Newbern weekly progress., 1862-01-07
Earl Russell to LORD Lyons.

the knoWieGSe OF the Admiralty oy tonman-
der Williams, agent for mails on board the
contract steamer Tren'.
1t appears from the letter of commander
Williams. dated " Royal Mail contract Packet
Tren," at sea, Nov. 9th, that the Trent "
left Havana on the 7th instant with Her Ma
jesty's mails for England, having on b rard nr-
merous passengers. Commander Will ms
states that shortly after noon on the Sth, a
steamer, havirg the appearance of man OF
war, but showing ce.nr>, was observed
ahead. GA nearing her. at lis P. NJ, she
fired round shot ito n her pivos gun acros the
bows Of the Trent, and showed american COL
ors While the Trent was approaching her
slowly, the American vessel discharged a shell
across the bows of the Trent, exploding half
cables length ahead of her. The Trent
then stopped, and an officer. with a large armed
guard of marines boarded her. The officer de-
msnded list of the passengers, and comp!i-
ance with this demand being refused, the Off
Ger said he had orders to arrest Mason and Sill
dell, McFarlane and EnstiS, and that he had
sure information of their being passengers in
the Trent. While some parley was going on
upon this matter Mr. Slidcll stepped forward
and told the American officer that the four
persons he had named were then standing be-
fore him. The commander Of the Trent and
commander Williams protested against the act
Of taking by force out of the Trent those four
British flag. But the San Jacinto was at that
time only two hundred yards from the Trent,
her ship company at quarters, her ports open
and tompionS ont. Resistance was, therefore,
out of the question, and the four gentlemen.
brfore named, were forvibly taken out of
the ship. \ further demand made that
the commander of the Trent should proceed
on board the San Jacinto but he said he would
not 60, unless forcibly compelled likewise, and
this demand was ms cd 1DO0
Ii thus appears that certain individuals have
been forcibly taken from on board British
vessel, the ship Of a neutral power, while such
vessel was pursuing a lawful and innocent voy-
age, an act Of violence which was an atfront to
the British flag, and violation ofinternationaI
law.
Her maiesty'S Government, bearing in mind
the friendly relations which have long snb>is-
ted between the United STATES and Great Bri-
tain, are willing to believe that the United
States officer who committed the aggression
was not acting in compliance with any author
ty from his government, cr that. if he conceived
himself to be so authorized, he greatly misuu-
derstood the instructions which he had re
ceived. For the government Of the United
States must be fully aware that the British
Government could not allow such an affront
to the national honor to pass without full re
paration, and Her Mrjesty's Government are
unwilling t believe that it could be the dclb-
crate intention of the government of the Uni
ted States unnecessarily to force into Discus
sion between the two governments a question
of so grave character, and with regard
to which the whole British nation would
be sure to entertain such unani;nity of feel
ing.
Her Maiesty's Government trust, therefore,
that when this matter shall have been brought
under the consideration of the government of
the United States, that government will Of its
own accord offer to the British Government
such redress alone could satisfy British
nation, namely the liberation of the four gen
tleu.en, and their delivery to your lordship, in
order that they may again be placed under
British protection, and suitable apology for
the aggression which has been committed.
Should these terms not be offered by Mr.
Seward, you will propose them to him.
You are at liberty to read this dispatch to
the Secretary Of State and if he shall desire it,
yon will give him copy of it.
To the foregoing letter Of Lord Lyons to Sec
retary Seward, after repeating the whole letter,
correcting several misstatenents as he con-
ceives, entering into a lenghthy discussion of
the legality of the whole matter in which he
twists and dodges as no but Seward can,
taking special care to screene Capt. Wiiks from
sensure, Seward wndes up his reply as follows:
If decide this case in favor CT my own gov
ernment, I must disavow its most cherished
principles. and reverse and forever abandon
it's essential policy. The country cannot a.
ford the sacrifice. IF | MAINTAIN those prnci-
pies and adhere 10 that policy, [ must surren-
der he case itself 1t will be seen therefore
that this government could not deny the JUS
tice Of the claim presented to us in this res
pect upon its merits. We are asked to do the
British nation Just what we have always insis-
ted all nations ought to do to US.
The claim Of the British government is not
made in discourteous manner. This govern
ment, since its first organization, ha: never
used more guarded language IN a similar
case.
In coming to my conclusion, have not for
gotten that if the safety of this Union required
the detention of the captured persons, 1t would
be the right and duty Of this government to
detain them. But the effectual check and wa
ming proportion Of the existing insurrectlon,
as well as the comparative unltnportaEce nf the
captured persons themselves, when dispass.on-
ately weighed, happily forbid me from resor-
ting to that defence
Nor am [ unaware that American citizens
are not, in any case to be unnecessarily sur
rendered. for any purpose, into the keeping OF
a foreign State. Only the captured persons,
however, or others who arc interested in
them, could justly raise question on that
ground.
Nor have been tempted at all by sugges-
tons that cases might be found in history
where Great Britain refused to yield to other
nations, and even to ourselves, claims like that
which is TOW before us. Those cases occurred
when Great Britain, as well as the United
States, was the home of generations which,
with all their peculiar interests and passions,
have passed away. She could in no other way