Daily Ohio statesman. [volume] (Columbus, Ohio) 1855-1870, 1861-12-29
official Correspondence ReLween
SecretnrY Sew and Lord LYOns.

Secretary Sew ard and Lord Lyons,
New YoRK, Dec. 28.-The official cores
pondence between our Government and GreaI
Britain, relative to the seizure of the traitors
Slidell and Mason, is received. The first 10 9
letter from Secretary Seward to Minister Ad-
ANS, dated November 80, in which he compli.
ments the latter for wisely speaking and act.
ing at the Lord Mayors dinner; and also
states that he told Lord PalmeIs!on simply the
fact, when informing him that the life of the in.
surrection was sustained by the hopes of its rec
0gnition by England and France, and if those
hopes ceased, the insurrection would perish In
ninety days.
He refers in the same note to the fact of the
arrest Of Slidell and Mason by Captain Wilkes,
as a new and unforeseen circumstance, which
ia to be met by the two governments, if posi-
BILE, in kindly spirits.
Lord Lyons had said nothing on the subject,
and no explanations we're furnished Minister
Adams, it being deemed prudent that the
ground taken by the British government should
| oe first made known here. But Secretary Sew.
ard deemed it proper to state that Captain
Wilkes acted without instructions, and tho sub
ject, therefore, is free from embarrassments
| which might have ensued If the act had been
specially directed. He trusts the British gov.
ernment will consider the subject in friendly
temper, and It may expect the best disposition
| on our part.
The next letter is from Earl Russell to Lord
Lyons, dated Nov. 30, which details the Trent
affair. He says; at thus appears that cer,ain
individuals have been forcibly taken from
British vessel, the chip of neutral power, on
lawful and innocent voyage; an act of viO-
lence which was an allront to the British flag
and violation of international law. Her Ma
mt ra mill On hall tk
| act was without authority, ana resulted from
Misunderstanding, as the government of the
United States must be fully aware the British
government would not allow such affront to the
| national honor to pass without full reputation;
| and the British government is unwilling to be.
leve that the United States deliberately intend.
ed unnecessarily to force discussion of SO
grave question between the two governments.
"Her Majesty's government trusts that the
government of the United States will of its
own accord offer such redress as alone could
satisfy them, viz; The liberation of the four
persons, aud their delivery to Lord Lyons, that
they may again be placed under British au-
thority; and a suitable apology for the aggres.
sion committed. Should these terms not be Of
fersd by Mr.. Seward, you will propose them to
him."
Mr.. Seward replies to Lord Lyons, by whom
stating that the dispatch had been submitted to
| the President.
Mr.. Seward states that, "The British Gov.
ernment rightly copeciured, what it Ia now my
duty to state, that Capt. Wilkes acted upon his
| own Suggestions of duty, without any direction
| or instruction, or even foreknOwledge of il on
the part of this Government. No directions had
been given him or any other naval officer to ar
| rest the four persons, or any of them, on the
Trent or any other British vessel, or any neutral
vessel there or elsewhere"
Alter discussing the whole subject at great
length on oil Its bearings, Mr.. Seward says;
"l trust have shown to the British Govern.
ment, by very simple and natural statement Of
facts, and analysis of law applicable to them,
that this Government have neither meditated
ncr practiced, nor approved any deliberate
wrong in the transactions to which they have
called It's attention, and on the contrary, that
what has happened has been simply 40 inadver-
fancy, consisting in departure by the naval
officer, free from any wrongful motive, from a
rule uncertainty established, and probably by
the several parties concerned either imperfectly
understood or entirely unknown. For this error
the British Goyernmen has right to expect the
same repsration that we, as an independent
| State, should expect from Great Britain or any
other friendly nation In similar case.
I'll have not been unaware that in examining
this questian have fallen Into % argument for
what seems to be British side OF it, against
| my own country, but l am relieved from all
embarrassment on the subject. l had hardly
fallen into that line of argument when discov.
cred that was really defending and maintain.
ing, not exclusively British interests, but Nm old
honored and cherished American cause, not up
on British authorities, but upon principles that
constitute large portion OF the distinctive pol
| icy by which the United States have developed
the resources of continent, and thus become a
considerable maratime power, and won the re.
spect and confidence Of many nations. These
principles were laid down for US by James Mad.
ison, In 1894, when Secretary of State under
| Jefferson, Ia his instructions TO James Monroe,
our then Minister to England"
Mr., Seward says, after quoting these instruc-
tions, that "If decide this case in favor of my
own government, q must disavow its most cher
ished principles, release and reverse and for
ever abandon its essential policy. The country
cannot afford the sacrifice. II maintain these
principles, and adhere to that policy, must
surrender the case itself 1t will be seen, there
| fore, that this Government could not deny the
Justice of the claim presented. We are asked
| TO do to the British nation just what we always
insisted all nations ought TO do to us. In COM
ing to my conclusion, have not forgotten that
If the safety of this Union required the deten-
tion Of the Union prisoners II would be done
It would be the right and duty of this gov
eminent to detain them, but the effectual check
to the waning proportions Of the existing insur
rection, as we'll as the comparative unim-
portance OF the captured persons themselves
when dispassonately weighed, happily forbid
me from resorting to that defense. Nor am
unaware that American citizens are not In any
case to be unnecessarily surrendered for any
purpose into the keeping of a foreign state =
Only the captured persons, however, or Others
who are Interested 10 them, could Justly raise Q