The southern press. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1850-1852, 1851-01-28
From the .Mw York Commercial Advertiser.

NEW PHASE OF AN OLD SuBJEcr.--Tt viii
scarcely be forgotten that some months since
correspondence took place between our Secretary
of State and the British c ibinet respecting the
Imprisonment OF free colored persons, subjects OF
Great Britain, IN the ports OF South Carolina
The then Secretary of State, Mr.. Clayton, repre-
scented to the British Government the peculiar
difficulties which surrounded the question, such
az had indeed been pointed out in a previous cor
respondence upon the same subject between the
two governments; and suggested to the English
Cabinet whether 1t was desirable or expedient to
push the matter, in view Of the great and almost
lnsurmountabe Impedimo1ts to It's satisfactory
settlement. 1t was specially mentioned to the
British Minister that in matters affecting its l6ca
police and State government each State was sover-
eign, and that the General Government could not
fightully interfere With the legislation of South
Carolina, unless such legislation contravened the
constitutional obligations and restrictions by which
South Carolina, in common with all her sister
States, was solemny bound.
The British Government forbore pressing the
matter further upon our Cabinet, and from some
explanations recently made in the British Para-
ment the opinion generally prevailed that, for
some time at least, the question, as between the
two governments, would be allowed to sleep
Yesterday, however, the Evening Posts cores
pondence from Columbia, S. c., revealed new
phase Of the subject. The British Cabinet, act.
ing evidently upon the hint derived from its cor
respondence with the American Minister, has d.
rected her Britannia Maesty's consul general for
the Carolinas, address South Carolina as a sope,-
sign State and to bring the question directly be-
fore its Governor. We regard the correspondence
thus opened with anxiety, and treat it with i'm
portance, for two reasons First, because it shows
that The govern nent OF Great Britain has found it
necessary 50 speedily TO reopen the question.
We say found it necessary, because ,hereis every
reason to believe that the British Cabinet had no
desire, in the present and growing friendly feeling
between the two powers, to press this matter
TO an issue. Many circumstances combine to
strengthen this belief, which was justified by the
language held by the Ministry, when questioned
upon the subject in the House Of Commons.
We infer, therefore, that in renewing the appli-
cation, the British cabinet has acted under the
pressure of popular sentiment in England, which
every one knows amounts TO a strong and unver
sal anti-slavery feeling. II is far from improb-
able, also, that wounded national pride is min
gled with this feeling, for il is well known that
the English people love to boast that the mantle Of
British protection is thrown around the humbles
subject Of the realm. wherever he may be. We
make the same boast with respect to our own
Government, and it is praiseworihy, and need moi
be carried out into ofensiveness or arrogance
II is a mutual right, to be mutually respected. We
think II safe to assume, therefore, that there is
combined feeling at the back Of this renewed APP
plicauon-that the unwillingness of the people OF
England to submit to the imprisonment Of Brit
ian SUBJECT without even accusation Of crime, and
at his own or his employers expense, has been
added to the strong en,slavery feeling, and tina
the instructions given 10 Mr.. Consul general Ma
thew, have been issued under the steady pressure
Of this combined sentiment Itis not difficult to
suppose that the recent discussions and legislation
Of our own Congress upon slavery have excited
the attention Of the people Of England to this
branch Of the subject.
Believing that these agencies have been q, work
TO induce the British Government to renew lis
protest and its claim, constrained to regard
the correspondence which we publish below with
some anxiety. IL seems most likely that the cor
respondence will not be abandoned without some
resut---that it will be prosecuted to one issue or
another. Whether we have rightly OWNED the
true reason why the application has been renewed,
or whether we have not, il still seems to mo-
rally certain, history insructing us, that the APP
,lication will be rertinaciousy pressed, and the
Exemption from imprisonment finally insisted
upon. We suppose that the injustice of the South
CarolInian Law, in view Of treaties existing be-
tween the United States and England, was virtu-
ally conceded in the correspondence Of the two