Charles City Republican intelligencer. [volume] (Charles City, Iowa) 1861-1864, 1862-01-09
Charles City, Iowa, January 8, 1862.
Mason and Slilell.
TIE OFFICIAL CORRESPONDENCE.

es the official correspondence between
the United States and England on the
Mason.Slidell question. This cores.
pondence is very voluminous, and we
are therefore compelled to give brief
resume only Of some of the letters,
and an extract or two from the lengthy
and very able letter with which Sec.
rotary Seward concludes the cores.
pondencc.
The first is a letter from Secretary
Seward to Minister Adams, dated No.
vember 30th, in which he compliments
The latter for wisely speaking and act.
ing at the Lord Mayors dinner, and
also states he told Lord Palmerston
simply the fact, when informing him
the life of the instruction was sus-
tanned by the hopes of is recognition
by England and France, and if those
hopes ceased, the instruction would
perish in ninety days. He repeats in
the same note the facts of the arrest
of Slidell and Mason by Captain
Wilkes, as a new aud unforeseen cir
cumstance, which is to he met by the
two Governments, if possible, in kind
Iy spirits.
The letter from Earl Russell to Lord
Lyons, dated November 30th, details
the Trent affair. He says it thus APP
pears certain individuals have been
forcibly taken from British vessel,
and the ship of neutral power, on a
lawful and innocent voyage, and an
act of violence which was an affront
to the British flag, and violation of
international law. Her Majcsty's
government is willing to believe that
the act was without authority, and re-
suited from a misunderstanding, as
the government Of the United States
must be fully aware that the British
government would not allow such af-
front to the national honor to pass
without full reparation, and the Brit
ish government is unwilling to believe
that the United States deliberately in
tended unnecessarily to force the dis
cussion of SO grave question be-
tween the two governments. Her
Majcsty's government trusts that the
government of the United States will
of its own accord offer such redress
as alone could satisfy them, viz The
liberation of the four persons and their
delivery to Lord Lyons, that they may
again be placed under British author
ity, and suitable apology for the ag-
grcssion committed. Should these
terms not be offered 10y Mr.. Seward,
you will propose them to him.
Mr. Seward replies to Lord Lyons,
by whom he was furnished copy of
Earl RusselFs letter, stating the des-
patch had been submitted to the Pres
ident. Mr.. Seward states that the
British government rightly conjectur-
cd what it is now his duty to state,
that Capt. Wilkes acted upon his own
suggestions of duty without any di-
rections or instructions, or even fore
knowledge of it, on the part of this
government. No directions had been
given him or any other officer, to ar
rest the four persons or any of them
on the Trent, or any other British YES
sci, or any neutral vessels, there or
elsewhere. After discussing the whole
question at great length in all its
bearings, Mr.. Seward says:
81 trust have shown to the salts
faction of the British Government by
very simple and rational statement
of facts and analysis of law applica-
BILE to them, that this government has
neither meditated, nor practiced, nor
approved any deliberate wrong in the
transactions to which they have called
its attention, and on the contrary, that
what has happened has been simply |
an in advertency, consisting in a de-
parturc by a naval officer, free from
any wrongful motive, from rule un-
certainly established, and probably by
the several parties concerned, either
imperfcctly understood or entirely un-
known. For this error the British
Government has right to expect the
same reparation as we, as an indepen-
dent State, should expect from Great
Britain, or any other friendly nation
in similar case. have not been
unaware that in examining this qucs-
tion l have fallen into an argument
for what seems to be British side of
it, against my own country, but l am
relieved from all embarrassment on
that subject. l had hardly fallen into
that line of argument when ! discov-
cred that was really defending and
maintaining, not exclusively British
interests, but an old honorcd and cher.
ished American cause-not upon Brit
ish authorities, but upon principles
that constitute a large portion of the
distinctive policy 10y Which the United
States have developed the resources
Of continent and thus become con-
siderable 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 instructions to James
Monroe, our then Minister to England.
Mr.. Seward says. after quoting these
instructions
eff decide this case in favor of my
own Government must disavow its
most cherished principles, release and
reverse and forever abandon it's essen
tial policy, which the country cannot
afford 10 sacrifice. If maintain these
principles and adhere to that policy !
mnst surrender the case itself II