Green-Mountain freeman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1844-1884, 1862-02-04
Our Relations with England.

Our Relations with England
Il i not worth while to attempt to disguise
tne !act that our relations with foreign nations,
ttyugl uomlnaIly peacoiul, are yet not of the
mos, hopeful or pleasant character. 1t has very
generally been stated and credited that the
fowers, --Rus-a being the only exception among
either the trst Or second rate powers, Against
I'll" seizure OF Mason and Nlidell, was not made
~ much IA the interest Of neutral rights, as at
sae suggestion OF England It ID further be-
coming very day moreapparent that the course
u England IN the Trent affair was not pursued
" thai Government with the desire or apparent
expectation OF u peaceful issue Strange and
quite significant disclosures are now ming t.
light respecting the conduct OF the British Min
,,uy, and the British press 1t has now become
evident that Immediately after the act OF Capt.
W likes Vas known at Washington Mr.. Seward
wrote note to Minister Adams, dlstyowing the
aat, and Intimitlng hat negotiations respecting
It would be entered into 10y our Government in
tbe most friendly ,prlt aud with an carnc~t J.-
tire 10 preserve the peaceful relations between
thc two countries It is also known that this
note rclcacd Nh Adams and was read by him to
Dord John Russell very soon after the English
government got thcir i,, knowledge Of the act
81 Capt Wilkes 1t is also now known that
the British Ministry not only suppressed this
very important piece Of information, but SUI
fen ed, or directed the Morning Past regarded
IN En lhnd az lie ministerial organ 10 make
tie following statement
People whispered yesterday and then said
openly, that the American Government ha1
written to disayOw thcact Of Capt W likes, that
MIR. Lincoln was ready TO apologize, and that
The whole difficulty was settled We are sorry
% have to dlNs'pate these too-eaSlly raised lila
sots They are quite ungrounded, for, il We
are not n,islniurmcd, the dispatch IN question
Gocs not m any 'rdy raGfer0 refer 10 the 0uirggc
On nu NAL steamer. Il deals only with some
DIT the currcut business between the two Gov
eruuents
At the same time the Posi-, Timw, and KIN
dfed papers were busy circulating and comment
ing upon an absurd story Of Mr. Seward Iay-
~ threatened England in the preseace Of the
Duke OF Newcastle, aud were building upon
such s,lght foundations elaborate structures Of
tie Secretary settled hostility to England,
which had only found in the Trent affair a long
sought opportunity Of insulting the British
lag.
There is only one way t. account for this con-
duct, both OF the ministry and the press. They
had determined to bring about u war between
The two countries, and to accomplish that they
were not only ready to keep back the truth Of
She friendly dispositions OF our Government, but
we're willing to make deliberate statements Of
ahat they knew to bo false. The press were
suffered, if not instructed, to inAame the pub
JIG mind by arguments and fabricated stories,
charging Secretary Seward with settled deter
:aination 10 insult England which had taken
thspe in the act Of Capt. Wilkes when the
ministry bad in their possession the express and
uueguyoca denial OF that very act and they
honcd, unquc>tonably, by this means, and by
ihe pcrcnptory and threatening way in which
they Iemauded Mason and Slidcll, to make the
FugFordcr pill too bitter Tor us to swallow, and
thus TO drive Us by taunts, mcnaces, lies and
.n.uIts, te accept their wager OF battle.
Ne haze escaped that pit, but 1t reveals to
us a settled purpose on the part of England to
interfere in the quarrel in this country at the
inst oWortuaity. Though the prohibition OF
the export III arms and munitions of war has
been removed, w are yet told tina, the force at
TIE sreuais, aud armories, and navy wards is
not To be reduced at present and there is no
suggestion that it !. to be- reduced at all, except
at Portsmouth about the first OF April In the
neIn,llBe there is much OF the most unfrienlly
criticism 4 the a,is of our governments The
Goue block. f. IS denounced IN most unmeasurcd
terms As al -; Of hostility against the commerce
q the world and though England has been
guilty OF doing precisely similar things in her
FORMER wars, she will now lind it convenient 10
shelter herself from the force Of he, own former
example IN this matter, as she did in the affair
Of the Trent, by the highwaymsns plea that
she has formerly done many things against other
nations that she could not think of allowing
them t, do against her. The nation, alec, that
at the cannon : mouth compelled China to buy
her opium, may not lind il di:cnlt to hunt up a
wetext for opening Southern ports for III, sale