Nashville union and American. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1853-1862, 1861-12-24

parstion must be ut Rhcs demanded. In all prU6a
bility the drst stesmef viii carry out instructions
to Lord Lyons to demand reparation for the i'll ad
yised act Of seizing Mason and Slden while under
the protection Of the British Tag Should this Just
demand not be complied with, we cannot doubt
that Lord Lyons will, under the instructions
Of his Government, withdraw with the British
delegation from Washington. The Times exs
presses ths belief that the Cabinet has taken q
view of the matter which will be satisfactory
alike to the patriotism and reason of the country
The Times says the principls on which the Govern
ment rests its demand is that British ship must,
until her violation Of neutral rights is fully proved
be held 20 be British ground much as If che were
an actual piece of British SOIL and the right S pro-
lection 70 all persons on board is ss valid as on
British territory. Now no such violation has been
proved or ought to be proved agsiRst the Trent.
consequently the seizure of four PaTaoas, dragged
from her decks, was entirely illegal Referring to
the report that the seizure was the act Of the
American commander. not expressly directed BY
the Government, the Times says il means that the
Nationals had deliberately determined to seiz9 the
Southern Commissioners and it ie understood that
General Scott has declEred since his arrival ct Pa
rs that the seizure had been the subject Of Cabinet
discussion at Washington long before he lefs.
TIE American authorities might have Harn5d
the English steamer at Havana that if they took on
board the Southern eHVoys they would subject the
vessel to seizure and forfeiture in prizs court,
They made no remonstrance against taking them on
board, they were bound 70 DO, Dut secretly plans
ned the outrage, for which we now ask repaFEtion
Messrs Slidell and Mason were, at thu most, civil
servants to q hostile power, and were traEt ling
from one neutral port to another in neutral yes
sci. If the Government at Washington declares
them rebels, then the right of asylum bas been
clearly violated. The Times concludes by sdiuring
the Government and Northern people to do justice
in the matter. -s5 .-.-
The Post confirms these statements of the Times
and adds: "The demand of Lord Lyons will be
plain and BRIEF and if not complied with. all di
plomatie relations viii be at once Suspended"
According to the Times on Friday, the cabinet di
reeted Lord Russell to prepare his dispatch to Lord
Lyons on Saturday. The Ministers met again to
revise and nSly settle the terms, aud it was sent
off he same evening. al ispAtch ON Liverpool
dated December states that the latest adVices from
America by the Persia had caused tie Government
to detsin the Europa, in order that the dispatch
might be modified The Times understood that this
communication, though couched in the frmest Ian
guage. presumes that the Federal Government VIII
illegal act. The Tines confssses it has but small
hope for such disaYowal. at the date of the last
dpaehes the act of the captain Of the San Jacinto
had been accepted by the Northern public The
New York journals were urging his promotion; that
naval officer that had the spirit to board British
vessel and carry off rebels is enough to insure
storm of popularity. By the time Earl Russell's
dispatches arrive the multitude may have already
declared 70 the Government the treatment which
Captain Wilkes is 20 recslye. 1t becomes US to be
prepared for unfortunate issue in Canada Ii
Of war with the Northern States.