The Express.
London, England, 1861-11-28 00:00:00

MOIL WATER AT LONDON WOOL

Tam liii:llWri4na7lol:
To-issmow —Monolog. Ailivimos, nu. 3t us.

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WNDON, THURSDAY, NOV. 28.

THE American Government is surely the most
unfortunate of governments, or else the most san-
guine. An officer of the Federal Navy has struck
• better blow for the rebel cause than either General
BEM KLEARD or JOHNSMN has yet been able to
do. There is rejoicing on board the Nashville,
and if Messrs. YANCEY and DeDLEY MANN did not
feast their friends last night they missed a fine
opportunity. The ness by the La Plata, which
we publish to-day, will raise the spirits of the
whole South. The United States Government—

for, until the act is disavowed and atoned for, on
it must fall the responsibility—has struck its best
friend in the face, • friend that never yet when
•mitten on tho loft cheek turned the right for •
second blow.

On the Rth instant, the Royal Mail Company's
steamer Trent was performing the voyage between
Havanna!' and the Danish island of St. Thomas,
having on board Mr. 81102 u. and Mr. klasors, Com-
missioners from Mr. JZIFISMOII Davvi, on their
way to this country. la passing through the Old
Bahama Channel she was met by the United States
war steamer San Jacinto, which fired first a round
shot and then a shell across her bows, and thus
brought her to. An officer of the war steamer,
Lieutenant FAIII/AX, thereupon put off in a boat
with ten men, boarded the Trent, and demanded
her list of parmengem, which was of course refused.
He then stated that he had reliable information
that Mr. Suosz.t. and Mr. Mahon, with their
secretaries, Mr. Eustis and Mr. Macratians,
were on board, and demanded that they
should be given up. This request Cap.
Lin Mom, of the Trent, peremptorily
rejected, utterly denying the right of the Federal
capers to take any person from ander the British
flag. It is very likely that, had Lieutenant Fate-
rxx received no assistance in this conjuncture, he
would have been without the means of identifying
the objects of his search, and would haws
had to depart unmanned. The Confederate
Commissioners, however, preferred to announce
themselves, and having done so, formally
claimed the protection of the British flag.
Had Lieutenant Palsraz now donated from his
attempt, a gross outrage would have been com-
mitted ; but he went further. Waving his band
to his ship, be summoned a force of 30 marines and
60 sailors, who leaped on board the Trent cutlass in
hand; and seized the Commitsioners by main force.
Against this violent and arbitrary act Commander
Wu-name, of her Muserr's Navy, acting as
Admiralty agent of the Trent, protested in solemn
terms : "In this ship," he said, " I am the re-
" presentative of her Ma ten's Government,
" and I call upon the officers and pariengets
" peanut to witness, that, in the name of the
" British Government, I distinctly denounce this
" as an illegal act, an act in violation of inter-
" national law, an set, indeed, of wanton piracy,
" which had we the means of defence you would
" not dare to attempt."
The remote consequences of this act we shall
not attempt to predict. Enough for the present
that it is one which will make it the duty of oar
Government to insist on ample, complete, and
immediate satisfaction. Its wanton folly bids us
hope that Lieutenant Fziarsx was acting without
instructions, and that the Washington Cabinet
will no sooner learn what has taken place
in the Bahama Channel than it will disavow the
act, restore Messrs. Marx and SLID/GIL, and
tender the fullest apology. Nothing short
of this reparation can be accepted. Until
there has been time to receive news
from Washington, we feel bound to believe that the
seizure of passengers on board the Trent was an
act as much in excess of duty as it wee in vide-
lion of public ►aw. No Government should know
better than that of the United States the lines
which separate the rightsof belligerents and neutrals
respectively. While this war lasts we must submit to
have our mercantile vessels stopped on the high
seas by both parties in search of contraband. Had
Lieutenant Fus►u Qualified himself to demand-
ing Mr. Slainni.'s despatches, and taken them off,
we must have acquiesced in hie visit as one of the
disagreeable occurrences incident to a voyage in
the neighbourhood of contending foes. But the
seizure of persons stands on a different footing.
In the eyes of Mr. Szwamo, Messrs. &wan and
MIOWN are rebels ; in our eyes they are simply
passengers. And the Washington Government may
rest assured we shall no more permit it to take its
rebels out of our vessels than we should concede a
similar right to Austria, or Russia.
The circumstances of this event still more
strongly compel us to disbelieve, in the absence of
direct evidence, that this aggression was ordered
by the United States Government. The Cabinet
at Washington knows perfectly well that it cannot
act in this fashion with impunity. In fact at this
moment its cause lies at our mercy. We could with
ease remove that severe pressure which it exerts on
the South by means of its blockade, and on which,
far more than on the sword, it relies for succor.
We could open all the Southern ports at once
to receive gold, and commodities, and muni-
tions of war, in return for cotton. And
if need were, wo could at small cost
find abundant occupation for all the San
Jaciutos they could muster, and for half the
army of the Potomac into the bargain. We have
given no provocation for this outrage. The COMM
of our Government has been uniformly forbearing
and considerate. Lord l'sxxxacrotes high spirit
has manifested itself only in magnanimity. No
Minister could have avoided more anxiously all
that could fairly give adsnes, sr when occasions
for remonstrance have arias, as in the recast
imprisonment of British subjects, have borne hint.