The weekly pioneer and Democrat. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn. Territory) 1855-1865, 1861-12-27

- At, under these circumstances, England
should deem it her duty, in the Interest of
civilization, to insist upon the restoration OF
the men taken from under the protection
of her flag, it will be from a conviction,
without doubt, that the law Of nations in
regard to the rights of neutrals, which she
/ has taken the leading part in establishing,
requires revision, and with q suitable dis.
position on her part to establish those rights
oon ajust, humane and philosophic basis.
Indeed ] am happy to see an intimation in
one Of the leading metropolitan journals,
which goes far to justify this inference
Rdterring to the decisions of the English
Admiralty Courts, now quoted in defence
OF the, seizure of the American rebels on
board the Trent, the London Times OF
November %, says:
= So tar as the authorities go, the testl-
mopy Of international law-writers is all one
way, that belligerent war cruiser has the
right to stop and visit and search any mer
chant ship on the high seas. But it
must be remembered that these decisions
were given under circumstances very differ
ent fromlthat which now occur. Steamers
in those days did not exist, and mail vessel
carrying letters wherein all the nations of
the world have immediate interest, were
unknown. We we're fighting for existence,
and we did in those days what we should
neither do nor allow others to do, nor ex-
pect to be allowed to do ourselves in these
days."
If England, as we are here encouraged to
hope, is disposed to do her part in stripping
war OF half its horrors by accepting the
policy long and persistently urged upon her
by our Government, and commended by
every principle of justice and humanity, she
will find no ground, 10 the visit of the Trent,
for controversy with our fGovernment. l
am sure the President and people of the
United States would be but too happy to
let these men 60 free, unnatural and unpar.
donabe as their ordinances have been, if by
it they can emancipate the commerce of the
world. Greatly as it would be to our dis.
advantage at the present crisis to surrender
any of those maritime privileges of bellige-
rents which, sanctioned by the law of ma
tions, I feel that take no responsibility in
saying that the United States will be faith
full to her traditional policy upon this SUBJ
ject, and to the spirit Of her political inssi-
tutions.
On the other hand, should England be un-
prepared to make corresponding sacrifice;
should she feel that she could not yet afford
to surrender the advantages which the pres
ent maritime code gives to dominant naval
power, of course she will not put herself in
a false position by asking us to do it. In
either case, therefore, l do not see how the
friendly relations of the two Governments
are in any immediate danger of being dis
turbed.
That the over. er.prompt recognition as bel
ligerents, of body OF men, however large,
so long as they constituted manifest mi
nority of the nation, wounded the feelings
of my countrymen deeply, will not affect
to deny, nor that that act, with some of its
logical consequences which have already
occurred, has planted in the breasts of many
the suspicion that their kindred in England
wish them evil rather than good but the
statesmen to whom the political interests of
these two great people are con6ded, act
upon higher responsibilities and with better
lights, and you may rest assured that an
ev;nt so mutually disastrous as war be-
tween England and America, cannot occur
without some other and graver provocation
than has yet oeen given by either nation.
WINFIELD SCOTT.
Hotel Westminster, Paris, Dec. O. 1861.