The Nevada Democrat., 1862-01-28
Reasons for the Surrender OF Mason
and SIideIl.

AhS Oe' AOulS correspondent VI huS Atto
furnishes the leading points of Secretary
Stewards letter concerning the surrender of
Mason and Slidell. Seward replies to lord
Lyons, by whom he was furnished copy
of Earl Russell's letter, stating the dispatch
had been submitted to the President, and
says:
The British Government rightly conjec-
tures, what is now my duty TO state, that
Capt Wilkes acted upon bis own sugges-
tions of duty, without any directions or In
structons or even foreknowledga of it on
the part of this Government. No directions
had been given him, or any other naval Of
licer, TO arrest the four persons, or any of
them, on the Trent, or any other British
vessel, or any neutral vessel, there or else.
where.
After discussing the whole question at
great length, 10 all its bearings, Mr.. Sew
ard says:
81 trust have shown TO the satisfaction
Of the British Government, by very sim.
pie aud rational statement of facts and
anal0gies of law applicable to them, that
this Government has neither medated, nor
prac!sed, nor approved any deliberate
wrong in the transactions to which they
have called its attention; and, on the con-
trary, that what has happened has been
simply an inadvertency, consisting in
departure by the naval officer, free from
any wrongful motive. from rule uncer-
tainly established, and probably by the sew
eral parties concerned, either imperfeetly
understood, or entirely unknown. For this
error, the British Cover nment has right
! to expect the same reparation, as we, as an
independent State, should expect from
Great Britain, or any other friendly nation
in similar case,
/ have not been unaware, that in deter
mining this question have fallen into an
argument for what seems to be British
side of il, against my own country, but i
am relieved from all embarrassment on
that subject. had nearly fallen into that
! line of argument, when discovered that
was really defending and maintaining, not
exclusively British interests, but an old.
houored, and cherished American cause; not
upon British authorities, but upon prinCi
! Piles that constitute q large portion of the
distinctive policy by which the United'
States have developed the resources of q
continent. and thus become a considerable
maritime power, and won the respect and
confidence Of many nations. These princi-
Piles were laid down for us by James Mad
ison, 10 1904, when Secretary of State un-
der Jefferson, 10 bis instructions to James
Monroe, our then Minister to England.
Mr.. Seward says, after quoting these in-
structions:
If | decide this case in favor OF my own
| Government, must disavow its most cher
shed principles; release and reverse, and
! forever abandon its essential policy, which
! the country. cannot afford to sacrifice. III
maintain these principles and adhere to that
policy, must surrender the case itself.
It will be seen, therefore, that this Gov
ernment could not deny the justice of the
claim presented. We are asked to do to the
British nation just what we always insisted
all other nations ought to do to us. In COM
ing to my conclusion have not forgotten
that If the safety of this Union required the
detention of the prisoners, IL would be the
right and duty of this Government to de-
tain them. Bot the eifectual check and
waning proportions of the existing insur-
rection, as well as the comparative unim-
portance of the captured persons themselves
when dispassionately weighed, happily for
bid us from resorting TO that defense; nor
am aware that American citizens are 10
any case TO be unnecessarily surrendered
for any purpose into the keeping of for
eign State. Only the captured persons.
however, or others who are interested in
them. could justly raise question on that
ground. II would tell little for our own
claims to the character of just and mag
nanmouse people, il we should so far con-
sent to be guided by the law OF retaliation
as 10 lift up buried injuries against national
consistency and national conscience.
Putting beyond me all suggestions of this
kind, prefer to express my satisfaction
that, by the adjustment of the present case
upon principles confessedly American, and
yet, as | trust, mutually satisfactory TO
both nations concerned, question Is finally
and rightly settled between tbom which.
heretofore exhausting not only all forms Of
peaceful discussion. but also the arbiira-
ment of war itself for more than halfa CEN
| tury alenated the two countries from each
other, and perplexed with fears and appre-
tensions all other nations. The four per-
sons In question are now held in military
custody at Fort Warren, in the State Of
MASSACHUSETTS. They will be cheerfully lib
Grated. Your lorship will please indicate
time and place for receiving them.