New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1869-03-20

nm tie apologies by saying: FINALLY, the Gamer,
iconl Government itself had formally declared
"tbot if the Southern States secededfhey cou'u
Z" NOT he recovered by conquest"
Tb;s fact must be frankly admitted ana
,rhotover weight it is entitled to should DC
froo,v accorded. That unfortunate blunder
Nth which Mr.. Seward commenced his dlplo-
matte career was made in his dispatch of April
"a 1871 assuring Mr.. Adams that the President,
60 far from questioning, willingly accepted
/" "a trner that cardinal dogma" of the Rebels,
and adding by way of emphasis, what history
has so significantly reversed, that tins feuei',
"Repubican system of ours, Is OIL all forms VI
" government, the very one most united loi
" such a labor" That cardinal dogma IL
ever accepted by Mr.. Lincoln-and it has peeii
said that he never saw the dispatch till after IL
had been sent and that it did not fairly represent
his yiews-was speedily overthrow by the
logic of facts, and, before the month was up,
the attack on Sumter was promptly responded
to by the Presidential Proclamation.
But, allowing to the English Government
whatever benefit they may derive from tnat
blunder, there were other facts connected WIN
the issue of their proclamation recognizing tno
Rebels as belgerents, which have been GU
riously overlooked in the discussion Oh thaC
measure, especially as their significance Is not
diminished by the theory which we are DIS
posed to accept, that the right to recognize
belligerent rights in colony, or portion OF q
State. as asserted by France and Spain in our
Revolution, rests in the discretion OF the Gov
eminent, and cannot be complained OIL unless
on very special grounds, as violation OF III
ternational law. The exercise of that right by
England in our late Rebellion, whether I'M
peachable or not by the principles ana pracuce
of the law of nations, displeased our people on
two distinct grounds
7. The first was that it was hasty and prema-
ture, and in disregard Of what as we are ad-
vised was the understanding between MT.
Dallas and Lord John Russell, to wit; that the
matter should await the arrival of MIR. Adams
On the Cd of May, 1861, Mr. Dallas wrote to
Mr.. Seward: "The solcitude felt by Lord john
Russell as to the effect of certain measures
/" represented rs likely to be adopted by the
President induced him to request me TO call
at his private residence yesterday. ala
$50. He told me that the three representa-
" tives Of the Southern Confederacy were
{" here; that he had not seen them, but was
A." NOT unwilling to do 30 uno1icidlly; that
" there existed an understanding between
this Government and that of France, which
I" would lead both to take the same course
Gas to recognition, whatever that course might
abe; and he then referred to the rumor of a
meditated blockade of the Southern ports.
"aud their discOntinuance as ports OF entry,
"notice of which l had heard nothing, and
could therefore say nothing. But as L In
formed him that Mr.. Adams had apprised mo
"of his intention to be on his way hither in
4" the steamship Niagara, which left Boston on
I" the 1st May, and that he would probably ar
"rye in less than two weeks, by the 18th or
"15th inst. his lOrdsbip acquiesced in the ex-
"pedency of disregarding mere rumOr, and
waiting the full knowledge TO be brought by
"my successor"
| Mr. Adams, who was crossing the ocean when
this conversation occurred arrived at Liverpool
I on the evening of Monday, the 18th OF May
/ within the days newfoundland proceeded that
night to London, and on Tuesday morning
called upon Mr.. Dallas. OF this interview, he
writes: II Immediately leaJned from him that
| he had declined himself to enter into any dis
cussions on the subject, because he knew
was already OH the way out, and that should
"probably come fully possessed Of the views
"of my Government and ready TO commune
I" cate them freely to the authorities here To
[" this end he had already concerted with Lord
John Russell the earliest possible measures
I" for my presentation, and for conference
with him. In regard to the ceremony there
/" were circumstances attending it which, in the
"precise posture of affairs, give it some sgnifi-
"cance. On Tuesday morning, Mr.
"Dallas called on me to accompany him on
" his visit to Lord John Russell at his home,
"at eleven o'clock Mr.. Adams goes on to
say that Lord John had been suddenly called
away by tho death of his brother, the Duke
of Bedford, and that on the same day tues
day, the 14th) the Proclamation was issued
in the Gazette" and printed in The Times
Of the 18th. He adds al submit 1t to your
consideration without comment" Mr.. Dallas,
it would seem, had received from Lord John
no intimation that he proposed to recede
from his acduiescence In MI. Dallas's propo-
sition that he should await the full know
ledge to be brought by Mr.. Adams and no
was not advised with on the subject of the
Proclamation But it appears from the English
! State papers that on the 18th of May, Lord
John Russell wrote to Lord Lyons: "On Satur-
" day last, received at my Office Mr.. Yancey,
Mr.. Mann, and Judge Rost, the three gentle
"men delegated by the Southern Confederacy
"to obtain their recognition as an independent
estate" And, the day after the Proclamation
of Belligerency was signed, Lord John received
from Lord Lyons an official copy of the Pro-
clamation of Blockade, which Lord Lyons had
been careful to accept as notice, not Of
blockade established, but simply OF the inten-
t;nc to establish ona