The Sun.
London, England, 1842-03-30 00:00:00

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SUN OFFICE, Three o' C7och.

We publish in another part of The Sun, the dig-
nified reply of the Earl of ABERDEEN to the note
of the late American Ambassador, Mr. STEVENSON,
on the Right of Search question. Nothing can be
more forcible, and at the-same time more moderate
and conciliatory, than the language of the Noble
Foreign Secretary. The question required the most
delicate handling, after the decided, but unfair and
offensive way in which Mr. STEVENSON placed it be-
fore the public, and we think the Ariaericans them-
selves will admit that it has experienced it at the
hands of Lord ABERDEEN. As the United States
Government persists in a refusal to concede a right of
search, in conjunction with England, France, Aus•
tria, Russia, and. Prussia, lord ABERDEEN is forced
to relinquish any claim to such right for the righteous
purpose of suppressing the inhuman slave traffic. But
he insists upon the visitation of vessels carrying the
United States' flag, by the CommanderS of cruizers
employed in suppressing the slave trade, for the pur-
pose of ascertaining that they are bona fide the pro-
perty of the United' States. Should 'the vessels visited
be really American, they are not to be interfered
with, or detained, although laden with cargoes of
slaves ; as in the words of Lord ABERDEEN, " such
vessels must be permitted, if engaged in it, to enjoy a
monopoly of this unhallowed trade." There will be
no overhauling of the cargo ; no examination of pa-
pers beyond what is absolutely necessary to deter-
mine the real nationality of the vessel. Within such
restricted limits we do not see how the American
Government can offer the shadow of an objection to
the proposition of the British Cabinet. The right is
one which Lord ABERDEEN states, and which every-
body conversant with the question knows America
herself exercises in the Gulf of Mexico. Respecting
the right of search being an invasion of national dig-
nity, which the patriotic sensitiveness of Americans
could not brook, the Noble Lord cuttingly remarks
that concessions sanctioned by Great Britain and
France are not likely to be incompatible with the
dignity of any other State disposed to follow their
example. This is the only sarcastic stroke in this
diplomatic note, and more than one Member of Con-
gress
has already winced under it.

We are not, however, unprepared for an American
opposition to the visitation, under any pretext what-
ever, of vessels carrying the United States flag. The
Americans want to continue the slave trade, and
they shrink from th 2 odium they would incur in
Europe were their participation in that odious traffic
officially proclaimed to the world, in the manner
it must be in the reports of visiting officers commu-
'nicated to the Cabinets of the Five Powers. A sense
of shame is a step towards repentance, and the very
concealment with which the Americans seek to conduct
this unhallowed traffic induces us to hope that the
day is not distant when they will abandon it as we
have done, and detest the memory of it as much as we
do now. But considering the jealousy of this country
which prevails in the United States, it appears that
our Government has not gone the right way to
work in conducting negotiations which are in-
tended to accelerate the advent of slavery sup-
pression by the Cabinet of Washington. Instead
of being the sole negotiator with the United States
the English Foreign Secretary ought to have taken
every step in prsonal conjunction with the Ministers
of the other Great Powers who have consented to the
Right of Search Treaty. Every note should have been
the joint production of the Ministers of the Five
Powers, who acting thus in concert, could employ lan-
guage more conciliatory, and even make larger con-
cessions to the influence of public opinion in the
United States, than would comport with the dignity of
an individual Power. What in them would be mo-
deration, would in the case of single States be inter-
preted the language of fear. It is a species of bravado
with many public men in the United States to oppose
every measure advocated by England, for no other
cause than that it is so supported. They fancy that
to oppose England manifests an indifference to her
power, and a readiness to cope with her in war.
These men, therefore, would regard very dif-
ferently a note signed by the representatives of
the Five Powers, and one dated from the Foreign-
office, bearing only the signature of Lord ABERDEEN.
Nor is it yet too late to adopt such a course. With-
out the co-operation of the United States, the slave
trade can never be entirely suppressed ; and if
Europe be really in earnest in seeking its suppres-
sion, the better feelings of the American people are
only to be worked upon in the way which we have,
just pointed out.

Attempts have been made by several English
Journals to turn into ridicule the lively and versatile
dispositions of our neighbours on the other side of
the Channel. They cannot live, it is said, without
some cause of excitement, real or imaginary ; one
topic succeeds another in rapid succession, and
so effectually is the transient passion effaced
by its successor, that the French themselves even
find amusement in laughing at their own folly. If
these writers would look nearer home, they would
find that the French are not the only people
who render themselves ridiculous by these
transitory fits and passions ; and, least of all,
the people or this country. The

french

can enjoy themselves at little exrense, • but
the English cannot have their folly without pftring