The Express.
London, England, 1861-11-30 00:00:00

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LOIIIDOII, SATURDIT. Mr. 30.

Br the sesil which has left Lleaspool to-day the
people of the United States will neesive iatelligsaso
of the manner in which the news of the boarding
of the Trent has been received by the Englieli
nation. It is important that that ineeliginee
should be as full and clear as possible, end that
no room should be left for illusion. And two
things powerfully contribute to this end. No
previous crisis ever found our people in pommies
of so complete an organisation for the rapid MOW
non and expremion of opinion se they now poems.
Any estimate of public sentiment now made and
take into account not only the journals ci the
capital, but the very able and independent news.
papers published every in our chief towns.
Since the telegraph has come into general use
the facts of the day reach the provinces in antici-
pation al the judgments paned upon thins in the
Metropolis. The result has been a decentralisa-
tion of opinion to the advantege of the whale
community. Besides the fullness of its expreinion,
another quality which will make British opinion
and sentiment en this occasion man intelli•
gage to all the world is its unanimity. Putting
aside one err two exceptions, in which violent lan-
guage has been the refuge of weak and bewil-
dered writers, we may say that nothing is mare
striking than the substantial agreement which Ray-
ons in • position to take • wide survey of pub-
lished opinion must remark.
What will most strike an impartial observer of
the &shah people during the last three days is the
high quality of self-command which has unman@
trembly bean exhibited. The news of the eneepunter
between the San Jacinto and the Trent found
most persons unprepared in point of information to
entertain the dill:Weiss which surround the legal
questions it aim Pew of us had realised how
muck was involved in the concession of belligerent
rights to both North and South by Use British
Govientneet. Besides, therefore, the unpleasant
imprimis"' which the moat warrantable or legal act
in derogalion of our naval power must have pro-
duced, the general feeling was exasperated by a
belief that the visitation of the Treat by a foreign
ship of war was altogether illegal. But, however
strong the natural feeling of our people, there has
been nothing like self-abandonment to blind impulse.
In the very beat of the first excitement, the ques-
tion everywhere beard waa—what is the settled
law I It might have been expected, considering
the persistency with which some of our countrjr-
men have endeavoured to irritate their countrymen
against the Northern States of America, that sojr
event capable of becoming en men ion of replan
between the two governments would have been
extensively welcomed. But nothing Gould he
more different than the fact. The interest whisk
all clams have suddenly taken in complex quo bone
of international law sprang from a desire to die-
cover evidence that the American government
had not invaded the rights of this country. There
is something very remarkable in this readiness
of a whole people, under the inflame
of an exciting event, to refer the justice of
its cause to remote and unfamiliar standards.
Reason unquestionably teaches the great advantage
of substituting external for internal teats, wherever
this is possible, in estimating the qualities
of acts. And herein lies the unspeakable value of
a body of international law, fixed and harmonious
in its principles, and developed in numerous pre-
tenant", that acts like those of Captain Wrung may
be referred to an outward, objective, and histo-
rical standard, instead of being left to be acri-
moniously disputed by sensitive litigants without
hope or chance of settlement. But this advantage
I. not always appreciated, and we question
whether, if Captain Wiwi had had the misfortune
to stop a mail steamer of a neighbouring country,
which it is the fashion in New York to extol, the
seam reticence would have been observed by its
flitisess.

Our friends in the United States will now
be in • position to understand that what-
ever opinions the law Moors of the British
Crown have given, and whoitaver demands
may be advanced in theQvaan's name, our Govena-
ment has not acted under the pressure of popular
clamour. Never was the mind of England more
thoroughly pommesd with a sense of the duty of
remaining at peace with the American people, if
that be pomable. No desire is felt to embarrass
their Government, or take advantage of its
domestic difficulties. But the rights of this country
must sod will be maintained. With • view to
avoid discussions needlessly irritating, to reduce
the question to its simplest issue, and to enable
the United States Government to repair the error
of its agents with • minimum of conosseion, the
objection taken to the seizure of Mr. Sumas and
Mr. Mason Ism been based upon the withdrawal of
the entire proceeding from the review of a Prise
Court. It becomes unnecemary, therefore, to
ask whether those passengers were rebels
or envoys, whether their despatches were me-
trabsad, or any other subsidiary questions
which ingenuity may evolve from the occurrence.
It is enough to know, that however an &WM-
rind tribunal might have decided on these
matters, they're matter, on wLich only such a tri-
bunal—a Prue Court—is competent to give a