The Sun.
London, England, 1842-01-05 00:00:00

ments and injuries to which the trade and commerce of
the United States, throughout the whole of the African
seas, have already been subjected by the vexatious
seizures and detentions of her Majesty's cruisers, and in
most of them without justification or excuse.
That the right asserted by her Majesty's Govern-
ment may be regarded as important, may not be doubted.
Indeed, the undersigned would not act frankly towards
Lord Aberdeen, if he were to pretend that the conse-
quences of refusing the exercise of the right by the
American Government might not throw •ery great
difficulties in the way of executing the existing treaties
for the abolition of the slave trade ; bu►, as he has
taken occasion heretofore to observe, the admission can
neither strengthen the claim of right, nor diminish
the force of the objections to it on the pelt of the
United States.
There remains only one other part of Lord Aber-
deen's note which the undersigned deems it necessary
at this time to notice. It is that in which bis Lordship
expresses the opinion that any right of search which
shall have been conceded by two such Governments as
France and Great Britain ca❑ scarcely be considered as
incompatible with the honour and independence of any
nation upon earth. Now, if Lord Aberdeen's remark
was intended to apply to the proposal which was made
by her Majesty's Government to that of the United
States for a mutual right of search, secured and guarded
by treaty stipulations, the undersigned has no observa-
tion to make ; but if this opinion of his Lordship was
intended to apply to the right now asserted by
Great Britain, and proposed by her Government to be
exercised in the abseece of all conventional arrange-
ment, then the undersigned must be allo►sed to express
his decided dissent. That the exercise of mutual rights,
properly secured, might not be iecompati'ole with na-
tional honour and sovereignty he readily admits, inas-
much as the contracting parties would stand upon the
footing of equality and security. Tnis he presumes to
be the case between France and Great Britain ; but
such would not be the case between Great Britain and
the United States.

The undersigned must, therefore, after the most
careful consideration of the arguments advanced in
Lord Aberdeen's note, repeat the opinion which he has
heretofore expressed, that if a power such as that which
is now asserted by her Majrrsty's Government shall
be enforced, not only without consent, but in the face
of a direct refusal to concede it, it can be regarded in
no other light by the Government of the United States
than a violation of national rights and sovereignty,
and the incontestable principles of international law.
That its exercise may lead to consequences of a painful
character, there is too much. reason to apprehend. In
cases of conflicting rights between nations, the precise
line which neither can pass, but to which each may
advance, is ■ot easily found or marked ; and yet it
,xists, whites er may be the difli;:ulty of discerning it.
In ordinary cases of disagreement there is little danger ;
each nation may, and often does yield, something to
the other. Such, however, it is to be feared, is not the
present case.

The peculiar nAture of the power asserted, and the
consequences which may be apprehended from its exer-
cise, make it one of an important a momentous cha-
racter. Involving, as it does, questions of high
and dangerous sovereignty, it may be justly re-
gardal as deeply endangering the good understand-
ing of the two countries. Ought her Majesty's Go-
vernment, then, under such circumstances, to insist
upon its enforcement? That it will not, the under-
signed cannot permit himself to doubt. He will there—
fore continue to cherish the hope that, upon a careful
review of the whole subject, her Majesty's Govern-
ment will see the importance of adopting other mea-
sures for the suppression of the slave trade than those
now proposed, and which will be far better calculated,
not only to accomplish the object desired, but to pre-
serve the friendly relations of the two countries upon
principles consistent with the interest and honour of both.
The undersigned avails himself of the occasion to re-
new to Lord Aberdeen assurances of his distinguished
consideration and respect. A. STEVENSON.
To the Earl of Aberdeen.