Nashville union and American. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1853-1862, 1861-12-01


taking passage in British steamer for England.
Commodore Wilkes, Of the Federal service, COM
msnding a vessel of war, demanded their surren-
der, and was met by the British Captain with
declaration that " there was not force enough 70
take them.n Another American vessel was then
placed in position, and under the threat Of Ameri-
can guns the Captain Of the armed British vessel
delivered up his passengers, at the same time pro-
testing against the course Of the American oticer
And Messrs. Mason and Slidell are now prisoners
ia the hands Of the Federal authorities. It is adj
mitted that the parties proceeded on board the
British steamer as ordinary passengers, In reliance
upon the involability Of the British flag; and they
were,received in good faith by the Captain COM
manding.
Accepting the statements which come to US
from Northern sources, there is not room for any
suspicion of collision between the Southern Mniss
ters as passengers and the officers of the British
steamer They were secure under the protection
of the Union Jack on land they remained under
the same protection when they transferred them
selves to British deck.
The action Of the American Commodore, then,
constitutes the most offensive outrage which Broth
Jonathan has dared to perpetrate upon the British
flag. If hessrs. Mason and SlideI may be seized on
board of British steamer AMI carried of as pris-
oners, they might with equal propriety have been
seized during their stay in Bermuda. In regard to
the British flag, the Yankee Commodore has no right
at sea which he does not possess on land and the
fact that he did not make any attempt to effect an
arrest in Bermuda is equivalent to confession that
he had no lawful authority IN the premises AyOW-
edly he waited until Messrs. Mason and Slidel had
sailed, and then sustained by overpowering ma
val force he exacted their surrender under protest
As the stands there is not feature to modify
its ofepsiveness. 1t is q wanton, unprovoked and
utterly indefensible insult to the British flag.
! The proceeding is rendered worse by the tone
which the Americans have uniformly maintained
in relation to the right of search They have held
that the flag of country is an invioabe shelter to
the persons who sail beneath it; and they went to
war with Britain rather than submit to the right
which our government claimed of taking British
saiers from American ships. They periled every
thing rather than acknowledge foreign authority in
American vessels and tacitly, their position has
been acquiesced in. Now, however, they venture
to do what they treated cause of war when
/ done by another power. They have asserted their
right to search British vessels, and to take from
them parties whose whole oense is political in its
character. Clearly, if such act be tolerated in
this instance it may be multiplied indefinitely. and
the proud boast Of England, that her flag guards al
beneath it, viii be heard no more.
If an American man of war may coerce British
vessel in the channel Of the Bahamas, American
officers may stop snd search the Cunards, the Cana
dian steamers, or any other British steamer, wher
and where they please. Ithey may outrage the
British flsg at sea- they may defy il on land, an
they may drag from Canada the refugees who ar
seeking shelter from Federal despOtism. The pre-
tension cannot, will not be tolerated. And this ar
rest of Messrs. Mason and Slidell will probably
bring the question to an issue. 1t is not the frs
attempt the NOrtherners have made since the com
mencement of the war, 10 do as they will toward
British authority. The incursion of armed rufianI
into Essex, to capture British subjects who ha
4 left the Federal army, WGs q sample Of what "
might expect if Mr.. Stewards agents were per
mltted to tamper with the loyalty of our people
but that occurrence though gross, was trivial com
pared to the proceedings Of Commodore Wilkes
The arrest of Mason and Slidel strikes at the rso
of British authority, and afirms right on tbs
part of the Northern States to which the meanes
nation in Christandom could not honorably submit
We assume that Lord Lyons will at once demanC
from the Washington Government q dissvowal o
the act of their Commodore, and the release o
Messrs. Mason and Slidell. Not to assume this
would be to suppose that Britain is Indifferent :
the rights and honor Of her flag. Of these eontin
gencies need not say which is the more Probable
The Toronto Globe of November Is, which ha
always been for the Union and against the South
has the following article:
An event has Just occurred which might if handle
Unexpectedly, involve the United States and Grea
Britain in very serious complications. An Amer
can steam frigate, the San Jacinto, has stopped
J British mail steamer on the high seas, and com
PEELED the surrender of Messrs. Mason and Slidel
diplomatic representatives, OF the reVolted State
on their way TO Europe. Had the British command
err been one grain less prudent, had he risked tn
loss of his vessel to the safety of his passer
gers and had the San Jecinto captain ventured {
, fire upon her, the aspect Of the matter would haV
been much more serious than what is now present
! ed, Possibly the American officer would not haV
proceeded to extremties, but the British command
er, whoever he was, acted rightly in yielding 70
the moment, well aware, as he must have beer
that his government would rectify any error or In
! justice which might be committed.
There can be no doubt that the action Of the Sa
Jactnto commander was an outrage on the BIRTHS
J flag and an infFaetion Of international law. Their
can be no possible justification for it. The indivId
uals arrested were voyaging IN vessel Of neutrs
power under the protection of its flag, engaged i
no act of war violating no law which could possb
be applied to their case yet the vessel conveying
them was stopped upon her course, and by threat
their surrender was secured. If such acts wer
permitted there would be no possibility Of acting
neutral part in any war. If subject of one of ia
belligerent powers were found on board Of any ship
that ship would be liable to seizure by the ethe
! belligerent till the passengers were given up AM
if neutral ships could be searched so could neutrs
territory. There are many SoutherneTs II Canad
at this moment, and if the action Of the San Jacnt
were legal, there would be no hindrance to Ameri
cans coming over here and carrying them of to For
Lafayette Or Fort Warren. The matter does no
admit of dispute. The seizure of MessFs Slidel
and Mason was gross wrong, which can onlYh b
, repaired by the offer of ample apologies by tn
United States Government and the liberation of tn
captives.
In the year 1904 Sir George Rumbold, q British
Charge d'Afairs in Saxony, was seized at his cOun
try house near Hamburg, by party Of Frencl
troops, and conveyed to Paris. The Senate Of Ham
burg appealed to the Courts Of Berlin, Vienna AM
st. Petersburg, to protect the neutrality of thei
TERRITORY. and in obedience to the circumstances
Prussia Napoleon, then almost at the zenith of hi
greatness, liberated the captive. This is almost
parallel case, the difference between land and Wate
not affecting it. The case of the Leopard and GsS
opeake will occur to many as parallel The Britis
frigate Leopard demanded the privilege of search
ing the American frigsts Ctesapeaks for deserter1
4 1t was refused, the British ship fired brosdsid
into the other which; being unprepsred for action
was compelled to haul down her oolOrs, and the de
serters were taken from her. Fer this highly repre-
e hensible act Mr.. Canning offered ample apologies
which were accepted, by the Unitedi States Govern
ment Still later, in the year l849, Hungarian re
fugee, KOszta, sought refuge on board an America
ship of war in the Mediterranean. HIS surrende
was demanded by the Austrian authorities, but th
American commander refused to give him up, an
was highly commended for so doing by his Govern
q ment and the VS5lic ct large.
: We il "'re STAT the course taken by Napoleon
+ when he y a5 almost undsputed master of Europe
that also of Ar. Canning, acting for the powerful
government Of Crest Britain, win not be rejects
D. { fbo Nastb h