Belmont chronicle. [volume] (St. Clairsville, Ohio) 1855-1973, 1862-01-02
Important from Washington--Ad-
justment of the Trent Affair.

justment of the Trent Affair.
WASHINGTON Dec. ~.
The National 1ntelligencer of this morning
has the official announcement Of the adjust
ment OF the Trent difficulty, and the cores
pondence between Lotl Lyons and the Sec |
retary Of State is. published ia full
The decision Of the President in the Trent
affair as announced and explained in the
dispatch Of Secretary Seward, has the ap-
pruval Of every member Of the Cabinet.
The National InteIligsncor, in an article |
apparently semi-oficial. ssys, Whatever
may. be the disappointment OF any at the
result to which the Administration has come
in the settlement of,a question which COM
stitutionally dsvolves upon the Executive
branch Of the Government, we are sure that
all will applaud the frmness and sincerity
With which the ADMINISTRATION is resisting 4
national tendency, impressed by the concert
ed Drift of public opinion in our own coun-
try, has resolved to do what it believed to be
right in the premises, and it surely should
give pause To Ill who may be disposed to
challengs the .proipriety of the resolution to
they state that q contrary decision would
leave us in opposition not only to the views
OF Great Britain but also TO those which the
Government of France announces respecting
the principle of public law in regard to the
transaction.
The Intelligencer has five columns Of cor
respopdence. The editor says Earl Russell,
Her Britanic Majesty's Secretary of State
for Foreign Affairs, reciting the circumstsn-
ces under which he understood the capture
ofthese parties to have been made, proceeds
to characterize 1t as an outrage on the Byjtish
flag.
After expressing the hope and belief that
it had not been authorized by our Govern
ment, asks as reparation appropriate to such
ignated should be released, then an apology
should be given for what the Government
of Great Britain deems an affront to her flag.
In responding to this demand, Mr.. Seward,
after reviewing the circumstances under
which the arrest was effected, according to
the report Of the naval officers, and thus de-
yeloping the inaccuracies and omissions of
British statements, proceeds to analyxe the
facts and principles of public Law involved
in the case, and arrives at the conclusion
that the neglect of Capt. Wilkes was partly
voluntarily, as it was on his part, to bring the
Trent in for trial, as q lawful prize may be
justly held to operate as forfeiture Of bel
| ligerent right of capture accorded under
the law Of nations, and that the Government
Of the United States, as well from this con-
sideration as in consistency with It's own ira
ditional policy respecting maritime rights of
neutrals, would be in its own wrong if it
should refuse compliance with British de-
mands, so far asrelates to the disposition that
shall be made Of the persons taken into Gus.
tody by Capt. Wilkes, under circumstances
believed to be justly open TO exception on
both grounds thus indicated. So far as re-
CARDS the apology asked by the British Gov
ernment, none is rendered, because simple
statement of facts as they are, sufices to
show that no offence was intended by our
Government, as it had given no instructions
whatever in the premises.
i While the proceedings of Capt. Wilkes,
in so far as il fails to enure to the benefit Of
Of his Government, and to conform to the
rules Of public law, was dictated by consid-
erations of kindness.
J The decision of the President in this af
!, fair, as announced and explained in the lucid
dispatch of Mr.. Seward, says the National
! lntelligencer, has the approval Of every
: member Of the Cabinet.
. Mr.. Seward, in CONCLUSION, says: IF ] do
3 eide this case in favor of my Governhaent,
, must disavow its cherished principles, and
, reverse and forever abandon its essentia
: policy. The country cannot afford the sac
{ ri6ce. If | maintain those principles. anc
: adhere to the policy, must surrender itself
and it will be seen. therefore, that this Gov
s ernment could not deny the justice of the
r claim presented tc US upon its merits. WI
. are asked to do to the British nation JUS
2 what we have insisted all nations ought Il
do to us. The claim Of the British Govern
0 ment is not made in discourteous manner
This Government, since its first organization
has never used more guarded language il
any case. In coming to my conclusions
! have not forgotten that, if the safety Of thil
Union required the detention of the captured
t persons, it would bo the right and the duty
: of this Government to detain them; but thu
t etfectual check and waning proportions Of
n existing instruction, as well as the compar
] ative unimportance Of the captured person.
+ themselves, when dispassionately weighed
IS happily forbid me from resorting to that de
0 fence; nor am unaware that American citi
zens are not in any case to be unnecessaril!
surrendered for any purpose into the keeping
y Of a foreign State; only captured persons
however, or others who sre Interested il
J. them could justly raise a question on tha
y ground, nor have been tempted at all b.
It these suggestions.
| Eases might De f0un0 In history Wner'
). Great Britian refused to yield to other ma
!. tions and even to ourselves claims like tina
: which is now before us. Those cases occur
!, red when Great Britain as well as thu
Z United States, was the home Of generations
! which, with all their peculiar interests ant
passions, have passed away She could il
no other way SO effectually disavow any sucl
injury a. we think she does by assuming nov
as her own the ground upon which We thei
:, stood. It would tell little for our claims Il
Y the character ofa just and magnanimou
II people, If We should 50 far consent to b
" guided by the lay Of retaliation a. to lift ul
buried injuries from the grave to oppos
against what national consistency aud nation
u al conscience compel N to regard a. CLAIM
Is intrinsically right. Putting behind me al
70 suggestions Of this kind, prefer to expires
y my satisfaction that, BY adiustment Of th
> present case upon principles conf:ssedl
American, and yet, as I trust, mutually sat
lt isfactcry to both the nations concerned
:. question isfinally aud rightly settled betweel
them which vas heretofore exhausting no
!. only all the forms Of peaceful discussion
r but the arbitrament Of Wat itseK and to
- more than half century has alienated th
N two countries from each other, and perplexe'
q with fears and apprehsnsicns Of Al other na
" tions The four persons in question are nov