Nashville union and American. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1853-1862, 1861-12-11
INTERNATIONAL COMIFr:
The yrasen-SIIdeII Affair from an English
and Spanish POInI 81 View.

The Masen-SlIdeII Affair from an EnglIsh
and Spanish POIRI 81 View.
So much curiosity il naturally eVinced to learn
wha. may be said By the EnglISh press Of the act
Of Commodore Wilkes, in fOrcIbly taking Aessrs.
Mason and SLIDRLL from on board the English
steamer Trent, that We reprint, from the New
York Albion, the recognized organ Of Edglish sea
timent in this country, statement of the case
from purely English point of view. 1t will be
perceived that the editor of that journal takes a
very different view of the matter from that which
has been represented BY the Northern editors and
j1rists Hs argues that the Trent wass public veg
sci, ard wss, therefore, privileged from: being
stopped on the high seas-that Messrs. AAsOS and
SLpKLL were not ambassadors, but merely p4sssn
gers on board the vessel, and such, were not liza
bic to srrest-thAt as the Federal Government has
not recognized the Confederate States as bellig
erent power, it cannot exercise beligerenE
rights that no proclamation Of war having
been made, but only blockade of cur own ports,
nothing has bssn done 70 convert the COnfederstes
from rebels into enemies.
The Albion writer contends that Captain Wilkes
has been guilty of a very serious breach Of inter
national comfy but leaves jurists to decide whether
he has also violated international laD. What the
British Government may do or demand is held to
be q serious question, and one which ID lot to be
dismissed quite 50 easily as the Northern press
Affects to believe. We make some extracts from
the AIbi0n's article
Few will deny that on land and at sea tie car
riers of mails have always been vested with prlvi
leges srester or less according to the greater or
less adyaace in civilization of the people who
IFaa for
gotten how, about thirteen years ago, commerce
and progress" were linked together in pa4ns and
concentrations, wien it was proclaimed to the
world that the two undoubted leaders in CONNER
cial enterprise, a. in love Of liberty, had taken
new step 10 the right direction? Are we rambling
from eur subject! You shall see. On the 18th Of
December, lS4S, there was signed in London, by
Mr. Bancroft, IS United States Minister and Lord
PGmerBtoa, as Foreign Secretary, certain Postal
Convention, whereof article Xxx. was expressed in
these words:
SIN csse of war between the two nati0ns the mail
packets Of the twS offices shall continue their nsVlag
ton tstbopt impeachment moeSasion until six weeks
after 9 notification has been made on the part Of
either of the two Governments, and delivered to
the other that the service IA to be discontinued ia
which case they shall be permitted to return freely
and under special protection, to their respective
ports"
Nearly all the American writers, who haVs IA
voured the public with their opinions during the
pasG week, nAElp8 a4oPbeo "Asb APAy 10 teItnsd
the fortiOri view OF the case, Ee commend the
above extract TO their calm consideration, snd beg
them to apply it after that fashion For IT. IN war
time 1t was deemed desirable that no let or hin>
Orange should be thrown in the way of theae quasi
public msssengers-if possible enemies, that is,
bound themselves, in the interest Of the commeT-
cIal world at large, to sscPIkCe the c0mmonest
hostile rRhts-what might be, what ought 10 be,
expected in time of peace between friendly people,
still standing natuslly in the position Of allies,
though as regards thir parties one was belliger
snt and the other . neutrslS Singular pSins seem
70 have been taken, in the above clause, TO hedge
round mail steamers with peculiar jealousy.