Nashville union and American. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1853-1862, 1861-12-25
THE MASON ANDSLIDBLIa AFFAIR.
opInIons Ofthe London pre.sI
From the LordOn Telegraph, Sov.

/ Asyet we have no oflcial report upon the man.
| ner in which the Trent was boarded by the of8-
GERS Of the Federal Navy, or Of the demands which
were made upon the Eoglish ofaceE in charge Of
the mail steamer but We see that the great delicE-
cy Of the task did not check very serious Irregular
| tiles. COmmsBder Williams, the mail sgeGt thought
it necessary to record strong protest fgainst the
illegal conduct of the captOrs and 1t Is possible
/ there may be good grounds for the terms he made
use of. That Captain Wilkes and Lieutenant FAIR
| fax did nOt very clearly understand the lmti Of
| the privileges their own side Is evident from
] cne incident. After taking the Commissioners OUT
! OF the steamer and placing them on beard his
/ ovu ehip, Mr Fairfax said that be had orders 20
/ take boardaso the captain Of the
| Trent and lis papers. We need not say thst
/ any attack upon an E5g!ish subject would have
| been proceeding perfectly different from that
| which the Americans were allowed 70 accom- plIsh
with impunity, and Captain Moir perfectly under
stood the shield which protected him when he an
sWered He viii ind me on the quarter deck, and
| if be wants me he viii hsve 70 come there forme
This firm reply evidently dauntsd The daring llsu-
tenant for he Instantly desisted, and declaring that
he wanted nothing further, went his way.
The occurrence ia curious; it implies that the
American officers had intended something far be-
yond their uthority. PcrohaBcs they we're hoping
/ tOextort information, or they may have simply
wished the luxury Of donineSring over any British
friends of the South who happened to fail into their
hands Be all that IS It may, they kazZ8rded what
I they manifestly felt to be lswless attempt, shd
I when they 7Esrs visited with the Characteristic
frmness of an E0glishman standing upon his rights
| they silently submitted. Still, The Sttempt shows
! the aniraus IN which they acted Even with out
this gratuitous sscspads anGssuuing thatit should
turn out TO have been warranted By the letter Of
international Law, the aggressive act of the Federal
authorities has serious Bearing upon another
question, which Ea3 keenly discussed between the
two countries some years since, and may arse
again. 1t will be remembered that Great Britain
claimed the right of search IN order to ascertain
how far any American Tessgis were breaking the
law as it had been settled By treaty and that the
Americans not only deRied tie right, but EvoWed
their determination to resist It. In spite Of rhis &c
tive protest on their side, they have row pushed
the right of search to avery extreme point; and
the details of the transaction do not appear to nit
igate its real character. 1t must be allowed that
thus far our government has observed neutrality
absolutely rreprogchable bat that its good fatA is
not repaid either by courtesy or good feeling.
The event has aronsed in this country the strong
est feeling of indignation, "The City, very fairly
represents the public in its popular sentiments On
such subjects, IND yesterday the Exchanges Of Lon
don and Liverpool were the scenes of excitement
which has not been witnessed for = long time The
sense of anger was mingled with so expression
that such an outrage on the British flag must be
resented; and the fall Of the funds was there
sronse to the question, Will 1t be war !? No, say
we For the reasons already sta!edWe do not lOoA for
hostites as likely to,sprng from the act, taken by
itself But undoubtedly 1t has shocked the nation,
and has materially turBed the tide OF popular feel
ing against the Federal Government Nor can it
fail to impose new and sterner duties upon our own
executive. If the letter Of the law which the
Americans invoke were Figi6ly enforced against
them an important branch OF their present opera
tions would be arrested. We have
already said that the blockade OF
fhe Southern ports is wholly ineffective
But any attacks upon the vessels of friendly pow
er, pursuing friendly commerce, under the pretext
of q blockade, which is not veritably carried out
according to rule Is trespass that ought bot to be
tolerated and it TO not impossible that
if the Federal GOvernment should thus press the
letter of the law against friends well enemies,
it may find itself compelled in the same manner to
recognize the sricgest construction with regard not
only to the right sf search; but Of blockade. The
wretched blunder in which Captain Wilkes and Mr..
Fairfax were rushing the manner CT executing the
ungracious and questionable intrusion, and the
whole nature of the proceedings, teach US to be
prepared for still rRsher measures at the same
hands Those who have so indisereetly become our
assailants have betrayed q keen Jealousy of any
free constructions on our lart, while they have
summariy taken the widest license for themselves.
ANY perseverance in such course cannot, however,
be permitted Because they are unable to keep Or
der in their own States the Federalists must not be
suffered to tribe with English nterestsi and they
commit many more mistakes; the Offences may meet
with chastisemens promptaad severe. ----s-- e
--- 81 From tHs london eh-o-icis; EOrs3. 80. -
The blood Of all England VIII De rOused Dy the
latest intelligence from America The Federal au-
thorities eeuld scarcely haye acted with more law
less violence had they been mandarins of China.
Four American citizens have been dragged frCm
the shelter OF the British fag charged with pure
Nv polit.cal offence How much further is the pa,
tiepee Of this country to go? The Trent is royal
mail steamer 1t had on board har Msjesty's agent.
Ii took Messrs Sldell and Mason with their secre>
taries as passengers. It was fired upon and board
| ed BY a Federal men-ofwar; the British standard
was treated ithcoDtsmpt; and fOur persons, -un-
| der the protection of cur national ensign were
made prisoners merely because the broadside OF
the San Jscinto threatened immediate destruction
! to the Trent. We mistake our cOuntrymen Il they
win subElitto succession of these outrages.- The
! FeeeFaI Lieutenant cannot plead that be heard no
! protest Before lie COEsummated hls buccaneerlTg
| enter6rfse Comm2nd3r Williams rad sclemnly- in
voked fhe law Of nations sgsinst II IS sn Illegal
gct in violation of Observation-Disclosures act OF wan
! ton pirscyy Had there been an armament in the
! steamer. lie said, he Americans would not have
| dared 10 perpet. rate the coward,y and irsJlsnt
| crime-for CT me It was, to chaEengeil blood
between nations and insult power which, for
Years psst have treated the brsggsrts
of the North only too lenienuy. In point