Smyrna times., 1865-11-01
United States and England.
Important Diplomatic Correspondence.

Important diplomatic Correspondence.
1t appears some important diplomatic CORES
pondence between Mr. Adams, the American
Minister, and Earl Russell, has appeared in
the London Gazette:
The correspondence begins with letter from
Minister Adams, dated the I7th Of April last,
in which he calls the attention of Earl Russell
to the official report respecting the ravages OF
the Shenandoah, and announces that for the
damage caused by such cruisers his Govern
ment cannot avoid entailing the responsibility
upon Great Britain.
The reply Of Earl Bussell is dated May 4th.
He says that the duties of Great Britain tow
ards the United States are not measured by
the losses which the commerce of the latter.
may have sustained. The question is simply
whether the Queens Government have faith
fully and honestly performed the duties which
international laws and their own municipal
laws imposed upon them.
| The reply of Mr.. Adams is dated May 4th.
He says that the insurgents became belllgerents
on the ocean, solely by reason of the facilities
! furnished in Her Majesty's ports for them to
do So lie complains of the secret sympathy
of Her Majesty's officers in the port OF Liver
pool, and contends that, after the information
which he supplied respecting the Alabama, 1t
was by the fragrant negligence Of Her Magcs-
tvs Board Of Customs that this vessel, admit
ted to be intended for war purposes, was suffer
ed to depart from Liverpool.
An interval Of three months elapsed between
the above letter and Earl Russell's reply to 1t.
In response, Earl Russell proceeds to justify
the course of Her Majesty's Government in re-
cognizing the belligerents, and reasons are CIV
en- why there was extreme difficulty in giving
orders to exclude from British ports vessels OF
war partly fitted up in the United Kingdom.
A very important point is referred to Ill this
letter. Earl Russell notices statement IN a
letter from Adams, in 1868, as to the Govern
mcnt at Washington being ready to refer these
disputes to arbitration.
Earl Russell declines this offer, and says it
is question, III the first place. whether the
Queens Government have acted in good faith
III maintaining their neutrality, AMI, III the sec
ond place. whether the law officers ofthe crown
have correctly interpreted a British statute =
Earl Russell continues: The Queens Gov
ernment can refer neither of these questions tC
arbitration. The words used by him are as
follows:
" Her Majesty's Government are the sole
guardians of their own honor. They cannot
admit they have acted with bad faith in main
tanning the neutrality they professed. The
law officers Of the crown must be held to be
better interpreters of British statute than
any foreign Government can be presumed to
be. Her Majesty's Government must, there
fore, decline to make separation and cOmpen-
sation for captures made by the Alabama, OF
to refer the question to any foreign State. =
Her Maesty's Government conceives that il
they were to act otherwise they would endangel
E the position Of neutrals in all future wars.
" Her Majesty Government are, however
ready to consent to the appointment of com
mission, to which shall be referred all claim
arising during the late civil war, which the two
/ Powers shall agree to refer to the commission
ers.
The reply of Mr.. Adams is dated the lStl
f of September, and is very serious to its tone
MIR. Adams considers that there is now NJ
dispate as to the fact that the recognition O.
the South as belligerents was such an act a
was never done by one nation towards anothe
in a state of amity. He charges the British
J Government with having acted without know
f ledge, and upon mere presumption, in assum
ing that the evidence of the blockade of tn
f Southern ports was imperfect. The blockade
he says, was the consequence, not the cause, o
British policy. He thinks that the only excus
, for the British Government is that its conduc
was precpitate. He then intmates that
the doctrines and practices of the British Gov
ernment are allowed to become the rule, tn,
United States will not be the greatest loser
thereby.
Mr.. Adams does not appear to think tina
the proposal Of Earl Russell, to refer the ques
ton in dispute to commission, will be accept
cd BY the United States Government.