Hasty Recognition of Rebel Belligerency: And Our Right to Complain of itThe author complains of British neutrality in the U.S. Civil War. In retaliation of an imposed Naval blockade on the Southern States the British chose to be neutral. |
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Hasty Recognition of Rebel Belligerency, and Our Right to Complain of It George Bemis No preview available - 2017 |
Common terms and phrases
6th day actually enforced Adams affairs American blockade American Government American Minister American proclamation announced April April 19 assert Atlantic bellig belligerent power belligerent rights British Government British Neutrality Cabinet civil communication complaint Confederate belligerency cruisers declaration despatch document Earl Russell England England and France English Government entitled existence fact Foreign Secretary guilty of piracy hasty high seas Historicus's hostilities insurgents insurrection irritation issue Jefferson Davis justice late Union law of nations letters of marque London Lord Chancellor Lord Chelmsford Lord Lyons Lord Russell Majesty's Government matter merchantmen motives neutral commerce North Northern Government opinion party ports President Lincoln President's proclamation proclamation of blockade proclamation of neutrality Queen's proclamation question quoted readers Rebel belligerency rebellion recognition of Confederate recognition of Rebel recognized records of nations regard rights and prerogatives Russell's ships South Southern privateer struggle supposing tion treated as pirates Trent affair United vessels wait to know
Popular passages
Page 8 - And we do hereby strictly charge and command all our loving subjects to observe a strict neutrality in and during the aforesaid hostilities, and to abstain from violating or contravening either the laws and statutes of the realm in this behalf, or the law of nations in relation thereto, as they will answer to the contrary at their peril.
Page 6 - But the British government informed Mr. Stratford Canning that the character of belligerency was not so much a principle as a fact ; that a certain degree of force and consistency acquired by any mass of population engaged in war entitled that population to be treated as a belligerent, and, even if their title were questionable, rendered it the interest, well understood of all civilized nations, so to treat them...
Page 39 - Lordship by an early opportunity such further information on these matters as may be required for your guidance ; at present I have only to add that no expression of regret that you may employ at the present disastrous state of affairs will too strongly declare the feelings with which Her Majesty's government contemplate all the evils which cannot fail to result from it.
Page 27 - Whereas an insurrection against the Government of the United States has broken out in the States of South Carolina, Georgia, Alabama, Florida, Mississippi, Louisiana, and Texas, and the laws of the United States for the collection of the revenue cannot be effectually executed...
Page 13 - ... in which that disruption threatens to involve the provinces now arrayed in arms against each other; but they feel that they cannot question the right of the Southern States to claim to be recognized as a...
Page 48 - I am informed that an official notification of the blockade will be sent to the foreign Legations here in the course of the day. Under ordinary circumstances, the season during which British vessels frequent southern ports closes in May and does not re-open until October. I understand that some alarm is felt in the North respecting the southern privateers, but it must be supposed that the navy of The United States will suffice to arrest their operations. If these privateers, however, make any head...
Page 10 - His own version, thus afforded, contains nothing at all at variance with Mr. Adams's account, but, on the contrary, fully corroborates it in important particulars. Thus, in a paragraph relating to full recognition of rebel independence, which Mr. Adams seemed to feel apprehensive of as the next step, Earl Russell reports himself as using the following language ; — quite upsetting any theory of a state of constructive belligerency : — " I said that we had taken no step except that of declaring...
Page 20 - If the Southern Confederacy had not been recognized by us as a belligerent power, he agreed with his noble and learned friend (Lord Brougham), that any Englishman aiding them by fitting out a privateer against the Federal government would be guilty of piracy.
Page 8 - United States of America and certain States styling themselves the Confederate States of America...
Page 40 - ... of the 6th of May was a hasty and ill-advised communication on his part), I pass on to notice the affected formalism, or — as I must call it — cant of his newspaper champion and expositor. Historicus plants himself, then, upon those immutable principles of justice and maxims of law " which are enshrined in the records of nations and the conscience of mankind," and he abhors the evil example of slanderous tongues which help on bloodshed.