East Saginaw courier. (East Saginaw, Mich.) 1859-18??, 1861-12-31

10 wit: That the Cabiu -
ton bad given orders o
Mason and Slidell, even i
flag, for | was not evoh he Z
Government had had that-N7f'it even
under consideration. At the time OF my
leaving New York it was not knewn that
the San Jacinto had returned to the
American seas; and it was generally
supposed those persons had escaped to
Cuba for the purpose of re-embarking IN
tho Nashville, in pursuit OF wneh vessel
tho James Adgor and other cruisers had
been dispatched.
I think | can satisfy you in few
words that you have no serious occasion
60 feel concerned about our relations with
England, if, as her rulers profess, she has
no disposition to encourage tho disson-
sions in America.
In the first place it is almost superllu-
Gus 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
eminent been in condition to make
greater concessions to preserve it. The
two nauons arc uuitod by interests and
sympathios commercial, social, political
and religious, almost as the two arms to
one body, and no one is so ignorant az
not TO know that what harms one must
harm the other in q corresponding de
gree.
am persuaded that the British Gov
eminent can entertain no doubt upon this
point, but if il does, l feel that may
take it upon myself to say that the Pres
ident of tho United States, when made
aware of its existence, will lose no OPP
portunity Of dispelling it.
Nor is there anything, | venture to af
firm, in the seizure Of these rebel emissa-
ries which ought to receive an uniiriendly
construction from England. Her states
men will not question tho legal right Of
an American vessel of war to search any
commercial vessel justly suspected of
transporting contraband of war; that
right has never been surrendered by
England; it was even guaranteed to her
by the treaty Of Paris, and British guns
frowning down upon nearly every strait
and inland sea upon the glade, are con-
elusive evidence that she regards this
right as one, the efficacy Of which may
be not yet entirely exhausted. OF course
there is much that is irritating and vexa'
tious in the exercise Of this right under
the most favorable circumstances, and il
is to DO hoped the day is not far distant
when the maratime States of the world
will agree in placing neutral commerce
beyond tho reach of such vexations.--
The United States Government has beer
striving to this end for moro than fifty
years; to this end, early in tho preson
century and its infancy as nation, j
embarked in war with the greatest IA
val power in tho world, aud il is ever
now persistent sutton at every maratim
Court in Europe for more liberal rec
ignition Of the rights of noutrals ;hal
any of the other great maratime nation
have yet been disposed to mako. .Bu
until these rights arc secured by prope
international guarantees upon oompre
hensive and enduring basis, of cours
England cannot complain Of an act 70
which in all its material bearing her owl
naval history affords such numerous pre-
cedents.
Whether tho captives from the Tren
were contraband of war or not, is ques
ton which the two Governments caI
have no serious difficulty in agreeing
upon. If Mr.. Seward cannot satisfy Ear
Russell that they were, have no doub
Earl Russell will be able to satisfy MI
Seward that they were not If the
were, as all authorities concur in admit
ting, agents Of tho rebellion, it will b
difficult to satisfy impartial minds tina
they were any less contraband than fill
of rebel soldiers or battery Of hostil
cannon.
But even should there be diiferonc
Of opinion upon this point, il is worry clca
shat our Government had suilicior
grounds for presuming itself in the RICH
TO escape the suspicion of having wal
tonly violated tho relations of amt
which the two countries profess desr
to preserve and cultivate.
The pretenoe that we ought 10 hav
taken the Trent into port, ami had lac
condemned by Prize Court, in order {
justify our seizure Of four of her passeI
gers, furnishes a very narrow basis o
which to fix serious controversy b,
tween two great nations. Stated in 9th,
words, an ofloncc would have been less
it had been greater. The wrong done I
the British flag would have been nit
gated if, instead of selling the four rel
els, we had seized the ship, detaine a
her passengers for weeks, and confscatc
her caago. am not surprised that Cal
Wilkes took different view of his dul,
and Of what was due to the friendly rcls
tions which subsisted between the tw
Governments. The renowned commo
sense Of tho English people, believ,
will approve Of lis effort to mako IL
discharge of a very unpleasant duty
little vexatious as possible to all innocel
parties.
If, under these circumstances, Englan
should deem it her duty, in the Interest
Of civilization, TO insist upon the restor,
tion of the men taken from under I'll
vrofoof,oo of bor na,, - ,,;l1 10 r.o,.,