Rutland weekly herald. [volume] (Rutland, Vt.) 1859-1877, 1861-12-26
THE TRENT CASE.

The affair of the Trent and the probable
tiles of a war with England for the time oc-
cupy the attention OF the people to the exclu-
sion of all other subjects, The prevailing
tone of the press is that at the present unfor-
tunate juncture, when a great civil inourrec-
ton and rebellion exists in the United States.
war with England should he avoided if pos
sible. or at least postponed.
1t is no insignificant indication Of what
may possibly result, that some of the leading
metropolitan journals are discussing the pro-
priety Of even delivering up Mason and Sill
dell to Great Britain, should that step become
necessary to avoid collision with the mistress
of the ocean. The New York Herald, which
has long talked belgerently towards Eng
land. Is ALREADY committed TO this policy. and
the World, Times and Tribune have not dis
tInctly repudiated it, though the belief is ex-
pressed by the latter Journals that such a
humiliatina necessity will not be imposed up
on Us. as The result 0, he pending negota-
tons.
1t appears. too IN the progress OF the dis
cussion OF the affair OF the capture Of the
rebel commissioners, the legal minds Of our
own country are not unanimously on the side
Of the regularity Of the proceedings of Capt.
Wilkes. \ legal writer IN the Boston Post
takes the ground that Capt. Wilkes was
wrong, and that our government cannot JUS
says:
1T was assuming that boats crew might
adjudicate upon the quarter deck of a neu-
trail, whether her passengers or cargo were
contraband. Establish this as sea right,
and in time of war between England and
any other power, her midshipmen are made
Judges of admiralty to board American YES
sells and take out passengers or cargo at their
sole will and pleasure Are we ready TO
submit to that? Will we accept such prec-
edent for our flag? This is the real difficult
ty of the Trent case IN iimjne. Not the right
of search, not the liability to condemnation,
but the seizure of persons from neutral YES
sci on the seas. Ii we could get over that
and get the Trent nito court, We should be
all right. But as that cannot be done now,
is it not the bold, manly part for the Presi-
dent aud Secretary to admit that the process
was wrong and at variance with all our own
long cherished views of neutral rights, and
having set ourselves right there, without as
suming false position, then do!what is fair
and just in adjusting the matter with honor
to both nations"
Those who advocate the surrender of Ma |
son and Slideli in case England should de- |
mand it, in order to avoid war with her, |
say we will pay the British for taking this
cowardly advantage of us, after we have sub
dued the rebellion. Mr.. Forney of the Phil
adelphia Press takes this view, and says:
''lf we do concede the demands OF Eng
land, however. it will only be because we de-
sire to crush this rebellion-as duty we
owe to mankind 1t will be because we pre-
fer to master the greater evil, and do not
wish to be alienated from our duty by an in
ternational and comparatively unilnportant
quarrel; it will be because we prefer nation
al salvation to the qualification of any feel
ing of national pride. 1t will be great act
of self denial. But when we come from this
rebellion, it will be with a magnificent army,
educated and organized and with the sense
OF this wrong weighing upon them. 1t will
be with navy competent to meet any navy
upon the globe. 1t will be for us, then. to
remember how England twas our enemy in