The Ottawa free trader. [volume] (Ottawa, Ill.) 1843-1916, 1862-01-04
End of the Mason>Siidell Affair.

tween our government ana that oil treat
| Britain in reference to the seizure of
| Mason and Slidell It, will be seen that
Secretary SewaLd makes the surrender
with good grace, limiting plainly to Mr..
/ Bull that he is surrendering more in the
atfair-by yielding the right of search
! than Uncle Sam:
The beginning of the correspondence is
a letter from Secretary Seward to Minister
| Adams, dated November 30th, in which
he compliments the latter for wisely
! speaking and acting at the Lord Mayor 5
/ dinner, and also states that he told Lord
Palmerston simply the fact when inform
ing him the life OF the instruction was
sustained by the hopes of Its recognition
by England ami France, and if those hopes
ceased, the instruction would perish in
ninety days. He refers in the same note
to the fact OF the arrest OF Sidoll and
Mason 10y Capt. wilkes as new and un-
/ forseen circumstance, which is to be met
by the two Governments, If possible, in
/ kindly spirit
Lord Lyons had said nothing on the
subject, and no explanations were furnish
ed Minister Adams it being deemed pr,,-
dent that the ground taken by the British
Government should be first made known
here, and discussion be had here But
Secretary Seward deemed it proper to
state that Captain Wilkes acted without
instructions, and the subject therefore is
free from embarrassments which might
have ensued il the act had been specially
directed. He trusts the British Govern.
ment will consider the subject in friendly
temper and it may expect the hes. dispo
sItion ON our part.
The next let,e~ is from Earl Russell to
+ Lord Lyons, dated November Goth. which
delails the Trent affair. He says ii thus
appears that certain individuals have been
iorcibly taken from a Rristish vessel, the
ship OF neutral power on lawful and
innocent voyage-an act of violencewhch
was an ati:ont to the British flag, and a
violation OF international law Iie, Maiea-
ty Government are willing to believe the
act was without authority, and resulted
from a misunderstanding as the Govern
nIent Of the United States must be fully
aware the British Government would not
allow such an atirJnt 10 the national honor
to pass without full reparation. and the
British government unwilling TO believe
that the United States deliberately IN
tended unnecessarily to force a discussion
OF so grave question between the two
governments, Her Maiestys government
trusts that the government Of the United
States Will, of It's own accord, offer such
redress as alone could satisfy them, viz :
the AbsrotoH ot the f9ar pfrSoas and their DE-
EreTY to L9rd L.y9as that they may again
be placed under British authority, and a
suitable apology for the aggression COM
mlttcd. Should these terms net be offer
ed 10y Mr.. Seward, you will propose them
to him. Mr.. Seward replies to Lord
Lyons, by whom he was furnished copy
of Earl Russell letter, stating tuat the
dispatch had been submitted to the Prcsi-
dent.
M Seward states that the British Goy-
eminent rightly coi1ectured what Is now
my duty 10 state, that Capt. Wilkes acted
upon his own suggestions Of duty. without
any direction or instruction. OF even fore
knowledge of it Ca the part al this Gov
eminent No directions he'd been given
him or any other naval officer to arrest
the four persons or my Of them. on the
Trent or Any other british vessel, OF any
neutral vessel there or elsewhere
After discussing the wIOle subject at
great length IN ali is bearings, Nj Seward
says i trust have shown TO she salts
faction Of the British Government. by a
very simple and natural statements of
+. facts, and analysis OF law applicable TO
them that THIS Government neither med-
tated nor practlced nor approved any
deliberate wrong IN the transaction to
which they have called its attention. and
on the contrary that what has happened
has been simply an inadgertenct, free
from any wrongful motive consisting in a
departure by the naval officer from rule
uncertainty established. and probably By
the several parties concerned c:.scr i'm
l.or!eetis understood or entirely uuknown
For this error the British Government has
right 10 expect the same PREPARATION that
an independent State should expect from
Great Britain or from any ether friendly
nation III similar case. | have not been
unaware that III examining this question
have fallen into an argument for what
seems to!be the British side Of il against
my own country, but am relieved from
all embarrassment on that subject, for
had hardly fallen into that line Of argu.
ment, when | discovered that | was really
defending and maintaining not exclusively
the British interest, but an honored and
cherished American cause based upon
principles that constitute a large portion
Of the distinctive policy 0y which the
United States have developed the resources
OF continent, and thus become q con-
siderable power and won the respect and
confidence of many nations These prn-
ciples. we've laid down for us by James
Madison in 1901 when Secretary of State
under jefferson, in his instructions TO Jas.
Monroe, then our Minister TO England
Mr.. Seward says, after quoting these in
structions, that if | decide this case IN
favor of my own Government ] must
disavow its most cherished principles, re-
lease and reverse and forever abandon its
essential policy. The country cannot al
ford the sacrifice. If | maintain that
principle and adhere to that policy, must
surrender the case itself Ii will be seen,
therefore, THAI this Government could not
deny the justice Of the claim presented
We are asked TO do to the British nation
what we always insisted all nations ought
to so TO US
In this conclusion, have not forgotten
that if the safety of this Union required
The detention Of the Union prisoners. it
would be the duty of this Government to
detain them. But the effective check and
waning proportions of the existing insur-
rection, as well as the comparative unim-
portance oil the captured persons them
selves, when dispassionately weighed, hap
ply forbid me from resortiug to that
defence. | am aware that Union citizens
are not IN any case to be unnecessarily
surrendered for any purpose, into keeping
OF foreign States. Only the captured
persons, however, or otherwise who are
interested in them, could Justly raise a
question on that ground 1t would tell
little for our own claims to the character
we possess OF a just and magnanimous
people. if we should SO far consent to be
guided by the law Of retaliation as to lift
up buried injuries against national consist
ency and national conscience Putting
beyond me all suggestions of this kind. /
prefer to express my satisfaction that by
the adiuSt nayt of the prac.nt oaSa ,no,,