The weekly Ottumwa courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1857-1872, 1862-01-01

up the second flight Of stone steps to the
door, placed my hand on the mob all as
A Lincoln has done il thousand times, and
then - halted, faced about and fancied
myself Old Abe. mot very strange fancy
ei,her,) and recolccting his good looks and
mine too, wondered if ever should be
President? AL this done myself Making
a flank movement advanced upon sweet
briar bush and after some short sword OK.
ercise, l secured a handsome sprig, and
'retiredin good order" After the war is
over I intend to visit the President, present
my claims and ask some promotion for
Unlocking over the above hastv scrawl,
I find the personal pronoun occurring fire..
quently enough for you to determine who is
addressing you, even if continue the old
ineog. ofthe PEouAwKET BoY.
Correspondence about the Trent
20 &lha'aH Affair. a'
New York. Dec 28-The offtciaf CORES.
pondence between our Government and
Great Britain, relative to the arrest of Mason
and Slidell, is received. The first letter is
from Secretary Seward to Minister Adams,
dated November 30'h, in Which he co,npll
nents the latter for wisely speaking and act.
ingat the Lord Mayors Dinner, and also
states that he told Lord PalmerSton simn!y
the fact when informing him The life of the
resurrection was sustained by the hopes OF
recognition by England and France, and If
those hopes ceased the insurrccti6n would
perish in ninety days lie refers in the
same note to the fact OF the arrest Of Slidell
| and Mason by Capt. Wilkes as new and
| unforeseen circumstance, which is to be met
hv the two Governments, IT pnss'ble, in
kindly spirit. Lord Lyons had said nothing
on the SUBJECT. Explanations We're furnish
ed to Minister Adams. it being deemed pru.
duent that the ground taken by The British
Government should be first made known
here and discussion lie had here, bnt Secrc,.
tary Seward deemed it proper to state that
Capt. Wilkes acted without instructions,
and the subject, therefore. is free from en-
barrassmonts. which might have cnsued if
the act had been specially directed. He
trusts the British Government will consider
the subject in a friendly temper, and il may
! L.
The last letter is from Earl Russell 70 Lord
Lyons. dated November 3Uth. which, details
the affair. lie saws it THIS appears that GER
tain individuals have been iorcibly taken
from a British vessel, the ship Of a neutral
power on a lawful and innocent voyage, an
act Of violence which was an nffront to the
British flag. and violation of international
law. Her MajeSty's Government are wiliinc
to believe the act was without autholit y and
resulted from a misunderstanding as the
Government of the United States must be
fully aware the British Government would
not allow such affront to the national honor
to pass without full rcparation, and the Brit.
ish Government was unwilling to believe
that the United States deliberately intended
| unnecessarily to force a discussion Of so
grave question between the two Govern
n.ents Her Majesty's Government trusts
that 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 authority.
and suitable apology for the aggression
committed. Should these terms not be Of.
fered by Mr.. Seward, you viii propose them
to him.
Mr. Seward replies to Lord LIONS, by
whom he was furnished copy of Earl Rus.
sells letter, stating that the dispatch has
been submitted to the President. Mr. Sew
ard states that the British Government right
ly cpnj 'ctured what is now my duty tn state
that Capt. Wilkes acted upon his own su..
gestions Of duty without any direction or in
sirnclion or even FORE knowledge of it on
the part of this Government No directions
had been given him or any naval officer to
arrest the four persons or any Of them on
the Trent or any other British vessel. or any
neutral vessel there or elsewhere. After di /.
cussing the whole subject at great length in
all its bearings, Mr.. Seward says:
trust have shown to the satisfaction Of
the British Government. by very sim l.
and natural statement Of facts and ANALYSIS
of law applicable to them, that thi, Govern.
ment have neither medtated, nor practced
nor approved any deliberate wrong in the
transaction to which they have called its at
tentinn, and on the contrary that what has
happened wasan inadvertency consisting in
a departure by the naval officer, fee from
I any wrongful motive, from a rule uncertain
ly established, land probably, by the several
parties concerned. either imperfeetIy under
-
| the British Government has tight to ex,
pect the same reparation that we as an in.
dependent State should expect from BRIAN
or from any other friendly nation in SINH
lar case. have not been unaware that in
examining this question have fallen into
an argument for for what seems to be
British side Of II against my own country,
but am relieved from all embarrassment on
tn subject had hardly fallen into that
line Of argument when discovered that
was really defending and maintaining no;
exclusively in the British interest an old,
hon,red and cherished American cause. not
upon British authorities but upon principles
that constitute a large portion Of the dcstinct-
i've policy by VIZ. cll the United States have
developed the resources ola continent and
thus become a considerable maratime power
and won the respect and confidence Of MANY
nations. These principles were laid down
for us by James Madison in 1904, when the
Secretary of S ate under Jefferson, in his
distinctions to James Monroe, our then
Minister to England. Mr. Seward saws, af.
ter quoting these instruction., that if de.
eide his case in favor Of my own Govern.
mant [ must disavpw les mist cherished
principles, release and reverse and forever
abandon its ess initial policy Tho country
cannot afford the sacrifice IrI maintain
these painciples and adhere to that ,licy
mnSt surrender the cas-, itself. tt
will he seen. therefore. that this Government
could not deny the justice Of the claim pre-
scented. We are asked to do the British ma
ton Just what we always insisted al nations
ought to do to us. In coming to my ON
A. Il.