The Sun.
London, England, 1861-12-11 00:00:00

THE PEACE SOCIETY.

The follewing memorial has just been sent from
the Committee of the Peace Society to Lord
Palmerston :

"TO THE RIGHT HON. LOEB PALMERSTON, FIRST LORD

OF THE TREASURY.

" My Lord,—We ask permission, as the Committee of the
Peace Society, but representing also, in this instance, we
are happy to believe, the sentiments of a largc number of
persons not formally connected with that body, to express
the deep concern with which we have learnt of recent
events that are likely to create serious misunderstandings
between this country and the United States of America.
" We rejoice in the assurance that, notwithstanding the
irritating nature of the matter in dispute and the excited
state of the public mind, your Lordship's Government are
prepared to conduct the negotiations with the Cabinet of
Washington with the utmost moderation and forbearance ;
nor can we doubt that the generous people of this country,
when the first natural irritation has subsided, will amply
sustain your Lordship in such a policy of coneiliation as
that which under the circumstances would be most worthy
of our character as a powerful Christian nation. England
can, without any derogation of her dignity, afford to be
magnanimous in her dealings with a sister State struggling
in the agonies of a domestic revolution.

" We earnestly hope that the answer which may be re-
ceived from the American Government will be such as to
open the way for a speedy adjustment of the point in dis-
pute. But, should difficulties interpose in the way of its
satisfactory solution by ordinary diplomatic negotiation, we
venture respectfully to submit to your Lordship whether
the question on which the controversy turns is not of a
nature which renders it specially suitable for reference to
arbitration.

" We beg leave to recall to your Lordship's remembrance
that the principle of arbitration which the British Govern-
ment, to its great honour, was the first to commend to the
attention of the Paris Conference of 1854, through the
mouth of Lord Clarendon, was recognised and ratified by
the unanimous consent of that august body, and embodied
in a resolution expressed in the following terms :
" ' The Plenipotentiaries do not hesitate to express, in
the name of their Governments, the wish that States be-
tween which anyiirserious misunderstanding may arise
should, before appealing to arms, have recourse, so far as
circumstances might allow, to the good offices of a friendly
Power.'

" The principle thus formally consecrated by the sanction
of all the great Governments of Europe has since received
the spontaneous and cordial homage of eminent statesmen
of this country of various political parties. It was described
by Mr. Gladstone, as a great triumph, a powerful engine
on behalf of civilisation and humanity.' The Earl of Derby
referred to it, as the principle which, to its endless honour,
was embodied in the protocols of the Conference of Paris.'
The Earl of Malmesbury pronounced the act of the Con-
ference in acknowledging and recommending the principle,
as, in his judgment and that of the Government of which
he was a member, one of the most important to civilisa-
tion and to the security of the peace of Europe,' because
it recognised and established the truth, that time, by giv-
ing place for reason to operate, is as much a preventive as
a healer of hostilities.'

" We would further remind your lordship that Great
Britain and the United States have already in their rola •
lions with each other solemnly recognised this principle
even in its most rigid form of application. In a treaty be-
tween the two Governments relative to fisheries, commerce,
and navigation, ratified at Washington, Sept. 9, 1854, there
is a clause which provides that, in case of differences arising
between the contracting parties on any matter connected
with the treaty, the question in dispute shall be referred
first to Commissioners, and in the last resort to an arbitra-
tor or umpire to be mutually chosen ; 'the high contracting
parties'—such are the terms of the treaty—' solemnly
engaging to consider the decision of the Commissioners,
conjointly, or of the arbitrator or umpire, as the case may
be, as absolutely conclusive in each case decided upon by
them or him respectively.'

" We respectfully suggest, my lord, that here are autho-
rities and precedents abundantly sufficient to warrant the
British Government in proposing that the question now
pending between them and the Government of the United
States, if it cannot be otherwise settled, should be referred
to the decision of some friendly and impartial arbitrator.
If it bo productive of no other advantage, it will at least
afford time for that exasperation of the public mind to sub-
side which unhappily prevails on both sides of the Atlantic,
and which, far more than any difficulty inherent in the sub-
ject itself, threatens to embarass the two Governments in
their attempts to give it a pacific solution.
" We earnestly pray, my lord, that your lordship and the
Government of which you are the head may be endowed
with that wisdom which is profitable to direct, which is
pure. peaceable, gentle, and easy to be entreated,' so as to
avert from these two great civilised and Christian nations a
war which would bo a reproach to their civilisation and a
bitter satire upon their professed Christianity.

" JOSEPH PEASE, President.
44 HENRY RICHARD, Secretary."

THE CAPTIVE REBEL COMMISSIONERS.

United States Marshal Murray, who boarded the
San Jacinto as she was coming into this port with
_ despatches from Washington directing her to
proceed to Boston Harbour, and deposit the pri-
soners Slidell and Mason in Fort Warren, and
who accompanied the captives on the voyage,
returned yesterday morning, and report the follow..
ing incidents of the voyage :—The passage occupied
five days, including one day's stoppage at Newport,
where she put in for coal, and was exceedingly
rough and unpleasant. The rebel Commissioners
remained in the cabin nearly all the time, although
they were allowed the freedom of the vessel. Mason
came out on deck three or four times during the
trip, but Slidell did not make his appearance out-
side the cabin. The marshal was introduced to the
prisoners on first going aboard, but held no conver-
sation with them during the trip. The prisoners
were not at all talkative with any one except them-
selves and their secretaries, Eustace and M'Farlane,
and the only amusement they seemed to have was
an occasional game of backgammon. When they
were first taken on board after their capture from
the British steamer Capt. Wilkes told them that he
should endeavour to make them as comfortable as
his means would permit, but he wished it distinctly
understood that they were in a United States Go-
vernment vessel, and there must be no political talk
on board. They messed with Capt. Wilkes during
the trip, and were made as comfortable as the bois-
terous voyage would permit. They arrived off Fort
Warren early on Sunday morning last, and at 9
o'clock the marshal and Capt. Wilkes left the ship
and went to the fort to make arrangements with
the commandant, Col. Dimmick, for the reception
of the prisoners. Everything being prepared, the
debarcation took place at 11 o'clock. Mason first
came out of the cabin, dressed in Virginian home-
spun, and as he walked up to the gangway, on
either side of which stood Capt. Wilkes and Mar-
shal Murray, he is represented as the most forlorn
picture of chopfallen chivalry ever witnessed. The
look of mingled fear and despair depicted upon his
countenance, the flopping of his under jaw, which
the marshal likens to the movement of a pump
handle, and the utter want of heart and manliness
with which he bora his situation—so different
from the supercilious, defiant, and domineering
airs which he used to assume in the United
States Senate—were calculated to inspire only
derision and contempt in the minds of thmeewspheact-
tators. After him nia, .Slidell, with a somewhat
less timid air, but still his haves every now and then

lowing "traps" belonging to the Commissioners
which were conveyed in two carts :—six or eight
trunks, six valises, several cases of brandies, wines,
and liquors, a dozen or more boxes of cigars, two
casks (pints and quarts) of bottled Scotch ale. On
arriving at the Fort, they were introduced to Col.
Dimmick, who said, " Gentlemen, I am most happy
to receive you in Fort Warren." The marshal hero
informed the prisoners that he would be under the
necessity of searching their baggage, and requested
them to hand over their keys. They complied, and
a thorough search was made, but no papers or de-
spatches of any kind were found. The marshal
then returned the keys and the prisoners were shown
to their quarters. The probability that all their
official papers were deposited in the mail bag of the
Trent, or they might have been transferred to the
ladies who accompanied them, as there was ample
time for that purpose before they were taken
from the Trent. When the news of the
capture of the Commissioners first reached here,
it was ccompanied by a report that Captain
Wilk aid expressed a doubt of the legality
of his acttop, and said that he expected to be
4shieretitsTit is a mistake. He understood well
What he at, and had informed himself as
far as he was able o. ernational ,law before the
capture. While in hhe procured the best
authorities on the question he could find, and these,
in addition to the works on international law which
he previously had on board, confirmed him in the
conviction that he would be thoroughly justified in
the seizure. It was his original intention to seize
the vessel as well as Slidell and Mason, but finding
a large number of passengers on board, who would
be greatly discommoded by such a procedure, he
finally concluded to let her continue her journey.
After capturing his prisoners he steered the San
Jacinto towards Port Royal, in hopes that he would
be in time to take a hand in the fight at that place,
but he was a little too late.—New York, Times.