Watertown republican. [volume] (Watertown, Wis.) 1860-1906, 1862-01-03
TELEGRAPHIC.

New York, Dec 2S.-Messrs. Mason
and Slidell have been given up to the
English. The official correspondence will
be published Immediately.
The official correspondence between our
Government and Great Britain, relative TO
the seizure of the traitors, Mason and Sill
dell. is received
The first is letter from Secretary
Seward to Minister Adams. dated Novem-
Der Both, in which he compliments the
latter for wisely speaking and acting at
the Lord Mayors dinner, and also states
he told Lord Palmerston simply the fact
when informing him the life of the insur-
rection was sustained by tho hopes of its
recognition by England and France, and
if those hopes ceased, the insurrection
would perish in ninety days.
He refers in the same note to tho fact
of the arrest of Slidell and Mason BIZ Capt
Wilkes as new and unforeseen circurn-
| stance, which is to be met by the two
Governments, if possible, in kindly spirits
Lord Lyons had said nothing on the sub
ject, and no explanations were furni. he'd
Minister Adams, it being deemed prudent
that the ground taken by the British Gov
eminent should be first made known here
and discussion be had here; but Secretary
Seward deemed 1t proper to state that
Capt. Wilkes acted without instructions,
and the subject, therefore, is free from
embarrassmehts. which might have snsued
if the act had been specially directed.
| He frusfs flo Rr;t;.b Ill
consider the subject in friendly temper,
and it may expect the best disposition on
our part.
The next letter is from Earl Russell to
Lord Lyons dated November 30th which
details the Trent affair. Re says, it thus
appears that certain individuals have been
forcibly taken from a British vessel, the
ship of neutral power, on lawful and
innocent voyage-an act of violence, which
was an affront to the British flag and
violation of international law.
Her Majesty's government sre willing
to believe the act was without authority,
and resulted from a misunderstanding as
the government of tie United States must
be fully aware that the British Government
would not allow such affront to the nation
al honor to pass without full repa1ation
and the British government are unwilling
to believe that the United States intended,
unnecessarily to force discussion of so
grave question between the two govern
| ments.
Her Majestys government trusts the
United States government will, of it's own
| eff IA
satisfy Great B: titan, viz the liberation
OF the four prisoners, and their delivery to
Lord Lyons, that they may again be plac-
ed under British authority and suitable
apology for the aggression committed. -
Should these terms not be offered by
Mr.. Seward, you will propose thom to him.
MIR. Seward replies to Lord Lyons, by
whom he was furnished with copy of
Earl Russell's letter, stating that the des-
patch has been submitted to tie President
MIR. Seward states that the British Gov
eminent rightly conjectured, what is now
my duty to state, that Capt. Wilkes acted
upon his own suggestions OF duty, without
any direction or Instruction. or even fore
knowledge of it, on the part of this Gov
eminent. No direction had been given
him. nor any other naval officer, to arrest
the four persons, 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, on all its bearings, Mr.. Sew
ard says:
81 trust | have shown to the satisfaction
of the British Government, by very sim
pie and natural statement of facts and an
alvsis of law applicable to them that this
Government have neither meditated, nor
practiced or approved any deliberate
wrong in the transactions to which they
have called its attention, and on the con-
trary that what has happened, has been
simply an inadvertancy, consisting in
departure, by the Naval officers, from any
wrongful motive, from rule uncertainty
established, ard probably by the several
parties concerned either imperfectly un-
derstood or entirely unknown For this
error the British Government has right
to expect the same reparation that we. as
an independent State, should expect from
Greas Britain, or from any other friendly
power, in similar case. have not been
unaware that in examining this question I
have fallen into an argument, for what
seems to be a British idea of it. against
my own country. but am relieved from
all embarrassment on that subject. / had
hardly fallen into that line of argument
when | discovered that was really de-
tending and weakening not exclusively
British interest, blu. an old honored and
cherished American cause not upon Brit
ish authorities, but upon principles that
constitute large portion of the distinctive
policy by which the United States have
developed the resources of continent,
and thus become a considerable maratime
power. and won the respect and confidence
of many natl ms. These precepts were
laid down for us by James Madison in
1904, when Secretary of State under JEFF
ferson, in his instructions to James Mon
roe, our then Minister to England
Mr.. Seward says, after quoting these
instructions that if decide this in favor
of my own Government, must disavow it's
most cherished principles, release and re-
verse and forever abandon is essential pol
icy. The country cannot afford the sac
rifce
If maintain these principles, and ad
here to that policy, | must surrender the