The Capture Of Mason And Slidell--a British Precedent To The Point

Juct befoic the outbrcat oi oi'.r war witb Mexico Afr Slidcll w:i .-nt u n j mipsion tu thüt c.'utitrv, but bis diploma vj prorcd fruitlfM, for he encountered, ut tLu lieaii of the Mexican governnient, h bitt'.T fiiemy of our country in General l'arpuun. (rlio, n couple of yeara later, l'urnishod h precedent lor us in the e;.se jf the Minister wliom be tben foiled, The war broko out, and in 184C Pare3fti( was forced to giva way for the ! lur cbief; mi J. wliile attempi iiü_r to escape from Mexico wns captured and kopt iv, i1oho confinement in the Castle of Perote. lij tbn iuterpositiou uf frionas lic was fliiüilj allowcd to retire to Europc, whence i Hftcr n yenr, lie retnrned to Vera Cruz rw Havar.a, on tLe 1 Uh of Awgut, 1847, in the liritii!i muil Ktcaiucr Tevijt, tuanded by Captain May. Paredes j ed Terj early in tbc mor n ing, undor the i xiimcd name of Martínez, and, imraediately repairing to the house of a M;xi can, procured horseü, and was soon ' yond pnrauit on bis way to the interior. Col. Wilson, our comnianding ofEoor at Ver CrUZ in reporting these facta to the iovernment ut Washington, declares "that jt is a well-known faot, ascerlnined froiu pasp.engers, thai the captain of the steamir was aware of the cbarncter of Ins pansengfr," thoitgb that charaetor was at the tiuie, in fact, not official, and only reniarkable for the ex-General's knowo hos tility to the United States. On the 14tfa of September, 1847, Mr. Bucbanan, tlien Secretarj oí State, complained, of thia conduct in a dispatch to 5lr. Bancro't, our Miuinter to the Court of St. James, and diroctcd. him to reqniro aatisfactioQ for the breach cf neurality. " A neutral vesscl,'' said Mr. Buchaun, " whicb carries a Mexicnn oTicer of high military rank to Mexico, for the purpose of taking part in hostilities to our country, is üable to conliscation, according to the opinión of Sir William Seott, in the case of the Oroziiubo ((5th Robinaon's Reports, page 4'JO), and this even although her captain and öfficers were I iinorant that tbev had such a nerson on bosrd. This is their lookout. Suoh ignoranec1 is no excuso, bccausc t is the'r duty to ioquire int o the obaraoter of their passengers. ïlic consc(uence is the i me to the beiligerait aa if they bad cted with full knowledge. 'Otherwise,' ia the languago of a distinguished jurist, 'neb opportunitips ot eonveynnee would : be constsntly used, and it wouid be i most impossible, in the greatcr nuinber o( case?, to prove the knowledgo and purity of tbe inimcdinte offt-ndurs.'" On the 8th of October Mr. Banoroft daregped the following letter to Lord Palmerston, the prest nt Premier: "90 Eaton Squaüe, Oct. 8, 1847. "My Lord - In conscqucucc of in rtruction from tho American eovernment, I cal led at the Foreign office a few dayg ago to represent to 3rour Lordhip the eonduct of Captain May, of the British mail steamcr Teviot, who, untcindful of bis duty as a neutral, nnd nsing improperiy the extraordinurv privilege whicb the American goveriiment bas grautcd to Britieh mail pfeamers ever sinco the coinmeneeinent f the pretent war vutii .Mexico, in the nionth of August last brougbt from the H ivsnH to Vera Cruz General Paredes, late President of Mexico, the author of' the war of Mexico against the United States, and their avowed and embittered eneruy. By tho principies cf Britbh : law, according to the opinión of Sir W'illiam Scott (6 Robinson's Reporta, 430) Captain May bas rendered the Teviot üable to corfiscation, er the President of he United States might effect unlly j ent similar aid to tho eneiuy by ! drawing fsom these steamers iho privilege ; n{ entering the port of Vera Cruz. Uut ' I ra confident iier Majesty'a government will render eueh steps unnecessary by dopting efficiënt measures to prevent tor tbe future such violations of thoir neuIrality. If Captain .May, or any of big oiSoerg implicated n this serious óbarge, re oflicers in the British service, 1 foei bonud tu ask for their dismissal, or puniihment in such other wav as niay clearly rosnifest that the British government bas ÜMpproved their conduct. " I bavo the honor to bo, my lord, wiih high consideration, jour Lordship's obclicut, bumblo servant, "GKOHGli BANCEOFT. " VUeount Palmküston, &c, &c , &c." To tbis demand the followiog conolaíí7o and satistaetory repííea were ro torned by bis Lordship : Foreign üfïicb, Oct. 12, 1847. "Sik - I have the honor to acknowldge tho receipt of your letter of the Rth inst , stating tint jou have been iutrnottd by the gorerunient of the United States to eomplain thnt Captain May, of ttie British mail steamcr fóriot, violated ho belligerent rights of tbc Uuited State" by bringing the Mexican General Psredes from Havana to Vera Cruz in ♦he month of August last ; and I have to inform you that 1 have referred ilioabove oomplaint to the proper departuicnt of her Majegty's governmont, in order thut the charge brougbt against the captain nf the Tovoit niay be oiliuiailv íuvestiga" I bve the honor to bo, sir, your most cocdient, bumblo servant, PALMERSTON. "Oeokgï Banckoft. Es(j." &c, &c. Office, Nov. 16, 1847. "Sir - In answer to your letter of tho fth inst., oompkining of the conduct of Captaiu May, of the British mail steamer Tevoit, in baving conveyed General Paredes from the Havana tu Vera Cruz in the month of August last, I have the honor to state to you tbat the Lords {ommissioners of the Admiralty baving ! nrestigated the circumstaiices of this af(tir, her Majcsty's governnitíiit havo inforiaed the Direetors of the Rojal Mail HtöiöJ Packet Compauy, to wbotn the eteaaeer ïcvoit belong., that the Direetors aee bound to tesïify, in a marked saanner, tbeir disapproval of Captain May'i coaduct in liaving thus abused the iudulgiuee iifforded to the company's reesels by tlie government of the United fitatoa; and tüu Directors liavo accordlogly statod to her Majesty's government that they will immediately suspeud Captain May from bis command, and tbut they publicly and distinctly conieinu auy aot on the part of thtir officers I whicb may be regarde-d as a breuob of faith loward8 the government of tho United States, or as an infringeinent or invasión of the regulations es'iiblished bthe United States officeis in those psrts of Mexico whieh are occupied by tbe forces of tbo United States. ' I have tbe honor to be, with high onideration, sir, your most obedieut, tiumblc serrant, " PALMERSTON. " Gpo?Pi JJaïchoit, Esq , &c , &c." Thus ;u tbe precedent Bet by Greai Britaiu bersejf, as wiquestionablo public law, in tli cano of a pen.oa who, without sny actual official ehüructer - and rcally n exile and adveuturcr - was only kuown to be a prominent enemy of tbe United i States, wbo bad foruierly enjoyed higb ; politloal and military rank iu bis country, whicb was tbt'O unhajipily at war witU