The weekly pioneer and Democrat. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn. Territory) 1855-1865, 1862-01-03
Mr.. Stewards Response.
LETTER OF LORD LYONS.

LETTER OF LORD LYONS.
New YORK, Dec. 28.-Mason and Sill
dell have been given up to England. The
official correspondence will be published
Immediately.
OFFICIAL CORRESPONDENCE.
The official correspondence between our
Government and Great Britain relative to
the seizure of the traitors Mason and
Slidell.
MR.. SEWARD TO Mr.. ADAMS.
The first is letter from Secretary Sew.
ard to Minister Adams, dated November
Both, in which be compliments the latter for
wisely speaking and acting at the Lord
Mayors dinner, and also states he told Lord
Palmerston simply the fact when inform
ing him the life of the insurrection was
sustained by hopes of its recognition by
England and France, aud if those hopes
ceased the instruction would perish in
ninety days.
He refers in the same note to the fact of
arrest of Mason and Slidell by Captain
Wilkes, as new and unforeseen circum.
stance and is to be met by the two Govern
ments if possible in kindly spirit.
Lord Lyons had said nothing on the SUBJ
ject and no explanations were furnished
Minister Adams, it being deemed prudent
that the ground taken by the British Cow
eminent should be first made known here
and discussion be had here but Secretary
Seward deemed it proper to state that
Capt. Wilkes acted without instructions
and the subject therefore is free from EN-.
barrassments which might have ensued in
the act had it been specially directed. He
trusts the British Government will consider
the subject in friendly temper and may
expect the best disposition on our part.
EARL RUSSELL TO LORD LYONS.
In the second letter from Earl Russell to
Lord Lyons, which details the Trent affair,
be says it appears that certain persons have
been forcibly taken from British vessel,
ship of neutral power, on lawful and
innocent voyage, an act of violence which
was an insult to the British flag and vic.
lation of international law.
Her majestys government is willing to
believe the act was without authority and
resulted from misunderstanding, as the
government of the United States must be
fully aware that the British government
would not allow such an ahront to the ma
tional honor to pass without full reparation,
and the British government is unwilling to
believe that the United States government
deliberately intended unnecessarily to force
discussion of so grave question between
the two governments.
Her majesty's government trusts that
the government of the United States will
of its own accord, offer such redress as
alone could satisfy them, viz, the liberation
of the four prisoners and their delivery to
Lord Lyons. that they may again be placed
under British authority, and make suita-
BILE apology for the aggression commit
ted.
Should these terms not be offered by Mr..
Seward you will propose them to him.
REPLY OF MR.. SEWARD.
MIR. Seward replies to Lord Lyons by
whom be was furnished copy of Earl Rus.
sells letter, stating that the dispatch has
been submitted to the President.
Mr.. Seward states that the British Gov
eminent rightly conjectured what is now
my duty to state, that Captain Wilkes act
ed upon bis own suggestions of duty, with
out any direction or instruction or even
toreknowledge OF it on the part of this Gov.
eminent.
No directions had been given him or any
other naval officers to arrest the four per-
sons or any of them on the Trent, or any
other British vessel, or any neutral vessel,
there or elsewhere.
After discussing the whole subject at
great length, in all its bearings, Mr.. Sew.
ard says:
trust l have shown to the satisfaction of
the British Government, by very simple and
natural statement of facts and analysis of law
applicable to them, that this Government has
neither medtated nor practised or approved
OF 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 inadvertence, consisting in depart.
ure, by naval officer, but not from any
wrongful motive, from rule established, and
probably by the several parties concerned,
either imperfectly understood or entirely I'm.
known.
For this error the British Government has q
right to expect the same reparation that we as
an Independent State should expect from
Great Britain, or from any other friendly pow.
er, in a similar case.
l have not been unaware that in exam.
lining this question, have fallen into an ar.
gument for what seems to be British side
of it, against my own country, but / am re-
lieved from all embarrassment of that sub.
ject.
1 had hardly fallen into that line of argu-
ment when l discovered that Twas really
defending and weakening not exclusively Brit.
ish interest, but an old honored and cherish.
cherished American cause not upon British
authorities, but upon principles that consti-
ted large portion of the distinctive policy
by which the United States have develop
ed the resources of q continent, and thus
become considerable maritime power, and
won the respect and confidence OF many ma.
lions.
These principles were laid down for Us
by james Madison in 1904, when Secre~
farv of State under .Tofforaor - he ;c,<vro