The New York herald., 1861-12-17

2hO hhdS Cuba and 300 boxes aud 100 bags Mania tt
rates given III another Coffee firm With sales
Of 900 bags of prime Rio al zoe. Feights steady
with = fair amount Of engagements
The Mason-Sliden Anair-Ensi iaUd and
tho United States.
The M,son,5ldel affair in England alf.ea's
to have assumed q, ,helligerent and nenacng a.
peet We cannot discover, however, in the ee-
ported opinions and ultimatum Of the law OIL
GERS of The Crown any substantial ground for
serious apprehensions Of . rupture between The
two governments. The alleged 'nnjustiiable'
proceeding Of Captain WILKES. and The imposing
declaration that i sl,nounls 10 fragrant viols-
ton Of the code Of nations, and n direct insult"
TO Great Britain. will be found to rest, when
calmly Investigated. upon convenient bue
tyhng legal technicaiity.
From the yarions reports Of ibe Englisl,
newspaper press we are somewhat embarrassed
in the effort to comprehend precisely The att-
tude assumed by her Maiesiy's govern
meat aud the real Instructions scut for
ward to Lord Lyons. The London Times
understands that this communication. "though
couched in the firmcst language, prcsumes that
the federal government will not refuse TO make
honorable reparation for an illegal act" The
London Obserrer says that thi, reparation will
require Gan apology and the restoration Of the
rebel Commissioners to the protection Of the
British flag The Morning Star declares tina.
these warlike statements are .premat,,re and
80 exaggerated as to be virtually untrue" But
whatever The facts may be, We are pointed to
"a halfway house of diplomatic rest" in the
following reiterated opinion Of the London
Times, to wit:-that ii, in ovcrha,,ling The Trent
steamer, ''any men or things believed to be
coutraband Of war had been found on board Of
her. the proper course for Captain Wilkes was
TO take her into port, and submit The question TO
the prize courts, which would. hear evidence
and arguments on both sides, and decide the
case according to precedent aud authorities"
Upon this point Mr. Welies, our
Secretary Of the Navy. in his !ate an
nuai report communicated to Congress by he
President with his Message. very broadly init
mates that Captsiu Wilkes would have been
justified in seizing the Trent AZ prize, and
that similar offences in future may expect thus
to be treated. We know, however, that Captain
Wilkes in resolving upon The course which be
pursued, was governed by the mos' ctsnmcuda-
BILE considerations of forbearance and courst-
sy; that having secsred hi4 prisoners, he ts-.
leased the Trent, and permitted her al once TO
proceed on her voyage With her passengers,
mails and specie, in order to relieve his govern
ineni from any substantial cause Of difficulty
with England, and himself from any serious
ground of complaint.
His conduct has been approved by bis GO
vernment, and applau1ed by the unanimous
public opinion of our loyal States. he is here
commended for resisting temptation which to
AL officer With less discretion would have re-
suited in much more tenable ground for Eng
lish indignation. We can imagine what would
have been the bc!ligerent excitement of Eng
land had Captain Wilkes detained the
Trent, ~ suggested by the Times He
would have been denounced ~ exceeding
all bounds Of international decorum in moi
contenting himself with the simple capture of
his prisoners. But if his offence was the re-
lease Of the Trent it can pc rsudiy settled
Let the ship be delivered over to prize court
in some neutral port for adjudication, and let
the British Cabinet await the Judgment Let
the case thus be settled, although this qualifca-
zion Of the offence by the Times gives II the
chanseobie color Of o shallow pretcxt utterly
unworthy the government Of England and her
lofty professions Of justice and moderation.
The truth is that if the British Cabinet have
been brooding upon The advantages of q war
with US, il is only by an iniexible adherence to
our maritime rights thai war can he avoided.
The evidences Of her unfriendiy disposition nave
been constantly betrayed In every stage of this
Southern rebellion Her ministry md her lead
ing journals have labored 20 their uttcrmost, in
a thousand devious ways, to uphold the sinking
cause Of Davis and his rebeitious contederaies,
aud to mlsreprcsent sad disparsge our army,
our government and ottr prosecution Of this
war There is nothing surprising in all tlis,
considering the causes, agencies and
Instruments of tis rebellion. II is the
lipcucl fui. Of that tbit, years sectional
agitation Of OH slavery question, IL which Eng