the apo-

      logy were strictly justified by the facts , it would only show one difficulty which exists in continuing to compel the suppression of the slave-trade by force ; but there cannot be any moral doubt tha-b in many cases the commanders of English ships pay no attention to other signs bj which they might ascertain the nationality of a ship without boarding or visiting it , amd that , on tho contrary , they rather enjoy the opportunity which they thus acquire of trampling down the law of tho United States . In order to understand the full force of

      these complaints , we must call to mind some of t he most p rominent events by which they have been preceded . It is now some years since the American Government denied the right of our navy to search ships which manifestly belong- to the United States . The utmost right which -was admitted was a visit to the ship , in order , by its papers , to ascertain its nationality . Gur Government persevered with tho demand for search through a very lengthened correspondence , but ultimately gave up the claim , suffering it therefore to fa-Dse and the whole conduct on our side has subsequently been marked by abstinence from anv attempt at renewal until now More recently circumstances have contributed to Dlace difficulties in the way of carrying out trade

      the suppression of the slave , me pmu of M Regis has shown a method by which the present system can be evaded . Attempts tv Bwciiguiiwu ? —

      have Deen maue » - »• - ... the supp ressing force by obtaining new _ recruitnients of the American contingent ^ all these requests have failed ; the Americans oi tneir iorce

      decline to increase the strength , and other nations show no disposition to alter the regulations . It is perfectly certain that fresh treaties for the purpose will not be obtained . The success ofthe free African emigration is creating a very great activity in the traffic of carrying over negroes , whether ostensibly free , or otherwise . Hence , tlie officers of the English Government are excited to increased activity , at the same time that the prospect of ultimate failure lies before them . Annoyance at that prospect

      mingles with zeal ; political circumstances assist in the excitement of unfriendly feeling . The United States are suspected unjustly ot intriguing against Spain and Mexico ; a convention between the states of Nicaragua and Costa Rica has just been concluded , in which the two States proclaim it necessary to form an alliance against the buccaneering expeditions of A \ axkjh , whom they assert to be patronized by the American Government . AVe are m a posi-. '• . i i _ . - LI X . 4-Ui a ncoaitfinil 1 ft Jl nSfl . state buno winiw"

      tion to wus < - « : — .-- ~ lutely false , and we have ample testimony at Washington that wlieu General " Walker has visited Mr . Buch ^ ais , he has received no satisfaction , has met with no encouragement , while-the laws of the Union have been publicly enforced against his combinations . The ultimate fate of Cuba , again , adds weight

      to tho accumulated feelings of annoyance on our side , and tlie immense increase of trade between the United States and Cuba helps to show how steadily tlie lone star is moving in its path towards union with the galaxy ; but although we can thus account for the emotions which may prompt over-activity ^ trespass , and insolent "bearing on the part ot English officers , we do not the more justify those excesses . The demands made up on our Government « 4 ^ , 4- ¦ :,, siin ;» v > a +. r » rrkirmfynsate individuals

      isUi . l & JLQW ± LX V-Xt *** A *» J * " ¦* ~ -w * -- |_ who have been injured , and in the earnest desire of the American Government that peremptory orders for the discontinuance of the practice of boarding and searching American vessels should be given and enforced . Such a measure is called for on every account uvuniuiunv

      of ri « ht and prudence , ana our u can only refuse compliance under very grave responsibilities . It will most likely comply ; it will pay tho iine , and in paying it acknowledge the offence . The humiliation in such a case can only be imaginary ; for in reason it cannot bo considered ignoble to retire from a false position , or to make amends for a wrong committed in pursuit of an illusory object . Let Exeter Hall weep , wail , and gnash its teeth , the slave-protoctorate of England has been a sad mistake , and tho best advantage " ( it can take of tho present state of things is

      frankly to admit that the attempt to put down the slave trade has been a total failure , and to retire from the further prosecution ot a useless labour .

      Something Too Hugh Of Slough. One Great ...

      SOMETHING TOO HUGH OF SLOUGH . One great merit of the Derby Government is its indiscretion . The world has been half rumed by tlie discreetness of Ministers . Diplomatists , especially , are , by their very nature , so reserved , that most proceedings on their parts are more like conspiracies than , honest doings . Therefore we are thoroughly disinclined to draw invidious comparisons between the above-board audacity of Tory statesmen and the subterranean tortuosities ot tlie Whies Nor is inexperience altogether a bad quality in a . Minister .. It saves the public from an . infinite amount of deception . Men who have been ' in office for years acquire not only certain secreiiieir

      tive habits , but learn to disginse poncy under false pretences , an art in which Lord Papierston , the private Mr . Smith , and the confidential ni , Lmare adepts . The Derby people

      stand in favourable contrast with these veiled prophets of dip lomacy . They show their cards . They read their despatches aloud . Their secret onnnmttees sit with open doors . Presently , re-Councils

      porters will be admitted to their Cabinet . We know , at all events , what they are doing . - ; And in this there is a positive advantage . Abominable as was the blunder of Lord Elleiiborough s despatch , and still worse as was the error orits publication , it let the light into the Board of Control so effectually that the public came and looked through the gratings , and scared a very dangerous official away From Ins desk . Then , Mr . Disraeli went plough , and was immeasurably indiscreet . The Whig opposition , in and out of Parliament , was at once in arms , and although ho one cari defend the Chancellor of the Exchequer for having , m Parliamentary mat iio *¦

      periphrasis , stated ..... wmen was v « ° . ^^ - ance with tlie facts , still we have gamed ; a good deal by tlie explosion . We have had Premiers aiid ex-Premiers , Foreign Ministers , and ex-Toreign Ministers , independent chiefs , and all sorts of _ expectauts , making clean breasts of it , and Mr . i > iaraeU himself backing out / of his assertions with ineffable candour . Here comes Lord John Russell explaining exactly wliat he knew of tha Cambridge House covenant , informing , us that he had held no direct communication with Lord Palmerston , confessing that he had never been impatient on the subiect of lleform , and ominously declaring that , dissolutions

      should the practice ot penal De continued , he nv . iy march under the banners of l « msbuvv and vote for triennial Parliaments , llieii . Lord Palmerston relates how the Conspiracy Bill was concocted , and with frank temerity resumes his old way of laying mysteries bare . And Mr . I Disraeli has a second fit of indiscretion . Heipcr-! mits the country to know him as apolitical lloijvi

      million . > viu- - u j- o « j . . « , ¦;••"" ----- —g— ^_ person said , " I mean that I did not . So , Mr . Disraeli , when he said that we were witlmi a few hours of war , meant that peace was quite secure ; when he talked about massacre , he alluded to mercy ; , when he pointed to a cabal , lie was lookin- skywards . " When he hinted at a diplomatist s intrin-ue - to engulf Italy in a conflagration , uotlung was farther From his thoughts . Public men , m fact , according to the precedent thus established , are not expected to be serious at public dinners even when treating of the gravest matters and affeclin" the gravest tones . The Chancellor of the t ? . ~\ . nr . * nv ;« mnst mo . vrv when most dismal , and

      , , when lie holds up his predecessors as fiends in human shape , burying all India in vengeance and slaughter , he is only poking fun at the Buckinghamshire electors . Other men have done the same . Sir James Graham had his little joke at the Reform Club about the Russian war , and Lord Palmerston , when the Coldstrcams were about , to take their the

      bath of blood , was particularly lively on sudjcci of itobinson Crusoe . Thus , all statesmen have their humours , and it was a prodigious burlesque to remind Mr . Disraeli that he was at least in . the p lace of a statesman , and should learn to behave himself with more dignity . ¦ , Of course , he is not dignified . Ho is random , reckless , unmitigated in his assurance , and docs what he can tomaketho great Conservative party ashamed of him . But what can ho or they do i He is the fastest horse in tho stable , they say , and they must make use of their property . Vox us own part , ho pursues his own interests ; and , it is Ins ^ rcst , every sense , to retain possession of the owice

  • Citation
    • Leader (1850-1860), June 5, 1858, page 13, in the Nineteenth-Century Serials Edition (2008; 2018) ncse-os.kdl.kcl.ac.uk/periodicals/l/issues/cld_05061858/page/13/