The Carson Daily Appeal

JOHN BULL'S OFFSET.

Says an Eastern exchange:

Sir Francis Head, late Lieutenant Governor of Upper Canada, publishes in the London Times a large batch of historical documents relative to the Canadian rebellion of 1837, by which he endeavors to prove that the United States was as culpable in aiding the revolters as England in her treatment of this country during the late rebellion. Mr. Sumner's Alabama claims will form the subject of a third concluding letter from Sir Francis to the Times.

This is simply pettifoggery. It is like a man's pleading the value of court ship presents as an offset for damages for breach of promise. The Canada Rebellion is outlawed. It has no more legitimate place in the present controversy than the Madawaska war. England has admitted her case away, already. She has made no denial of the fact that the Confederate cruiser, the Alabama, was built in an English ship yard, equipped with English guns and manned by English sailors. Uncle Sam denied at the time of the Caroline affair that he was in any way responsible for it; and Great Britain abandoned the attempt to make our Government amenable for the assistance which reached the Canadian patriots from our borders. None of our claims against England are based upon a sense of injury coming from the fact that there were numbers of English subjects engaged as officers and men in the rebel ranks. Our cause of complaint is that England furnished the Confederates with a navy to prey upon and destroy our commerce.

The fact has been admitted; for it is simply useless to deny it. Then comes Mr. Laird who built the Alabama and says boldly that not only did he build her but that he violated no law in so doing. He claims that he did his work openly and that nothing was done by the British Government to prevent his operations. We all know England's animus well enough. Mr. Roebuck confessed that. Our power was becoming alarmingly great; and it was England's policy to encourage the division between the different parts of a divided Union.

Were the United States a less powerful nation John Bull would, if he replied at all to our protests, respond: "Of course I helped the Confederates to ships and arms and sailors; what are you sir, pray, going to do about it?" That was John's tone when he used to stop Yankee ships and press their sailors. That was his gait toward China. But we have got him this time in chancery and he tries to save himself by shifts and word quibbles—hence the appearance of Sir Francis Head upon the stage.