The Settlement of the Mason and Slidell Affair

       Subjoined will be found an abstract of the correspondence between the Governments of Great Britain and of the United States in relation to the question of international law raised by the proceeding of Capt. Wilkes; and of the representations made on the same subject by the Government of France, and the reply of Mr. Seward in answer to these representations.
       The correspondence opens with a communication from Mr. Seward to Mr. (Charles Francis) Adams, our Minister to England, under date of November 30, in which, after mentioning the Trent affair, he says:
       "It is to be met and disposed of by the two Governments, if possible, in the spirit to which I have adverted. Lord Lyons has prudently refrained from opening the subject to me, as I presume waiting instructions from home. We have done nothing on the subject to anticipate the discussion; and we have not furnished you with any explanations. We adhere to that course now, because we think it more prudent that the ground taken by the British Government should be first made known to us here; and that the discussion, if there must be one, shall be had here. It is proper, however, that you should know one fact in the case without indicating that we attach importance to it, namely, that in the capture of Messrs. Mason and Slidell on board a British vessel, Capt. Wilkes having acted without any instructions from the Government, the subject is therefore free from the embarrassment which might have resulted had the act been specially directed by us.
       "I trust that the British Government will consider the subject in a friendly temper, and it may expect the best disposition on the part of this Government."
       On the same day (Nov. 30), Earl Russell, Her Britannic Majesty's Secretary for Foreign Affairs, writes to Lord Lyons, reciting the circumstances under which be understood the capture of these parties to have been made, and proceeds to characterize it as an outrage on the British flag, and, after expressing the hope and belief that it had not been authorized by our Government, adds:
       "Her Majesty's Government, therefore, trust that when this matter shall have been brought under the consideration of the Government of the United States, that Government will, of its own accord, offer to the British Government such redress as alone could satisfy the British nation, namely: the liberation of the four gentlemen and their delivery to your lordship, in order that -they may again be placed under British protection, and a suitable apology for the aggression which has been committed. . .        Lord Lyons, in acknowledging (Dec. 27) the receipt of Mr. Seward's communication, says:
       "I will, without any loss of time, forward to Her Majesty's Government a copy of the important communication which you have made to me.
       "I will also without delay do myself the honor to confer with you personally on the arrangements to he made for delivering the four gentlemen to me, in order that they may again be placed under the protection of the British flag.
       "I have the honor to be, with the highest consideration, sir, your most obedient humble servant,
LYONS."