East Saginaw courier. (East Saginaw, Mich.) 1859-18??, 1861-12-31
Release OF MASON nnd slider.

The official correspondence between
our Government and Great Britain, rel.
ative to the seizure of the traitors Sli.
dell and Mason, is received. The first
is a letter from Secretary Seward to
Minister Adams, dated Nov. 30th, in
which he compliments tho latter for
wisely speaking and acting at the Lord
Mayors dinner; and also states he told
Lord Palmerston simply the fact, when
informing him that the life of the insur,
rection was sustained by the hope of its
recognition by .}snglana and France,
and if the hopes ceased, the insurrection
would perish in ninety days, He refers
in the same note to the fact Of the arrest
of Mason and slidell by Capt. Wilkes
as new and Unforeseen circumstance,
+, "cn "'nicn is to be met by the two govern,
ments, if possible, in kindly spirit
Lord Lyons had said nothing on the
subject, and no explanations were fur.
dished to Minister Adams, it being
deemed prudent that the ground taken
by the British Government should be
first made known here, and discussion
be had here, but Secretary Seward
deemed it proper to state that Captain
Wilkes acted without instructions, and
the subject, therefore, is free from en-
barrassments which might have ensued
if the act had been specially directed.
He trusts the British Government will
consider the subject in friendly TEN
per, and it may expect the best disposi-
tion on our part.
The next letter is from Earl Russell
to Lord Lyons; dated Nov. Goth, which
details tho Trent affair. He says 1t
thus appears that certain individuals
have been forcibly taken from British
vessel, the ship of neutral power, on a
lawful and innocent voyage, an act OF
violence which was az affront to the
British flag, and violation Of interna.
tional law. Her MaJesty's Government
are to believe the act was without au.
thority, and resulted from misuuder.
standing, as the Government of the
United States must bo fully aware ,h ,iie
British Government would not allow
such affront 10 the national honor pass
without full reparation, and the British
government, unwilling to believe that
the United States deliberately intended
unnecessarily to force a discussion of so
grave question between tho two Gov
ernments, her Majesty's Government
trusts that the government ofthe United
States will, of its own accord, offer such
redress as alone could satisfy them, viz
the liberation of the four persons and
their delivery to Lord Lyons, that thoy
may again DO placed under British au-
thority, and suitable apology for the
aggression committed. Should these
terms not be offered by Mr.. Seward,
you will propose them to him.
Mr. Seward replies to Lord Lyons,
by whom he was furnished copy of
Earl Russells letter, stating that the
dispatch has been submitted to tho
President. Mr.. Seward states that the
British Government rightly conjectured
what is now my duty to state, that
Capt. Wilkes acted upon his own sug.
gestion of duty, without any direction
or instruction, or even foreknowledge OF
| it by tho Government. No directions
had been given him OF any other naval
officer to arrest the four persons, or any
of them, on the Trent, or any other
British vessel, or any neutral vessel
there or elsewhere. After discussing
the whole subject at great length in all
it's bearings, Mr.. Seward says: ''I trust
have shown to tho satisfaction of the
British government, by very simple
and natural statement Of facts, and aualy
sis of law applicable to them, that this
Government have neither mcditated nor
practiced, nor approved any deliberate
wrong in the transactions to which they
have called its attention, and ON the
contrary, that what has happened has
been simply an inadvertency, concelvlns
in departure, by the naval officer, free
from any wrongful motive, from rul,
uncertainty established, and probably
by the several parties concerned either
inperfectly understood or entirely un
known. For this error tho British
Government has right to expect th'
same reparation that we, as an indie
pendent State, should expect from
Great Britain, or from any othe
friendly nation in a similar case. | have
not been unaware that in examining th'
question have fallen into an argumen
: for what seems to be British side off
, against my own country, but am re
lieved from all embarrassment on tha
subject. Ihad hardly fallen into tha
line of argument, when / discovered
that l was really defending and main
tanning, not exclusively British interests
, but an old, honorcd, and cherishe'
D American cause, not upon British au
I thorities, but upon principles that cor
stitute a large portion of the distinctly
policy by which the United States hav
8 developed the resources of continent
e aud this became considerable mars
, time power, and won the respect an
: confidence of many nations. Thes
principles were laid down for US by la
Madison, in 1904, when Secretary {
State under Jefferson, in his instruction
:, to James Monroe, our then Minister
: England.
!, Mr.. Seward says, sfter quoting tbss
y instructions, that, "lf decide this cas-
in favor of my Government, must di
...<s,,, "a p,oot cherishod tncir,lea r,