Arkansas true Democrat., 1861-12-12

writing Just at this time fine specimen of an Englishman rushed on deck in miii- tary or naval uniform (the officer in com mand of the mails, probably, )and demand ed why passengers on board that ship were molested Lieut.. Fairfax informed him that he had stated to Capt. Moir, Of the packet, why he arrested two of his passen- gers and further than that he had no eXpana tions to make Protests were then drawn up, and Mason and Slidell, with their sec retaries, Eusts and Mcfarland, went into the boats of the San Jacinto.
 The Boston Traveller (rop, takes dii- ferent view. It says:
 It is not probable that our government would allow d British war vessel to take an Irish rebel out of an American vessel Ill which he had taken passage from New York to San Francisco. Nithont time 10 look up any precedents, we are inclined to believe that, according to the laws of na- tions, the prisoners must be given up, amt the act of the commander of the San Ja cinto disavowed But may not the case of the Caroline be applicable to this case. The English then actually invadel our territory, and cut out an American steam l boat causing her destruction and the death of some persons, because she ha'i been en- gagel in aiding the rebels in Canada: and the British steamship that was taking Sli- dell and Mason to Europe, was engaged in helping the southern rebels VI here is the difference. The act was bold one on the part of the commander of the San jacinto, and we cannot help admiring his pluck while regretting that lie had not more prudence.
 The New York Tribune says:
 Bat hat will Great Britian say to the taking of these two would be envoys by force from one of her merchants ses>es? We do not know, ani do not greatly care, l We shall endeavor to say nothing on the 1 law of the case that may even seem calCu lated to torestall CT embarraSs the action of our government. If Great Brtian de- mands the liberation of these gentlemen, and reparation for their capture, we pro- pose to sustain such response as onr gov crnment shall see fit to make. For It IS not possible to make such demand without in substance confes> ing that the right to search American vessels for British seamen, and to take away those who are adjNdged such-whieh was the principal cause ot the war of 18l2-has no foundation in public law. If, then, the British government sees fit to confess that 1t was utterly wrong in the collisions which cngendered our last war-was wrong in every instance wherein she searched our merchant ships for those claimed as native-born citizens of the Brit ish crown--we trust our government Wlll stand ready to deal wisely and generously with the venerable penitent. She need not admit that she was wrong in particularly fragrant instances such as the attack ot the Leopard on the Chesapeake in 1908, and the burning of the Caroline at Schlos,er Gone of our docks in the Niagara river, in S36 If she is real, now to establish amt abide by any doctrine on the general subject, we trust her protlers will be received with dis tinguished consideration. But if she chooses to be satisfied with British precedents tol the case immediately in hand, she can be supplied with them to her hearts content