The daily Gate City. [volume] (Keokuk, Iowa) 1855-1916, 1861-12-30
Correspondence About the
Trent Affair.
New York. Dec. %.

The official correspondence between
our Government and Great Britain, rels.
tive to the arrest of Mason and Slidell, is
received. The first letter is from Sccre-
tary Seward to Minister Adams, dated
November 30th, in whech he compliments
the latter for wisely speaking and acting
at the Lord Mayors Dinner, and also
states that he teld Lord Palmerston sim.
tpiy the fact when informing him the life
of the instruction was sustained by the
hopes of recognition by England and
France, and if those hopes ceased the in
surrection would perish in ninety days
He refers in the same note TO the fact Of
the arrest of Slidel and Mason by Capt.
Wilkes as a new and unforeseen circum-
stance, which is to be met by the two
Governments possible in kindly spirit.
Lord Lyons had said nothing on the sub
.iect. Explanations were furnished to
Minister Adams, it being deemed pru.
dent that the ground taken by the Brit
ish Government should be first made
known here d discu On be had here,
but Secretary Seward deemed it proper 10
state that Capt. Wilkes acted without in
structions, and the subject, therefore, is
free from embarrassments, which might
have ensuea il the act had been specially
directed. He trusts the British Govern
ment will consider the subject in a friend
ly temper, and II n y expect the best dis
pc Altlun on our part.
the last letter is from Earl Rlssel TO
Lord Lyons, dated November 30th. which
details the affair. He says it thus APP
pears that certain individuals have been
forcibly taken from British vessel, the
ship Of a neutral power Oh q lawful and
innocent voyage, an act Of violence which
was an atfront to the British flag, and a
violation of international law Her Ma
jestys Government are willing to believe
the act was without authority and result
ed from a misunderstanding as the Gov
eminent of the United States must be
fully aware the British Government would
not allow such aifront to the national hon
or to pass without full reparation and the
British Government was unwilling to be-
lieye that the United States deliberately
intended unnecessarily to force discus
sion OF so grave question between the
two Governments. Her Majesty Gov
erhmtBt trusts that the United States
will, of its own accord, offer such redress
as alone could satisfy them, viz, the lib.
Grafton Of the four persons and their de-
livery to Lord Lyons. that they may again
be placed under British authority, aud a
suitable apology for the aggression com
mitted. Should these terms not be offer
ed BY Mr.. Seward, sou will propose them
t hun.
Mr.. Seward replies to Lord Lyons, BY
whom he was furnished copy N f..7Ftt
Russel's letter, stating that the dispatch
has been submitted to the President. Mr..
Seward states thut the British Govern.
ment rightly conieotured what is now my
duty to state that Capt Wilkes acted up
on his own suggestions of duty without
any direction or instruction or even fore.
Knowledge Of il on the part Of this Gov
erament. No directions had been given
hin OF any other. nayal officer to arrest
the tout ,.ersons on aHv al them on the
Trent or any other British vessel, or any
neutral vessel there or elsewhere. Alter
discussing the whole subject at great
length in all its bearings, M Seward saws ::
trust have shown 10 the satisfaction
of the British Government, bya very sim.
pie and natural statement Of facts and
analysis of law applicable to them, that
this Government nave neither meditated
nor practiced nor approved any deliberate
wrong fnthe transaction to which they have
called its attention, and on the contrary
that what has happened was inadverloney
consisting in departure by the naval Of
tlcer, free from any wrongful motive, from
a rule uncertainty established, AMI prob
ably, by the several parties concerned
either imperfectly understood or entirely
unknown. For this error the British Gov
eminent has right to expect the same
| reparation tia. we as an independent
| State should expect from Great Britain or
| from any other friendly nation in SINH
lar case. | have not been unaware chat
in Examining this question | have fallen
into an argument for what seems to be a
BRITISH side OF II against my own coun.
try, but am relieved from all embarras-
ment on that subject | had hardly fall
len into that line Of argument when
discovered that was really defending and
maintaining not exclusively in the Brit
ish interest an old, honored and chcriscd
| American cause, not upon British author.
tiles but upon principles that constitute a
large portion of the distinctive policy by
which the United States have developed
the resources of a continent and thus be-.
come considerable maratime power and
won the respect and confidence Of many
nations. These principles were laid down
for us by James Madison in 1904, when
| the Secretary of State, under Jefferson,
in his instructions to James Monroe, our
then Minister to England. Mr.. Seward
says, after quoting these instructions, that