Memphis daily appeal. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1847-1886, 1862-01-05
LATEST NEWS FRON THE NORTH /!
MASON AND sLIDELL GIVEN UP!
OFFICIAL CORRESPONDENCE
What Secretary seward Says
EARL RUSSELL TO LORD LYONS

The Bowling Green Courier copies the follow
ing important intelligence from the Louisville
Journal of the 3Oth ult.;
WASHINGTON, December 2S.-Messrs. Mason
and Slidell have been given up to England.
official correspondence between our govern
ment and Great Britain relative to the seizure of
the traitors, Mason and Slidell, is received.
The first is a letter from Secretary Seward to
Minister Adams, dated November 80, in which
he compliments the latter for wisely speaking
and acting at the Lord Mayors dinner, and also
states that he told Lord Palmerston simply the
fact when informing him that the life of the in
surreetion was sustained by the hopes of its re-
cognition by England and France, and if these
hopes ceased, the instruction would perish in
ninety days.
He repeats in the same note the fact of the
arrest Of Slidell and Mason by Captain Wilkes,
as a now and unforeseen circumstance which
is TO be met by the two governments if possible
in kindly spirit. Lord Lyons has said nothing
on the subject, and no explanations were fur
nished Minister Adams, it being deemed prudent
that the ground taken by the British government
should first be made known here, and discus
sion be had here, but Secretary Seward deemed
it proper to state that Captain Wilkes acted
without instructions, and the subject is, there
fore, free from embarrassments which might
have ensued if the act had been specially de-
cided. He trusts the British government will
consider the subject in a friendly temper, and it
may expect the best disposition on our part.
The next letter is from Earl Russell to Lord
Lyons, dated November 30, which details the
Trent affair. He says " 1t thus appears that
| certain individuals have been forcibly taken from
a British vessel, the ship of q neutral power, on
q lawful and innocent vOyage-anact which was
an atfr0nt to the British flag, and q violation Of
international law. Her msjesty's government
are willing to believe the act was without
authority and resulted from a misunderstanding,
as the United States must be fully aware the
British government would not allow such an
affront to the national honor to pass without full
rsparatiOn.
The British government are unwilling to
believe hat the United States deliberately in
tends unnecessarily to force a discussion of so
grave a question between the two governments.
Her m~aiesty's government trusts that the govern
ment Of the United States viii, 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 a
suitable apology for the aggression committed.
Should these terms not be offered by Mr.. Seward,
you viii propose them to him."
sEwARD's LETTER To oRD O.
WASHINGTON, December 28.-The following
is the conclusion of Secretary Stewards letter to
Lord Lyons, regarding the Trent affair:
The inadvertency consisted in a departure,
by a naval officer, free from any wrongful mo-
tive, from a rule uncertainty established, and
probably either imperfectly understood or entire
fy unknown by the several parties concerned.
For this erlor the British government has a right
TO expect the same reparatiOn that we, as an in
dependent State, should expect from Great Brit
ain or from any other friendly nation in a SINH
lar case. l have not been unaware that in ex'
aiming this question, l have fallen into an ar
gument for what seems to be d British side Of il
against my own country l am relieved from all
mbsrassmeHt On that subject. I had hardly
fallen into that line of argument when / dis
covered that / was really defending and main
tanning, not exclusively British interests, but an
old, hOnOred, and cherished American cause, moi
upon British authorities, but upon principles
that constitute q large portion Of the distinctive
policy by which the United States have deyel
Oped the resources Of q continent, and thus be
come q considerable maritime power and WOE
the respect and confidence of many nations
These principles were laid down for US by Jane:
Madison, insl504, when Secretary of State under
Jefferson, in his instructions to James Monroe
our then minister to England.
Mr.. Seward says, after quoting these instTue
tons "If l decide this case in favor OF my
own government, / must disavow its most cher
ished principles; release and reverse, and forever
abandon its essential policy. The country can
not afford the sacrifice. If / maintain thesC
principles and adhere to that policy, l must sur
render the case. 1t will be seen, therefore, tina
this government could not deny the justice o
the claim presented. Some one asked. me to dc
the British government Just what we always IN
sisted all nations ought 20 do to us. In coming
to my conclusion | have not forgotten that, I
the safety of this Union required the detention O.
the prisoners, it would be the right and duty o
this government to detain them, but the eifectu
al check and waning proportions of this existing
instruction, as well as the comparative unlm
p~ortance Of the captured persons themselves
when dispassiOnately weighed, happily forbid
me from r~esOTting to that defense. Nor am 1 IN.
aware that American citizens are in any case tC
be unnecessarily surrendered for any purpose
into the safe keeping of a foreign state. Only
the captured persons, however, OF others WhOaTt
interested in them, could Justly raise a question
on that ground. It would tell little for ou
own claim to the character of just and mag
unanimous people, if we should so far b.
guided by the law of retaliation as to lift VI
buried injuries against national consistency
and national conscience. Putting beyond me al
suggestions Of this kind, | prefer TO express my
satisfaction that, by the adjustment of the presen
case upon principles eOnfessediy American, anc
vet, as | trust, virtually satisfactory to both ma
tons, is a question fully and rightly settled be
tween them, which, heretofore, exhausting no
onlv all for8s of peaceful discussion, but also the
arbitrament of war itself, for more than half
century alienated the two count S from eael
other. and perplexed with fears and apprehen
sions all other nations.
The four persons in question are now IN min
tsry custody at Fort Warren, in the State o
Massachusetts. They viii be cheerfully hber
ated. Your lordship will please Indicate q tint
and place for receiving them.
l renew the assurance OF my very high eonsld
GSigped7 WM. H SEWARD.
A dispatch from NJ. ThOuvenel to NJ. Mercier
French minister to our government, Is also con
tanned in the correspondence, in which Nj
Thouvenel urges that a neutral from one neutra
to another neutral port, covers the merchandise
it carries, and adopts the principle laid down II
the dispatch of Earl Russell, to which MIR. Sew
ard appropriately refers.
The following is from Lord Lyons to Mr.
Seward: ,oc,
To the Hon. VIM. Il. Seward etc;
SIR: l have this morning received the note
which you did me honor to address to me yester'
dav in answer to Earl Russelps dispatch Of
November 80, relative to the removal of Mr.
Mason. Mr.. Slidel, Mr.. Mcfarland and Mr.. Eus-
rs. from the British mail packet Trent. l will,
without loss of time, forward to her majesty's
government a copy of the important cOmmuni
Cation 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 delivering the four gentlemen to me-, in
order that they may again be placed under the
protection of the British flag.
have the honor to be, etc,
o
THE CABINET UNANIMOUS.
WASHINGTON, Dec. 28.-The decision Of the
President in the Trent affair, as announced and
explained in the dispatch of Secretary Seward,
has the approval of every member Of the Cab
met.
WHAT THE N~TELLIGENCER SAYS.
The Iateligeneer, in an article apparently semi
official. says: Whatever may be the disap-