Orleans independent standard. [volume] (Irasburgh, Vt.) 1856-1871, 1861-12-27
General SCOTS Letter.

scott on tue ItilN dlldll1 NilCu ueeo bCC
published in the Paris papers
Mn Dear Sir: You were right j
doubling the declaration imputed to mt
to witt that the cabinet at Washingto
had given orders to seize Messrs. Maso
and Slidell, even under neutral flag
for was not even aware that the gov
eminent had that point under considera
tiou. AT the time Of my leaving New
York it was not known that the San ia
cinto had returned to the American seas
and it was generally supposed those per
sons had escaped to Cuba for the Pur
pose of re-embarking in the Nashville
in pursuit of which vessel the james
Adger and other cruisers had been dis
patched. | think can satisfy you in {
few words, that you have no serious oc
casion to feel concerned about our rela
tions with England, If, as her rulers pro.
fess, she has no disposition to encourage
dssensions in America.
In the first place, it is almost super
huous to say to you that every instinct of
prudence, as well as Of good neighbor-
hood, prompts our government to regard
no honorable sacrifice too great for the
preservation of the friendship of Great
Britain. This must be obvious to all the
world. At no period Of our history has
her friendship been Of more importance
to our people at no period has our gov
erument been in a condition to make
greater concessions to preseye it. The
two nations are united by interests and
sympathies--commercial, 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.
am persuaded that the British Govern
ment can entertain no doubt upon this
point but il it does, feel that | may
take it upon myself to say that the Pres
ident of the United States, when made
Svare Of It's existence, will lose no OPP
portunity Of dispelIing it.
Nor is there anything, I venture to
affirm, in the seizure OF these rebel en-
isssries, which ought to receive an IN
friendly construction from England.
Her Statesmen will not question The legal
right of an American vessel Of war to
search any commercial vessel justly .us-
pecied Of Transporting contraband Of wsr;
that right has never been surrendered by I.
England. 1t was even guaranteed TO
her by the treaty Of Paris; and British .
guns, frowning down upon nearly every
strait and inland sea upon the globe, are
conclusive evidence that she regards this
right as one, the efficacy Of which may
not yet be entirely exhausted,
OF course, there is much that is irri-
tating and vcxatious in the exercise Of
this right under the most favorable cir
cumstances and it is to be hoped the Il
day is not far distant when the maritime
states of the world will agree in placing
neutral commerce beyond the reach Of
such vexatons. The United States
government has been striving to this end
for more than fifty years. To this end,
early in the present century and in its
infancy as a nation, It embarked in a
war with the greatest naval power in the {
world and il is even now persistent
suitor at every maratme court in Europe {
Tor \ more liberal recognition of the
rights of neutrals than any other Of the /
great maritime nations have yet been F..
disposed to make; but till those rights /
are secured by proper international
guarantees, upon comprehensive and !
enduring basis, of course England can t
not complain of an act for which, in all t
its material bearings, her own naval his
tory affords such numerous precedents. 5
Whether the captiyes from the Trent )
we're contraband of war or not, is I
question which the two governments can
have no serious difficulty il agreeing up q
on. II Mr.. Seward cannot satisfy Earl t
Russell that they were, | have no doubt
hat Earl Russell will be able to satisfy
Mr.. Seward that they were not. II they
we're, as all authorities concur in admit
ing, agents of the rebellion, it will ,be
lifficult to satisfy impartial Judges that Il
hey we're any less contraband than a file
If rebel soldiers, for n battery of hostile
,annen. \
But even should there be difference N
If opinion upon this point, it is very
lear that our government had sufficient
grounds for presumng itself in the right I
o escape the suspicion of having wan "
only violated the relations of amity
which the two countries profess 4 desire =
o preserve and cultivate. 1
The pretense that we ought to have o.