New Orleans daily crescent. [volume] ([New Orleans, La.]) 1851-1866, 1862-01-07
Stewards Letter to Lord Lyons.

1 ;
clusion Of Secretary Seward sietter to Lord Lyons
4 regarding the Trent affair: =
4 The inadvertency consisted in departure, by a
naval officer free from any wrongful motive, from
rule uncertainty established, and probably either
/ imperfectly understood or entirely unknown by
| the several parties concerned. For this error the
British Government has Alright to expect the same
PREPARATION thatwe, an independent State, should
lexpect from Great Britain, or from any other
friendly nation in similar case. l have not been
unaware that in examining this question, l have
| fallen into an argument for what seems to be a
British side Of it against my own country; ] amre-
1 tieyed from all embarrassment on that subject.
had hardly fallen into that line Of argument when
/ discovered that was really defending and main
tanning, not exclusively British Interests, but an
| old, honored and cherished American cause not
upon British authorities but upon principles that
constitute large portion of the distinctive 1olicy
by which the United States have developed tie re-
sources of a continent, and thus become consid-
cradle maritime power, and won the respect and
confidence of many nations. These principles
were laid down for US by James Madison, in 1904,
when Secretary Of State under Jefferson, IN his in
structions to James Monroe, our then Minister to
England.
Mr.. Seward says, after quoting these instruc-
tons: If l decide this case in favor of my own
Government, must disayow its most cherished
principles; release and reverse, and forever aban-
don its essential policy. The country cannot af-
ford the sacrifice If maintain these principles
and adhere to that policy, must surrender the
case 1t will be seen, therefore, that this Govern
ment could not deny the justice Of the claim pre-
sented. Some one asked me to do the British Gov
eminent just what we always insisted all nations
ought to do to u.s. In coming to my conclusion I
have not forgotten that if the safety of this Union
required the detention of the prisoners, it would
be the right and duty of this Government to detain
them but the effectual check and waning proper
tons of this existing resurrection, as well as the
comparative unimportance of the captured persons
themselves, when dispassionately weighed, happily
forbid me from resorting to that defense. Nor am
! unaware that American citizens are in any case
to be unnecessarily surrendered for any purpose
into the safe keeping of foreign State Only the
captured persons, however, or others who are in
terested in them, could justly raise question on
that ground. 49,. -,
Itwould tell little for our claim to the character
of just and magnanimous people. if We should
so far be guided by the law of retaliation to lift
up buried injuries against national consistency and
national conscience. Putting beyond me all sug-
gestions of this kind, prefer to express my salts
faction that, by the adjustment of the present
upon principles professedy American, and yet as
trust, virtually satisfactory to both nations, is
question fully and rightly settled between them,
which, heretofore. exliausting not only all forms
of peaceful discussion but also the arbitrament of
war itself, for more than half century alien |
ated the two countries from each other, and per-
picked with fears and apprehensions all other
nations -
The four persons in question are now in military
custody at Fort Warren, in the State of Massachu-
sets. They will be cheerfully liberated. Your
receiving them. Nv
I renew the assurance of my very high consid-
Grafton. tsigned) WIN. II. SEWARD.
The following is from Lord Lyons to Mr..
Seward: 81 +-E e -.t..
WASHINGTON, Dec. ~, ls6l.-To the Hon. U1,. |
II. Searard, etc.-ST: l have this morning received
the note which you did me the honor to address to
me yesterday, in answer to Earl Russells dispatch
of November 80, relative to the removal of Mr. |
Mason. Mr.. Slidell, Mr.. Mcfarland and Mr. Eusts, |
from the British mail packet Trent. will, with.
out loss of time, forward to Her Maiesty's Govern
ment copy of the important Communication
which you have made to me. will. also, without
delay, do myself the honor to confer with you, |
personally, on the engagements to be made for de.
iiveripg the four gentlemen to me, in order that
they may agaii: be placed under the protection of
the British flag. ff516277@7
fSE have the honor to be, etc., SO
5 a5s 7645s Il. e1I1%slsl Y. LYONS.
WHAT THE INrEBLIGENcER SAYs.--The IntelE
geneer, in an article apparently emi-ofcial saws
: Whatever may be the disappointment of any at
The result to which the Administration has come I
N settling question which consttutionally de.
volved upon the Executive the Government, we
are sure that all will applaud the rmness and sin
cerity OF the Administration"
line lnteligeneer says in conclusion: "What.
ever may be said by any in the way of exception
% the extreme terms of the demands made by the
British in the of the Trent tits at least lust to
admit that the case has been so adjusted by our
Government as to subserve, we would hope, the
great cause of neutral rights against the assump.
ions heretofore asserted by England, but now re-
ondlated by that power iu common with France
and the United States The law of nations, ira
iitionally Interpreted by our Government has re-
,eVed new sanction, though at the cost of ma
ional sensbilites Weakened into disproportionate |
actlVty by the temporary vibrations of civil feuds
The latter, let US remember, are but for a day.
The law Of nations is for all time.
= |