London. The 'Persia' arrived at Queenstown yesterday, having left New York on the 20th. The American newspapers are full of quotations of precedents, to prove that the seizure of Messrs. Mason and Slidell is no breach of international law, and urge that promotion and testimonials should be conferred on Commodore Wilkes for his 'spirited conduct.' Messrs. Mason and Slidell had been conveyed to Fort Warren. No one here seems to think the American Government, even if so disposed, will be permitted by the mob which governs the country to make the required apology to us.
There was a council on Saturday, when a proclamation was issued forbidding the export of saltpetre. It appears to have been the design of the United States Government to lay up a store of that commodity sufficient for a long war, and in a week or two the whole stock to be found here (we have almost a monopoly of it) would have been shipped off. In the present state of affairs it is a wise precaution to defeat this scheme.
SOURCE: Alice Countess of Stratford, Leaves from the Diary of Henry Greville: 1857-1861, p. 412
No comments:
Post a Comment