The New York herald., 1862-01-31
English Opinion OF Mr.. Seward's Diplo-
| macy.

THE ANOMALIES OF THE AMERICAN CORRESPONDENCE
From the London Post government organ) Jan. 14.l
There are several circumstances In the diplomatic
respondence the Trent affair which, when closely
mined render that correspondence altogether wnermped
IN the history Of political writing the conduct of iae
tionai relations To those well meaning perhaps but
very sagacious persons whose transatlantic sympathes
lead them to regard with favor the course pursued BY
tho federal government and who in the language OF
its Foreign Minister the proofs of wish concate the
good will Of England and to respect the public law Of
Europe, we would simply recommend attentive
siderntion Of the following facts.
Tho despatch OF Mr. Seward to Mr. Adams, OF the 30th
OF Ks
singulary enough dated the vUry Same day ON
which Earl Russos demand TO the federal government
OF the same month. Tho news brought by the Persia,
which e New York the Goth Of that month"; ten days
before Mr. sswards despatch was written, speaks,
amongst other things OF the general approval given
70 the act In Washington adding that the interest
in the question had become there already exhausted
that public attention was engaged with other matters
Mr. Seward had been therefore hurry to deliver
any opinion on the Trent alar, when, in reply note
OF Mr. Adams Of tho 18TH he "hastened" % write the
note which to leave by the mail Of the 4th Of
Der. By that time, however, there appears to have
dawned upon his mind the idea that the outrage the
British flag might not be taken in England very quietly
He had been for fortnight In full possession OF the chief
facts Of the He had been for several
session Of all the Official reports bearing tho act He
could learn nothing moro than he knew the 30th Of
November OF the circumstances under which Capt Wilkes
had perpctrated the outrage The act Of Capt. Wilkes
was either legal or illegal and tho principles and prece-
dents by which its legal illegal character must be
mined were as well known to the government lawyers in
America then they could possibly be afterwards The
ground which the British government might choose TO
take on its becoming acquainted with the outrage could
affect the policy and expedency of surrender OF sssrs
Sidell and Mason. the but could alter
the character In the eyes Of international law of tho
act committed in the bahama channel sagacioUs and
hs despatch that he was attenve to the currents that
seemed to be bringing the countries into collision
would have first secured firm footing on the
common ground of international law and justice,
and then employed tho advantage OF his po-
sition to remove those immediate Of
offence and Irritation Great Britain which he 80 strong
y deprecated Mr. Seacard aid eractIy the Yevsre He
ntmatcd that certain prospective and possible policy
the part Of England indeed Of any European Power
Of all the European Powers taken together would lead
to immediate between the federal government and
the Power Powers which should thus offend IT, Having
national relations OF tho federal government would be
simply those Of Bully Dawson kicking all the world and
all the world kicking Bully Daw on he expresses his
gret the nattenton Of the 10 the
rents that bringing the two countries into collision
and then touches on tho inference drawn from Lord Pal
merstons remarks that the British government at
length awake to the importance Of avertng possible
conflict And then he proceeded TO speak OF the Trent
affair. Would not any sane man who q few sentences
before had been speaking Of the currents likely to bring
tho two countries into collision, yet who know that
from this Trent outrage current, mighty as the Gulf
to England the Causes If not arrested OF certain host
lity between America and England, have said ono
word, littc word 20 stem its course? Did Mr. So
ward do thise II would have been a thousand times
better for him 10 have preserved absolute silence
than TO have made the statement that, whilst in
the capture oi Messrs Mason and Sdc Captain Wilkes
had acted without any instructions from the federal gov
ernment Importance attached by the federal gov
ment to this insignificant TACT. This is waa certain Of
oonempororiesd pleased 10 term the dinvswal ty Mr.
Ss0ovd Of the outrage coaam1d by CorGin Fiue; this
is the declaration which in the naive OF the
American diploma ist "frees the subject from tho EN-
barrassment which might have resulted il the act had
been specially directed by the federal government 10
any states,aaa Of ordinary ntciice Ms embarrassment
would "a Le increased htndreoid The federal gov
ernment had thus done every hing its power shut
the door which, with the view OF sparing humiliation
Lord Russell In his subsequent despatch DESTROYS
leave open.