The daily Green Mountain freeman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1861-1865, 1861-12-20
The Point at Issue Between England and the
United States.

United States.
The London Times, which we doubt not IRON
its previous course towards our Government
since The outbreak of tie Southern rebellion il
inclined to make the most out OF the Mason and
SlideIl affair, thus statcs The position OF the
British Government
"Wemay say then, that the cabinet has come
to the conclusion that the act Of the Captain OF
the San Jacinto, in Selling passengers On board
a British vessel and Carrying them ~iorcioiy away
Is a clear violation Of the law Of Nations, and
one tol which PREPARATION must at once be de-
manded In all probability tho next steamer
will carry out a dispatch. lnstructlng LORD Ivy
ons to demand reparatiun for the IL advised act
of the San JAcinto ia Selling IL h.rssrs. Mason
and SlIdell while under the lsa.ectlon OF the
British flag. Should this just den}and not be
complied with, we cannot doubt ti.t Lord Ly-
ons will, under the instructions OF his govern
ment, withdraw with the British Legation from
W%ashington."
Our readers will not fail to notice that there
is no ~alluslon III the above extract to the rest
tuition of Mason and Slidell to the protection of
the British Government, and We may fairly
presume that the bluster Of other English pa
pers about compelling our Government to restore
the traitors to the quarterback of an English
vessel is only a creation of the lively magma
ton Of writer's lor the sensational press.
The Times proceeds to set forth, what are
probably the views of the British Ministry, as
follows:
We believe that the cabinet has taken a
view OF the matter which will be satisfactory
to the patriotism and the reason Of the country.
Without questioning the right of a belligerent
vessel to stop and search our merchantmen for
contrabaId d ct war, oar ministers entire7y DEM
the claim ach1ch ras asserted in this case, and
Wh,ch 'coud permit a foreign naral officer 10 take
persons at has o,pn discretion from unGer the
British flag on the prctence that they are rebels
or citizens OF IL hostile State. The law which
governs the stopping, the selling, the judging,
ana the condemnlng of neutral merchant ships
is clearly laid down, and being, at the best,
highly oppressive to ~neutrals, it must be strictly
adhered to. This law, even when interpreted
by the harsh practices of a bygona age, con.
tains nothing which can justify the carrying off
all persons in the position of Mcssrs Mason and
Slldell, ard who were at tho most civil servants
OF the hostile power, and were travelling from
enc ncutra! port to another in a neutral vessel.
If the government Of Washington holds that the
CVn.ederates are belligerents, then it is bound
by The laws Of war, which treat only military
and naval persons travelling for belligerent pur-
poses as contra band, and even in that Cas- direct
that the contraband character shall be duly vs-
tabllshed in a prize court If on the other hand,
1t declares that Messrs Mason and Slidell were
seized as rebels by virtue OF its municipal law,
then the rightof asylum has been clearly violated.
Indeed, On the latter plea, the Federal Coy
eminent might station a sloop in the channel to
board the Dover and FolkestOno steamers daily.
and carry off every Southernor who might BE-
found. The principle on which our Government
rest lis demand is that a British ship must-until
her violation of neutral rights is fully proved
te held TO r. British ground, as much as if she
were aD actual piece of British soil, and the
right to pi~ rejection of all persons on board is as
valid as if they were on British territory. Now,
no such violation has been proved, or has been
sought to be proved, against tho Trent, and cor
sequently tho seizure of the four persons who
were orcibly dragged from her decks was en-
tirely Illegal.
In another article of a subsequent date, the
Times discusses somewhat the precedents TINT
are quoted in support Of Capt. Wilkes act, and
while denying that any of them are precisely in
point, very frankly says that tho British Gov
crnment, however, don't propose to decide this
matter upon isolated cascs or the practice Of
ages ago, bn, to settle it upon what will now be
accepted by the civilized nations Of the earth as
international law.
Ali these questions raised by the English Gov
eminent can be easily settled by diplomacy. III
the Mason and Slidell seizure is not justified by |
rrecelants, our Government should mt 90 to !
war to justify it. II it is justified by old
practice, the act ought not certainly to be con.
s.rued as an insult to the British flag, and an |
occasion for war with this country. This coun.
try has too long contended for the rights of neu-
trails, and for the most unlimited respect to the
protection OF its Gag, to now bring war upon
the nation in support of an opposite doctrine.
If the protest of England is made in u peaceful
and conciliatory spirit, it will be met in a like
spirit, and there will be no need of the arbitra-
men, of arms. Blu, If England has sent to our
Government any arrogant and defiant demands,
We, Of course, shall not consider them, but sim
ply get ready to fight.
Tho recent difficulty between Secretary Chase
and the New York bankers has been satisfacto.
lily adjusted. The Secretary regards the pres.
ent balance Of The $50, 900 900 loan in the
associated banks, as sufficient for the wants Of