New-York daily tribune. [volume] (New-York [N.Y.]) 1842-1866, 1862-01-31
LATEST PHASE OF THE THENE
DIFFICULTY.

the settled opinions of the English people, we
NAV not only change the lenses to the past in
speaking of the Trent mbroglio but We may
look to prospective term of peace of con-
siderable duration. BY the European arrivals
of yesterday we are put in possession of the
text of Lord Russell's answer to MIR. Seward;
and if we leave out Of account its indefinite
promises to bring the broad question of neutral
rights under the notice of his Government,
Lord Russelfs assurances must commend them
selves to the friends Of international peace
throughout the world. He says: 1T gives
% her Maesty's Government much satisfaction
in being enabled to arrive at conclusion
" favorable to the maintenance Of the most
{" friendly relations between the two Govern
"ments." And instead of indorsing even D.!
implication. the insane camor of the fighting
Journals of London against the Federal Govern
ment for calmly weighing its position before
answering the demand made upon it, Lord
Russell virtually approves its dehberatlve &C.
ton by complimenting Lord Lyons on the tenn
perance and discretion which he exercised in
presenting the case. Had Lord Russell and
his colleagues expected on ill-considered tele-
graphic answer this open approval OF Lord
Lyonss cautious and well-cOnsidered line of ac-
ton would hardly have appeared in the dis
patch, which is primarily intended for Mr..
Stewards perusal.
This much Lord Russell his political Chief,
and his colleagues may claim in acknowledge
inent of so much Of the ministerial action as the
dispatch from the Foreign Office unfclds. But
the public both here and in England must
still be cropping more or less in the dark as to
the reasons which prompted the concealment
of Mr.. Stewards dispatch to Mr.. Adams, which
we now for the first time learn, officially, was
received in London and read to Lord Russell
on the 10Th of December. Our readers will
learn with still more surprise that so lm-
portant a dispatch was kept so long from the
English public, when they read Lord Russells
admission that that document alone contained
all the apology which the British Government
deemed il essential TO demand. And the pOpu-
lar surprise will not be lessened by finding
that. with Lord Russell's admission before 1t,
any respectable portion Of the English press
can still persist in regarding the act of
PREPARATION as either uDgracious or incomplete.
If the British Foreign Secretary-late as
the hour is--hns the courage to proclaim to
his countryIuen that Mr.. Stewards disayowal
of Government responsibility for the Trent
seizure was officially made to him on the 10Th
| AT disaynwal
stitutes in Lord Russell's Judgment, an ample
apology for the seizure Of the rebels, the ac-
: ton of our Government on the main point at
issue is shown TO have been purely voluntary,
and we had right to expect that lar and
truthful pres, would acknowledge it as such.
Yet, instead of this acknowledgment, the
Journals more immediately identified with the
policy of the English Government refused pub
LEFTY to the pacific intelligence when 1t ar
rived, and now persistently ignore what IL
virtually an official acknowledgment of the
voluntary explanation made by Mr.. Seward
the explanaton--be it Obseryed-wbich Lord
Russell regards as a satisfactory apology.
1t is difficult to extract much satisfaction
from the temper which is disclosed in this
conflict of utterances between the English Gov
ernment and the presses which are supposed to
be in its confidence, unless we regard the hos
tile journals as scf-constltuted organs, and
accept as the true reflection of public senti-
ment in England the temperate and friendly
disposition shown by tn, News, The Star, and
the liberal press of which these are tho best
types.
1t may well be doubted whether, since this
rebellion commenced, there has not been q
superhuous anxiety here to oyerestimate the
value of that sort of public opinion abroad
which is reflected through the avowedly hostile
Journals of London And this doubt may
reasonably become stronger when we turn 70
and see how large a proportion Of these is
made up of the mere opinions Of impairment
and ill-disposed writers, TO the exclusion at
once of facts, and often OF the ju1ici0us
comments even Of friendly critics. But even
in the kilograms we publish IN other columns
to-day, the public is treated to nauseatlng
doses of Tie TimeSs philosophy; aid 80 I'M
portant an element in the settlement Of human
affairs has the letter-writng Of Mr.. William
Russell apparently become, that we are advised
by dispatch from Portland, four hundred mile.
away, that " Mr.. Russell notices an extraor.
:. binary Iack of ordinary political common
"sonse in American journals" II this is in-
tended as a specimen of telegraphic humor, it
is doubtful whether it is worth paying for; and