Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1861-12-18
w. D. WALLACH.
THE PRESS UPON THE TROUBLE With
ENGLAND.


make no general reclamatIons ag ainst the apture
Of Mason and Slidell without doing despite TO
hef own former construction OF ofinternational law,
IL Will be for our Government, should she aban
don her own "antiquatedn traditions and adopt
those which have been heretofore espoused 6v
neutral natens, to pronounce on the eIpediency
o. accepting such an i'm mpOrtant adhesion to the
great cause Of neutral rights In any event n
sRikes Us that the present case may be 90 managed
oy our government as to resalt In a valuable ac.
SIsiton 70 the law Of nations, by clearly settling
which In the present state of the civilized world
separate bellgerent and neutral rightsn
The Baltimore American says: +" So far as the
character of the question has now assumed a def
inite shape, 1t Is already beyond much chance for
change-itb b getting beyond the reach Of mere
diplomacy. The Government has other alter
native than 70 adhere to the position Il has already
assumed. In numerous ways Government and
people have fully endorsed the act Of Captain
wilkes, and the verdict will nsrer be rsrsrssd
although all Europe, with England at its head
mand 10. What may be done to qualify or
soften the matter, is yet to be seen but to offer
any humble apology, or to give mp the two trait
and abroad, need not be expected; and IL that 10
the only condition on which the nation can be
permitted to remain at peace with England why
ths sooner we enlarge our preparations for conflict
the better"
The Clipper says: % Nothing of a really ho stiIe
character has a. yet been said or done by 6 eat
Britain In reference to the Trent affair, and our
readers may rest well assured that II q war with
England should be incurred, 1t will be totally on
other grounds
The Baltimore News Sheet (secrsh) saws:
The complimentary resolutions Of the House
Of Representatives. endorsing and eulogirins .Le
act Of Capt. Wilkes. the high sanction wrrch IS
given TO that act In the port OF the Secretary Of
tn NAVY, and the popular honors with which
tn commander Of the san Jacinto has been gree
ed fnring his subsequent soilurn at Boston and
New York, all the applause that has been bestowed
uprn him oV the Adm nstra ion Journals and all
the legal acumen that has been enlisted in de-
fen~e y hS md 10 faks
from her four Of her pas'engen, but 30 many
difficulties In the way Of an amicable adjustment
Eithsr MesSrs. Mason and Slidell, and their sec
ret4riss, must now be restored to the deck Of
British ship and an apology rendered for the Of
fence alleged to have been committed, or war
with England will inevitably follow. The Sec
reGsry Of the Navy and the House Of Representa-
tivss must consent to stand s'ultined in the eyes
Of the world IL the Federal Government yield to
the demand which Lord L yons has been Instructed
20 make upon 1t. Nevertheless, there are indi-
cations which would lead one to imagine that the
Proceeding Of Capt. Wilkes will be dsavowed "
The Philadelphia Press says:-''On this sub
iect, one sentence Is as good as a hundred. II we
knewthe feeling Of the President, the Cabinet,
and the people, the required apology and ''repa-
rationr will be made-never! What Captain
Wilkes done was justified by the law Of nations,
By the law Of England, laid down by Lord
Siowell, and other Of her eminent jurists; and,
more than all, by the practice Of England Un-
der such circumstances, we hesitate not to say
that, sooner than humble the nation by Welding
TO the insolent demand Of imperious and faithless
England we shall yield to the last necessity and
battle with her on the question. We beat her on
the Sea over forty years ago, and with Just cause
and Gods help, have no fear for the result. For
the cause OF national honor, ready, as .
except the true dignity Of The nation. One sig-
nihcant feature Of the foreign news should not be
overlooked n will be seen that American secu.
rities are reported to have an upward tendency,
and that ''the rates have slightly advanced;n
while breadstufs, which had recently risen, had,
Immediately previous to the departure Of the
AAAA rIa.a tai
cations that the "solid men" Of England do not
oelievs that hostilities will break out between
the two cOuntriesn -
The PhiladeIphia inquirer says: "No,with.
standing all this bluser Of the newspap pers, we
do not believe there is any more purpose on the
part Of the English government TO rush headlong
Into war with the United states than there 10 on
our part to provoke a war with England. A con.
dicf between two such powers Is no holiday d.
version to be engaged in without reflection"
The Philadelphia Ledger is disposed to take q
ever may be the intentions Of England, It is evil
dent that her attitude 10 OF the most hostile char
acter, and We should, therefore, instantly pre-
pare 70, The Sort , Every ship In the
vessels of-war. They will be useful for home
servics IL they are not needed for foreign war
Our lake and river defenses should be at once
seen TO, and active measures taken TO put them
into the best possible condition. II Great Britain
refusSs 70 sell Us saltpetre and arms, we should
prohibit tue expectation 70 England Of bread.
stun, which she will more need than we do her
war material.n
The New York Herald says: "If England is
determined, In spite Of her code and long prac-
tice, TO make demands upon this government such
a. indicated In the London Observer, she n1xJf Of
coErss aSSED1s all ths rsSpossibilitisS Of tcar
betpssS ths fpo Nations II will not probably
enter the mind Of q single American, for a mo-
ment, even an reading the news in our columns
to-day, that Mason and Slidell will be surrendered
TO the English government"
The New York Evening Post says: owe can
2nRA 49, to fk,
have sought no foreign wars; that In our domestic
policy we have endeavored only to defend and
preserve our national Integrity; that, In our foreign
policy, 8 hr. Stewards dispatches show, we have
only cultivated peace with all nations Nothing
more candid, friendly, and magnanimous could
have been required Il any people than we have
shown towards eyerV other nation But we are
strong enough to say, at the same time, that we
shall submit TO no insolence, and particularly from
Great Britain, whose admiralty laws and prece-
dents we have carefully observed, even while she
was suffering pirstcal war vessel 10 prepare in
Der ports for the destruction Of our commerce
Rather than apologize for what Is not wrong, and
rather than surrender to freedom or q foreign
jurisdiction the men who ha We aimed their knives
al our national heart, every true American man
would see himself sunk to the bottom OF the sea
and leave the continent for the occupation Of its
women.
'tThis position we trust our Government will
assume; but We trust also that 1t will make the
The Ss.SViIIe and the Trsnt an occasion for for III.
proposal Of q com plete read djustment Of the mari
time code Of the nations"
The New York Express says:
Z" The city 10 Ia . fevef-our stock m1fket-our
Change. and the foreign exchange. fhe banks
are thinking Of what 10 best to do ditto the insu
rance ces, ditto the ship owners The bellige
rent British news is so unexpected a. 70 startle
all But there IL firm discrimination not to be
bullied, nor 10 tail our nag In any humiliaton
to Power many, most, we may now say, believe
10 be an enemy"
The New York Commercial says:
"a Asfa Al IN IN raj yri
the United States In order to spen q market and
trade with the Southern States in contempt Of
her sOvereign's solemn proteststions, an honors.
BILE way out Of this d "a Guilty viii be easily found
The New York World (Rep.) 10 also Of opinion
that Q war 10 not very probable IL says; Presi-
dent Lincoln wisely forebofe any allusien 70 the
arrest In his message 70 Congress. The Govern
ment H. 40 yet, uncommitted with reference TO 10.
ss Lord Lyons will probably, In bis first
Communication, merely recite the facts, and make
demand for suitable repsration. Our Severn
msnt will have arst committed itself 70 the posi-
tion 10 intends 70 take In Secretary Stewards 70.
ply, which will, no doubt, be well weighed and