Daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, Va. [W. Va.]) 1859-1865, 1861-12-25
zee plFFIcuLrY wlTH ENolANL

THE DIFFICULTY WITH ENGLAND
There has as yet been no official cores
pondence between Lord Lyons and Secre-
tAry Seward on the seizure of Mason and
Slidell. learn, on good authority, that
Lord Lyons sent an informal note to Mr..
Seward, asking if he was rendy to receive
the dispatches from the British government,
and that Mr.. Seward replied that while be
fully appreciated the Importance oft the sub
| iect, he must ask II postpouement for II
short time. On one thing you may rely, to
wit: That no official communications have
| passed between these representatives Ofthe
| United States and Great Britain on the
Trent affair.
There are two opinions held in political
circles i'll this city, and,each party claims
its own to be the correct one. They are
rs follows:
LIST. Secretary Seward declines to open
| an official correspondence with Lord Ly-
ons because be knows that the dispatches
brought to the latter by the Queens mes
sengcr are of later date than those sent
to him by n special messenger from Minis
| ter Adams II will be remem bered that the
| Europa was detnined one day at Queens
town by order of the British Government,
that the dispatches might be made up for
the British minister mt Washington. 1t is
| not likely that Mr. Adams WAS informed of
| this, or if he was, it is doubtful whether he
had the time to make out dispatches satis-
! factory to himself Of course Mr.. Seward
| is too shrewd to enter upon diplomatic
controversy involving such great interests
us the present, until he can be as well in
| formed of matters pertaining to it as Lord
Lyons. Such is the opinion that gains
credit in some political circles here
| Cd. Other circles, exceeding in number
and influence those referred to, hold that
I Mr.. Seward has forwarded instructions to
| Minister Adams to demand of the British
Government that it must give satisfactory
explanation of why the Consul General
at Havana paid the passage of Messrs. Ma
son and Slideli, when he knew they were
ambassadors from the Confederate States /,
and also why the captain of the Trent, in
the face of the Queens proclamation en-
Joining the strictest neutrality upon all her
subjects, received these gentlemen on
board his ship, when he was fully aware
THAT they were accredited from the South
ern Confederacy. Secretary Seward. they
say, has determined to have nothing to do
with the question of the seizure of these
rowing ENJOYS by Captain Wilkes, until the
point lust mentioned is settled. Indeed,
he claims, according to this opinion, that
our Government is the injured party, and
| net Great Britnin, as has been urged by
the british press and the people of the
| English nation. Wait, he says, until this
question is settled and due PREPARATION
made, and then will talk with you about
the act of Captain Wilkes.
Those who appear to be we'll posted in
the matter state positively that Mr.. Seward
has written to Minister Adams, as an.
nounced above, and that he will await his
reply before he will receive our reply TO
any official communication from Lord Ly-
ons. If this be the true state of the case,
and learn from good authority that it is,
then it reflects great credit on our Score
tary of State, and fully sustains bis we'll
earned reputation as a statesman OF the
highest order.
1t is the current belief here that Lord
Lyons has been instructed to demand OF
our governments apology forthe conduct
of Captain Wilkes, aud the restoration OF
Messrs Mason aud Slidell to the deck of n
British war vessel, basing such demands
on the fact that the gallant captain should.
by the law of nations, have taken the Trent
as prize, and have the question settled
by an admiralty court. It's said that these
4 demands will .be Couched in respectful and
moderate terms, so as not to wound our
feelings of national pride.
Il The foreign news which reached us to-
day by the steamers America and AragO,
occasions much excitement. Inc WAEllhe
preparations of England are felt to indicate
a design for war rather than for peace
The return of General Scott, too, when it
was known that he intended to spend the
winter in Southern Italy, gives rise to spec
ulation ofno pleasing kind. However, I'M
til Mr.. Seward loses his cheerful manner,
we need not indulge in too grave appre-
tensions as to the result Of the difficulty
now pending between these two great ma
items.