Memphis daily appeal. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1847-1886, 1861-11-19
OFFICIAL JOURNAL OF THE CITY.
REP0ETE CAPTURE or TIVE con-
FEBERATE COMMISSIONERS.

WI. AatL|N#Aaa @tHNALH-N
Richmond aIegs the capture Of cur Commission
e-s. Messrs. Mason and SLIDELL, while en- route
for Europe. by the agents OF the Lincoln gov
eminent. They were sailing on g British MAJ
steamer, which Is represented as having been
boarded bv o Fedora. war-vesssl, under com
maua Of Commodore WILKES, and being cap
fursd, were takento Fortress Monroe as Prisoners
of war. This intelligence appears TO have been
communicated By Gen. WOOL to Gen. HUGER,
and was sent thence to Richmond By telegraph.
The proceeding Is so utterly audacious, and IN
sucb palpable coutayeution Of the laws OF ma
lions. that we are naturally disposed at first
blgsh to give but little credit to it. But when
we come to consider the disreputab,e character
OF the Lincoln government i-s tanatcal dlsTe-
gard Of every. hing that savors OF law and order
and is keen desire go foil every contamination
thu can in any way further The Southern cause,
we s-- disposed to aJa.e our skeplclsmr and be-
lisvs that. under the circumstances, II may not
De without foundation in fact.
This out-are upon the British flag, Il that
Government saI retains It's wontel selErsspect,
i seems TO Us, viii raise an issue with the Fed
eral wir-vam O.. Washington, which may find
solution. In tie a--5iTaaea. of TIE sword.
There is no principle O, iuterua-eaa} law more
definitely settled shan tina. q ual1aa. flag upon
the high seas gives tie sam. I-5.se.i5n that
v-our8 be derived from being within lie .uuedi-
ats territorial jurisdiction d As gyvgrnmeut to
whom The flag bs.ongs. Hence the arrest Of
these commissioner was SIS Illegal and unsu-
ts5rf-e5. as chat Of Nj. YANCEv, who is now in
London. OF Judge RosT, in Paris, would be.
It is true that, in time Of wax, by way Of en-
fr--s-- tie rights Of b~e.ligenuts against the
6-slrsusules of r~eutTsls, the law Of nations
s-us n with The practical power OF visitation
AID sls-cl. end Il IL probable that Mr. SEWARD
VIII seek aa apo'c-y Tor So high-Lauded q proce-
Gu-e p axis slb.eriuge. L Is founded upon
mes, however, and is design is to prevent
neutral vessels lon carrying an enemy prop
s-v -5a- u Dispatches. Though some nations
have 5-s1 disposed 20 question aud even resist
tie exercise Of tie night, IS was the case with the
Rs size C5afe5sracy during The American war,
and De Convention Of Bl.ic powers in I1yl,
according 20 Chancellor KENT, the highest
authorities acknowledge the right in time of
war d nesting ca sound principles Of public
Jurisprudence. aai upon tie Institutes and prac-
Ucs gtal -rsa. maritime powers
Bat, saws the same author, this right is
o5nfgsI TO yr.ra,e uerrIzai r~essss, and does not
ag7ly 20 public ships Of w-r Their immunity
foa tie exercise Of any eirH or er,nllal jurs-
dic.i-- la- ta-- u the sovereign power % which
they belong. uniformly asserted, claimed and
conceded The same principle applies with
equll s-ca % a1y other government. vesse. which
Is 1u5-- -hs immediate supervision and control
Of t-- national authorize IS, as is the case with
aPlJ-c mai steamer ike the one upon which
those alleged cal,-.ss we've made. a contrary
doe-ra- vs be,e,, nor 70 De found in any
iur-, or ents GA tas av OF nations, or even
a. ae p any treaty,
L. -- case O. pBTNs FBEpERrK, ? Doison
Re-. l51, the question was raised whether a public
armed ship, belonging 20 the King Of Neither
lands, was iiaoie, even while in a British port,
to civil or criminal process, and though the Gaze
was uo- decided, the weigh. Of authority went
70 esa5lish the negative on the grounds Of
genera. policy and the usage Of nations"
Again: England has already refused to look
upon tAs citizens Of the Confederate States as
rebels. bat has, ON the contrary, accorded 10
ihea an o6cial acknowledgment as beIig-
ersn.s and as WHEATON, observes in his work
on International law, the practice Of na-
tons hiss allowed to neutral States the
privilege Of receiving ministers from jslig-
sreH. gsress, and Of an immediate negotiation
with them" Ire transportation Of the Con
feIea-a Commissioner comes within this clause,
and in no aise violates 81 assumed attitude of
neutrality. They were therefore legitmataly
under the protection Of the British Gag, and this
rude, unlicensed arrest Of them, we repeat, is a
sheer iuse.. TO that flag. It IS a casas 5eHi, and
should be accepted as such by Great Britain
unIcss she design to skulk The responsibility
resting upon her IN the eyes Of the world.
l. 5 very probable that when called to ac-
count for the outrage, thss the Lincoln govern
men. VIII diFoan al responsibility for the con
duct Of this man WHEEs, and offer some un-
meaning apology coucled in humble language
for IFS preparation. All is uupuncipled officers
desire viii be accomplished in the delay occa-
stoned by correspondence that viii be ELECTED,
AMI the seizure Of official dispatches found upon
the persons oi TIE Commissioner from cur gov
eminent Unless this base aud c1warily sub
tsra-e s res0rtel 20 by the Lincoln wigwam,
we may ezpe.. John Ban and Brother Jonathan
20 be lo.oring ~ mutual insults and defiance,
long offered, with the ster1er sequence Of cuffs