The rams in England.
--We copy to-day several extracts from English and French papers touching the iron-clads and rams alleged to be in process of construction in England for the Confederacy, and also with regard to the achievements of the Florida and Alabama. The deeds of these two daring rebel ships are made the occasion for deprecating the sending forth any more vessels under rebel commanders, to ravage Yankee commerce. These newspaper extracts were selected and arranged by the Yankee press from English journals sympathizing with the Federalists. We reprint them to show what kind of pressure is brought to bear upon the Government and public sentiment of England, through Yankee influence and probably Yankee bribery. The hypocrisy, sophistry, and can't displayed in these extracts are worthy of Puritanism itself, and must have been dictated by Seward's agents.These newspaper humanitarians, who have not a word of regret for the robberies and brutalities perpetrated by the Yankee army of invasion in the South, are deeply troubled, and set up a howl of indignation at the destruction of the commerce of those rich Yankee merchants who are amassing wealth from the war, and who are hounding on the brutal soldiery who are now desolating the South. They would stop the Alabama and Florida, and would interdict the sailing of other iron-clads supposed to be intended for us, and they claim for the Yankees the benefit of that agreement entered into by England, France, and others, (one article of which is already ignored by England,) touching the abolition of privateering, the law of blockade, and the protection of private property at sea, when they know that the United States not only did not join in that agreement, but positively refused to do so when invited. But these hypocrites are like all others, unmitigated rascals, and stickle at no mean and knavish trick that may advance their purpose.
We are coolly told that our gallant officers on the sea should leave this business of punishing the Yankees by destroying their commerce, and manfully attack their ships and blockading fleets! Of course such magnanimous and disinterested advice is fully appreciated! It would be much more agreeable to the Yankees that the Alabama and Florida should quit piercing them in their most vital point and dare the whole Yankee Navy to a grand combat upon the sea. --But these mysterious hunters of the sea are obstinately bent on their present pursuit, and will yet illuminate the wide waters many a night with the wealth of Northern commerce. And if this be so outrageous, so barbarous a trade, why can't the many hundred Yankee ships catch and whip the two lonely little cruisers who are roaming the seas so defiantly?
But of the rams and iron-clads: They will hardly be stopped after the decision in the case of the Alexandra. However the Foreign Office in London might be inclined to do so, it is pretty well estopped from attempting it. But we are not sure that the Foreign Office has any such desire. We are by no means satisfied that Great Britain is not gratified at heart by every circumstance that tends to diminish the power of the Yankees on the seas, and for that reason will not be in a hurry to stop ships built at her ship yards to help the Confederates to do this. She will at least be as slow to interfere with the departure of these ships as she will to stop arms and ammunition for the Lincoln Government, which they have been allowed freely to export from her manufactories.
The last foreign news in Northern papers, however, announces something new with regard to these much bruited (or butted) rams. They are built on French account, and are to sail for French ports, escorted by an English war steamer, the British Government (say these lying Yankee authorities) determining that they shall not go at large direct from England. Let the Yankees have their talk. When they are trying to swindle somebody they always have a deal of gabble. But the iron rams will go to sea as they are intended to go, nevertheless.
