New-York daily tribune. [volume] (New-York [N.Y.]) 1842-1866, 1861-12-13
the force Of these high authorities BY such
IL fila.

But II must be remembered that thee decisions were
given under circumstanc.. very different from those which
Steamers IN those days did not exist and mail
vessels Carrying letters wherein all the nations Of the world
have immediate Interest were unknown We rere f9hffn0
zenes and did 10 thos. days what should neither
allow others to expect ourseesto De allowed
to do, In these days"
-" Fighting for existence" were you,
Messieursl That is our case exactly. The
parallel runs on all fonrs. We thank you for
mentioning the circumstance which renders the
analogy so perfect
The question is not, we beg to remind The
Times, whether Great Britain did or did not
commit and justify attractions of neutral rights
during her great wars with France under
Napoleon-we all know that she debut
whether those exceptional and offensive acts,
whereof this country justly complained, were
at all akin to this. We maintain that they
were not-that her impressment Of our seamen
and kindred outrages were not justified by any
code of international law, Dor even by the de.
cisons of her own eminent jurists. But the
search by belligerents of neutral merchant
vessels for contraband Of war, and the recog-
milton of officers and dispatches as bearing this
character, are not exceptional and only to be
ins:,ified by an urgent necessity. On the con-
trary, they are affirmed by the very highest
authorities Of both countries, on grounds OF
UNIVERSAL and permanent applicability. The
great fundamental principles that NeHtrats must
not help either beligesat-that, by doing so,
hey render themselves liable to seizure and
confscation-thst the agents Of belhgerent at
seq on the business of that belgerent are liable
10 seizure on the vessel of neutral (as they
wonld not be on the soil Of that neutra), are
affirmed by the highest British authorities as
obvious canons of international law--as deduc-
tons from premises which cannot fail TIL
E" nations shall learn war no more"
TIE last and poorest bubble OF The Times
is very old one: "You ought to have gone
-" further or not so far" II the Trent could
be boarded aud her passengers arrested at all,
she should have been captured outright and
brought to NewYork for adjudication. We do
not doubt that she might lawfully have been
30 ChptuItui Uus Nnru NO coheh"'i NV H""y
innocent persons must have suffered from such
a diversion OF her mails and passengers, her
cargo and specie We think Com. Wilkes did
exactly right Had he brought the Trent into
New-York, The Times would have moved the
stones of London to indignation by its denun-
Citations of this needless inhcton of suffering
and loss on innocent parties-this strainng OF
The rights of war beyond the bounds OF neces-
sity or reason. Not is best as it IL.
OF course, the Confederate emissaries and
sympathizers in Europe will make tue most Of
this affair, though their essay at an Indignation
meeting in Liverpool was deplOrable failure.
The Times suggests that Messrs. Mason aud
Sldell plead more foreibIy for the rebel cause
in Fort Warren than they could do ia Europe.
OF course, then, they will be happy 10 remain
where they are so seryiceabe; aud, since re
ike that arrangement, and Great Britain
clearly cannot consistently object 10 it, let ia
all settle down in quie. and harmony. We as
sure the British press and public that our
countrymen have no wish 10 annoy, much less
to quarrel with, our hnsmen over the water,
and that we shall gladly avoid oil causes OF
future irritation. Ard this end is TO be
achieved, we venture 10 suggest, by adherence
on both sides to the mutually recognized prin
ciples Of international law.