Cincinnati daily press. [volume] (Cincinnati [Ohio]) 1860-1862, 1861-12-30

street to-day.
The Relehse of nInsOn and SiideII
The giving up of the rebel commissioners
to the authorities of Great Britain has been
the principal topic of conversation for forty.
eight hours past. The opinion was enter
tanned by many that unless our Government
acceded to the demands of England, and sur,
rendered Mason and Slidell, that war with
that country was inevitable. Now that the
English demand for the release of the rebels
has been acceded to, it remains to be seen
whether that act is likely to prevent war
with that power. This pretext being re.
moved, we doubt not but il will be replaced
by another, if Great Britain really desires to
6ght us, as many believe she does. That
she has conducted herself from the begin.
ming of our difficulties with the South, in
mcst unfriendly spirit, that she has aided the
rebels in almost every way short of actual
hostiliiies, we suppose her apologists will
hardly venture to deny.
This admits of clear demonstration by the
recapitulation of few acts of the British
Government since the breaking out of the
rebellion in this country. That Government
while the Minister appointed by Mr.. Lin
coins Administration! was on his way to
London, made haste to declare the rebellion
a belligeTent power, and to concede to it all
the rights of belligeren;s. This proceeding,
which was as gross an interference in our
domestic difficulties as if the United States
ho1
insuIlection in the Euglish county of Corn
wall, was received here with deep resent
mept; but the British Government seems to
have cared very little for the impression it
made on us, and followed it up by other acts
of like character. Mr. Bunch, recognized
by our Government as the British Consul at
Charleston, employed Mr.. Trescot, OF South
Carolina, a well known Secessionist to treat
with Jefferson Davis, as the head Of the
Confederate Government. The proofs of this
having come to the hands of our Govern.
ment Mr.. Adams, our Minister at London,
wrote to Earl Russell, demanding the re-
moval of Bunch from his post. Earl Russell
answered on the oh of the same month, that
whatever Mr.. Bunch had dore was done by
the order of the British Government, and
declined to remove him. Our Secretary of
State Immediately afterwsrd withdrew Mr..
Bunchs extqU0tUr-the instrument recogniz.
ing him as Consul
The conduct of the British Consul at
Havana, the principal representative of the
British Government in the island of Cuba,
was of a like hostile nature. He procured
and paid for the passage of the rebel Com
missoners on board of the steamer Trent
knowing their errand, and we are yet to see
whether he will be dismissed from his post
for that violation of the obligations of neu.
trality.
But the most remarkable indication of
hostility on the part of the British Govern.
ment is yet to be related. In August last
cur Minister, Mr.. Adams, acting under in
structioDs from Mr.. Seward, had, after va
rious delays and difficulties, negotiated a
Convention with Great Britain, stipulating
that privateering should be abolished, and
that the goods of private persons, non.com.
batants, should be exempt from capture on
the seas by vessels of war, adding other
stipulations for the protection of neutral
commerce against seizures on the ocean.
When this instrument was ready for signing,
Earl Russell insisted on annexing to it a
declaration which should exempt from the
operation of the treaty the privateers of the
Confederate States We give it here;
In sfixing his signature to the convention
OF this day, between Her Majesty the Queen
OF Great Britain and Ireland and the United
States OF America, the Earl Russell declares,
by order of Her Majesty, that Her Majesty
does not intend thereby 10 undertake auy
engagement which shall have auy bearing
direct or Indirect, on the internal differences
now prevailing in the United States.
Of course Mr.. Adams could not consent to
take the convention thus mutilated, with an
exception 10 its provisions so important and
capable of so wide a construction. He de
cllned to allow the rebel privateers the free
range which Earl Russell desired to secure
for them, and the convention was never
signed.
The history of Mr. Bunch's official commu-
nication in behalf of the British Ministry to
the Government of JEFF Davis, aud that OF
the Convention, never signed, which was to
abolish privateeripg and protect from seizure
an enemy's goods under a neutral flag aud
neutral goods under an enemy's flag, may be
read in the volume of Papas Relating to
Foreign Affairs which were laid before Con-
gress along with Mr.. Lincoln's Annual Mes
cage, at the opening of the present session OF
Congress. Those who look over these pa.
pers can not fail to be struck with the pacific
and coneiliatory tone in which all the in
structions of our State Department to its
foreign Ministers are drawn up.
The British press, in this unfriendIy treat
ment of our country, has co. operated with
the British Government from the very be.
ginning of cur domestic troubles. The or
gaps OF the party in power and those of the
opposition have alike favored the cause OF
the South, and when we obtained possession
of the persons of two of the principal agents
of rebellion, found on board of British
steamer, most of their journals passed from
mere ill-Datured remark and misrepresenta-
tion to strain Of vulgar insolence toward
US, and an attempt to infame the entire
country with mad eagerness to rush into a
war with the United States.
Weshall await with no little 'impatience"
to hear from the "Thunderer," as well as the