Cleveland morning leader. [volume] (Cleveland [Ohio]) 1854-1865, 1861-12-21

rsry civily informed Capt West that he
depart With bis hip unmOleIted, but
.hst VI. BnOnsparte and BIS famIlynust re-
behind. The ship sailed without
hem. Ny informant received his informa-
lion from the Captain Of the Hercules.
December ls, 1851. r. P. s.
General Scotia Letter ,uPen ths AmeFiena
We publish below The greater part Of the
letter written at Paris by Gen. Scott upon
the Trent difficulty, which wac referred to by
telegraph.
nv DRAR SR-You were right in doubt
ing the declaration imputed 10 me, 70 wit;
that the Cabinet at Washington had given
orders to seize MessrS. Mason and slidel
even under q neutral Gag; for was not even
aware that the Government had had that
point under consideration. At the time Of
nv leaving New York It was not known
that the San Jaclnto had returned 70 the
American seas and Il was generally sup
posed that those persons had escaped 70 Cuba
for the purpose Of re-embarking In the Nash
Vile, in pursuit Of which vessel the James
Adger and other cruisers had been dispatch
ed. lhl
think 1 can satisfy you In a few words
that you have no serious occasion 70 feel con-
cerned about our relations with England, II,
as her rulers profess, she has no disposition to
encourage the discussions in America.
In the frat place it is almost su~perhuous to
say to YOU. that every instinct Of prudence
as well as good neighboFhood prompts our
government to regard no honorable sacrifice
too great for the preservation Of the friend
ship Of Great Britain. This muft be obvious
70 al the world. At no period of our histo-
~ has her friendship been Of more impor-
lance to our people-Rt no period has our
government been In q condition to perserve
L. The two nations are united By interests
and sympathies-commereial social, polid-
cal and rsligi0us-almost as the two arms to
one body, and no one Is 80 ignorant as to
know that what harms one must harm the
other in a corresponding degree.
1 am pursuaded that the British govern
ment can entertain no doubt upon this point;
but fit does I feel that l may take It upon
myself 10 say that the President of the 0ni-
ted States, when made aware of Its existence,
viii lose no opportunity Of diSpelling it.
Nor is there anything l venture to affirm,
IN the seizure Of these rebel emnissaries
which ought to receive an unfriendly con-
struction from England. Her statement viii
not question thelegal right Of an American
vessel oEEAr to search any commercial Ves-
sci Justly suspected of trsnsporting contrabsnd
of war; that right hiss never been surrendered
BY England; it was even guaranteed to her
bY the Treaty Of Paris, and Britiah guns
froWning down upon nearly every strait
and inland sea upon the globe are
conclusive evidence that she regards
this as one the efficacy Of which may
be not yet entirely extinguished. OF
course there is much that is irritating and
vsxations in the exercise of this right under
the most favorable circumstances, and it is
to be hoped the dag is not far distant when
the maratime States Of the world will agree
In placing neutral commerce beyond the
reach OF such vexations. The United States
| Government has been striving TO this end,
early in the present century and in its infancy
as & nation, it embarked in & war with the
| greatest naval power in the void; and il
Is even now q persistent sutton at every mari
time court in Europe fora more liberal rscog-
| milton of the rights Of n~eutrals than sny Of
/ the other great marstime nations have yet
been disposed to make. But till those rights
are secured By proper international guaran-
tees upon q comprehensive and enduring
basis of course England cannot complain Of
an act for which in all Its material bearings
her own naval history affords such numerous
presidents.
Whether the eaptiYes from the Trent were
c~ontraband ofwar or not is q question which
the two governments can have no serious dit
/ fculty in agreeing upon. If Mr.. Seward
cannot satisfy Earl Russell that they were,
have no doubt Earl Russell will be able to
satisfy Mr. Seward that they were not. Il
/ they were, as all authorities concur in admit.
ting, agents of the rebellion. 1t will be diff
| cult to satisfy impartial minds that they were
any less contraband than q Gle Of rebel sol
/ dlers or a battery Of hostile cannon.
But even should there be a difference Of
opinion upon this point it Is very clear that
our government had sufficient grounds Tor
presuming itself in the right 70 escape the
suspicion Of having wantOnly violated the
relations Of amity which the two countries
profess a desire to preserve and cultivate.
The pretence that We ought tohsEe taken
the Trent into port and had her condemned
by q pr.Ee court, in order to justify our seizure
Of four Of her passengers, furnishes a very
narrow basis on which to FIX q serious con-
troversy between two great nations. Stated
in other words, an ofen3e wonld have been
less if it had been greater. The wrong done
to the British flag would have been mitigs-
ted II, instead Of setting the four rebels, we
had seized the ship, detained all her passsn-
gers for weeks and con6scated her cargo
/ am not surprised that Captain Wilkes took
q different view Of his duty, and Of what
was due to the flsn6ly rslstiOns which sub
sisted between the two governments. The
renowned common sense of the English peo-
pie, / believe, will approve of his effort to
make the discharge Of a very unpleasant du-
" as little veIatlous as possible to al inno-
cent parties.
II England, as we are encouraged to hope
is disposed to do her part in stripping war
Of half its horrors by accepting the policy
long and persistently ureedupOn her by our
government and commended by every prin-
ciple Of justice and humanity, she will find
no ground, in the visit of the Trent for
controversy with our government. am
sure the President and people of the United
States would be but too happy to let these
men 60 free, unnatural and u~npardopable as
their offences have been If By Il they could
emaneipate the commerce of the world
Greatly as Il would be to our disadvantage at
this pFe5ept crisis to surrender any Of those
maritime privileges Of belligerents which are
sanctioned by tbs laws Of nations, | feel
that 7 take no responsibility in saying that
the United States will be faithful to her trs-
ditional policy upon this subject and to the
spirit Of her political institutions
On the other hand, should England be
uuprepared to make 3 corresponding sseri-
fes should she feel that she could not yet
afford to surrender the advantages which
the present maritime code gives 70 g doui-
nant naval power, Of course she viii not
put herselfiR e false position BY asking rs
to do it. In either case, therefore, lido not
see how the friendly relations of the two