New-York daily tribune. [volume] (New-York [N.Y.]) 1842-1866, 1863-05-19
Mere Of the Iso,erhOa Case.
Correspondence Of The N Y. tribune.

sort early on Tuesday morning last, brings, among
other interesting foreign news, the following very
tigni6csnt statement from The London ImeS ol
May /, 10 wits
The Miues have announced thSt The Peterhoh tiss
vii be forwarded - their Destination unopened and a1Gt e
SANE COURSE tiA be lur'Hed'n a" similar eG's'' ~
Now. there is a bit Of r'ifteH history about thus
whole affair Of the pusaDimous and grsttous sur
render Of the Peterhof's mals, ard the robbing of
our gallant ars Of the eliminating evidence therein
contained. which " the world knows DO, Of" but
which. for the credit and dignity Of our Government
ought to be published in full. Aud all the more 30,
from the fact that copy Of most extraordinary
note from Secretary Seward to Secretary Welles Is
frst brought before the American people, BY beng
presented 10 the EngItsk Parliament by Earl Rus
ss,,'' nrefaced by sn admission OF the still more eX-
t-aa,ifas.-v and ingenious modes Of British diPo'
,nacv Of ,,oys,,..9g ont 40 advantage, which the
laws Of nations and h,r own wellestabhshed prece'
dents d. ny her.
y1Ae London Telegraph of April &c, reporting pro
ceedings in Parliament of the day previous thus
details the Crown Oicer's statements
,"Earl Russell directed NJ Stuart aIeeyt1in G9m M
Se'oard ~heihr he Gor'1Ha'ai u ne Uni e. Sd,6 40
boaId blccksde'rusreul 'hsl NEITHER Bs SEARCHED
EeR DETAINED"
OF course no one blGmes the rather cute Earl for
1ccEPTIEe RELISQUIsHMENr Of such principle of
common sense and equity (which international law
for all time has affirmed, if funkies enough
TO volunteer the concession, which il would appear
at lesst officer of our Government made haste TO
do, for the report proceeds
On this subject M Seward in letter addressed 70 the
Secretary Of the American navy dated Oct 81 'a's l. Is
thoush expedeui thS instructions be 70 the bockadug
and naval officers that IN ofcaprfe Of merchant yse
H. Of onto
1.sss ne a gGUS nss sS % ~, b. aa
Fpsasd, tUf Be sDedg Be snrsnst heiy
Say her dee enad de-, nanti This is'ruct.n, how
verified by forged Csrihcsie couuteiieitvd scala
No such instructions as those voluntarily suggest
ed in this DOte of Secretary Seward Issued
TO American Daval officers, as Earl Russell asserts,
inasmuch as such orders regarded as contrary
alike TO good policy, precedent and law
by what surTeptitlOus means this most extraord- |
nary note, evidently intended to be private, found
lie way out of the State Navy Department and
into the hands of Earl Resell, is question about /
which the curious will be as much exercised ns
they were 10 know how it that sir peeks before
Gen. Butler had any utmatiou Of bis all from
bis own Government, one Of his sples assured by
tie French and English Consuls at Richmond, tina,
IL was an event cerfoiHiy to rGnSptre The su, Sc
auent publication Of the yellow Book" Of the
French Government, solves the latter mystery as
having been based upor pledges advanced BY the
woud-beconirolng member Of the Cabinet IL IS
possible that this leak may be traced 10 the same
sonrce
And here is where the nvJ il, of this whole hula
balloo about the Petegboh mails. We had the Law
of Nations--EngAsA Lar end English Preeedent'
in naturalization Of our rigN 10 hold The captured
s7ails Ii was right neter dSputed, and tie note
70 Mr. Wellts, advising different course-any Ole
Of all familiar with the social amenities Of our gled
Premier, would be led to suppose was merely re-
demption Of some fippant pledge made over Lord
Lyonss whist table, upon the uncoTking Of fresh
bottle Of green ses" for, within week past,
Lord Lyons kimSeT, hdS been oUerheGrd 10 DESY a.
e1prees terms THAT Xix EVER DEMANDED TBE SUR
REEpER OF THE PETERHSYFs MAILS! Tue inteil
pence brought by Tuesdays steamer bears strongly
On this point Earl Russell unaware, Of course
that the mails had been surreDdersd states in Par
lament that Il pas not advisable at this time, 10
sirs IRE opinion Of The Law offers Of the CroWH
a. 70 our right 10 open and the mails in evidence
In our Prize Court. Yet, from this letter Of Mr.
Seward the impression has gained in England that
,se have roIuntarig surrendered that right W''Aout
eating 10 be asked and upon this conjecture ell the
buster 10 made.
When the English people shall learn So they have
learned ere this, that the mails hare alrea1y been
given up, not only will it be claimed al Preee-
dent Of our own making against Ourselves, but 1t
must bring down upon US their most sovereign con-
tempt; while, in fact, not a SINGLE nqeD7ter Of the
Government aside from the Premier) erer enter
tanned the first thought Of adopting the theories adj
vanoed by the Secretary in HE note Of the 3lst Of
October. The ordering, too, Of the surrender Wac
quite extraordinary any part Of this entirely
extraordinary affair. BY special law, Distrc;-Att0r
peys subject 10 and under the direction and con.
tro Of the Attorney General. But tie 0rd>r 10 Dis
trtet-haOrney Smith 10 g,ye up The PeterAQgs mails
was telegrspbed from here by Secretary Ss'gard
s0tthout tie e0ns,nt or kHowledge Of Me Attorney
General, The PreHdeHt or any comen.Ler NJ his
CABINET, when, constitutional lawyer, lie ruust
have knopn that neither the President himself nor
any other member Of tho Government had anu legal
right ~ interfere with the Courts action in the case
or its use REIMBURSEMENT Of any testimony in its
possession. II is uost profoundly 10 be hoped tina.
these oft-repested and pOiuntered exhibitions Of
downright pOtroonery and funkeyism may not tend
30 imbroil us still more seriously. and incyease
instead Of diminishing our constantly
Blcations with England.
In concluding my letter. already too long, let me
hdd that know whereof affirm, and that 10
amount Of qubbIing affect the positive truth of
chs statements msde. The elder Weller remarked
10 bin SOB Samive that "when lie was married be
would know great many things ss be didn't know
before" When the light Of history ia shed on tho
-. "A.