Daily Democrat and news. [volume] (Davenport, Iowa) 1859-1864, 1861-12-24
Gen. Scott.s Letter on the American
Difficulty.

had given orders TO selZe MessiS' :" ao""
and Slidell even under a neutral nag;
for was not even aware that the gov
crnmcnt had had that point under con-
sdera,ion. At the time OF my leaving
New York it was not known that the
San .Jacinto had re .urned to the Ameri-
can seas; and it was generally supposed
those persons had escaped to Cuba tor
the purpose OF re clnbalklng in the Nash
vile, in pursuit Of which vessel tie
James Adgcr and other cruisers had
been dispatched.
think ! can satisfy you in few
words that YOU have no serious occa-
sion to feel concerned about our rela-
tons with England, il, as her rulers
profess, she has no disposition to cncour-
are the dlsseusions in America.
Ia the first place, it is almost snper-
iuous to say to you that every instinct
Of prudence, as well as OF good neighbor-
hood, prompts our government to re-
card no honorable sacrifice too great
/ for the preservation OF the friendship OF
Great Britain. This must be obvious to
ali the world. AT no period Of our his
tory has her friendship been OF more
importance to our peoplc-at no period
has our government been IN condition
TO make greater concessions 10 preserve
it. Tie two nations are united ny in
tcrcsts aud sylnpathles-commcrcla,
social, political and religious almost as
the two arms to one body, and no one is
so ignorant as not to know that what
harms one must harm the other IN a
corresponding degree.
| arn persuaded that the British gov
ernment can entertain no doubt on this
point; but, if it does, feel that ! may
take 1t upon myself to say that the Pre-
sident Of the United States, when made
aware Of its existence, viii lose no OPP
portnnity of dispclIing it.
Nor is there anything, | venture to
affirm, in the seizure Of these rebel EN-
issaries which ought to receive an I'M
friendly construction from Eng and. Her
statesmen will not question the legal
right of an American vessel OF war to
search any commercial vessel Justly sus-
pcctcd Of transportating contraband Of
war; that right has never been surren-
dcred by England; it was even guaran
,eed 20 her by the treaty OF Paris, and
British guns, lrowniDg down upon near
| " every strait and inland sea upon the
| plobe, are conclusive evidence that she
regards this right as one. the efficacy OF
which may be not yet cntlrc y cXtln-
| euished. OF course there is much that
is irritating and vcXatious in The exercise
| II this right under the most favorable
| circumstances, and it is to be hoped the
dav is not far distant when the mari
time States of the world will agree III
placing neutral commerce beyond the
reach of such vcXatlOns. The United
states government has been striving to
! this end for more than fifty years; to
THIS end, early in the present century
and It's infancy as nation, 1t embarked
| IN war with the greatest naval power
III the world; and it is even now per
| .islent sutton at every maritime court III
Europe for 4 more liberal rec, nton Of
| He rights Of ncutrals than any OF the
| other great maritime nations have yet
been d posed to make. But, till those
| tights are secured by proper interna
| tlonal guarantees upon comprehensive
! and enduring basis, Of course England
cannot complain OF an act for which in
AL lis material bearings her own naval
| history affords such numerous prece-
dents.
Whether the captives from the Trent
were contraband OF war or not, is a
question which the two governments can
nave no difficulty in agreeing upon. If
Mr.. Seward cannot satisfy Earl Russell
that they were, | have no doubt Earl
Russell will be able to satisfy MIR. Sew
ard that they were not. Ii they were,
as all authorities concur in admitting,
agents of the rebellion, it will be diff
cult to satisfy impartial minds that they
were any less contraband than file Of
rebel soldiers or a battery Of hostile
cannon.
But, even should there be difference
Of opinion upon this point, it is very
clear that our Government had sufficient
grounds for prcsuning itself in the right,
to escape the suspicion of having wan
tonly violated the relations of amity
which the two countries profess a desire
TO preserve and cultivate.
The pretence that we ought to have
taken the Trent into port, and had her
condemned by prize court, in order to
justify our seizure of four Of her passen-
gers, furnishes a very narrow basis on
which to Tx serious controversy be
tween two great nations. Stated in
other words, an offence would have been
less if it had been greater. The wrong
done to the British flag would have been
mitigated if, instead of selling the four
rebels, we had seized the ship, detained
all her passengers for weeks, and con6s-
Gated her cargo. | am not surprised
that Capt. Wilkes took different view
OF his duty, and of what was due to the
friendly relations which subsisted be-
tween the two governments. The re-
nowned common sense of the English
people, believe, will approve of his et-
fort to make the discharge of a very I'M
pleasant duty as little vexatious as pos
siblc to all innocent parties.
If, under the circumstances, England
should deem it her duty, in the interest
Of civilization, to insist upOn the restor
alton of the men taken from under the
| nrc+ao{inn &c bor NaO - u,ll bo lco,,, j.,