The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1861-11-21

Mason and SIfdell Capture I'm Canada.
From The Toronto Leader, Nov. 49,
Tho arrest OF Messrs Mason and Sde, under the cir
cumsances reoted the Geographic dispatches, s in
many respects the most Important noioei's VI 'u0
Tho information furnished upon the subject is charac
teriscay Indefinite We gather however, that the Conie
dc ate Minister'S TO France and England had passed from
Cuba whore they landed from Charleston, TO Bermuda
with the view OF taking passage in British steamer for
England Commodore Wilkes, Of tho federal service,
commanding a vessel-ofwar, demanded their surren-
der, and was met by the British captain with
declaration that /" there was not force enough to
take them.n Another American vessel was thon
placed position and under the threat OF American guns
the captain OF tho unarmcd British vessel delivered up
his passengers, the time protesting against the
course OF the American officer And Messrs. Mason and
Sden are prisoners in the hands OF tho federal al
thortes 1t Is admitted that The parties proceeded on
board tho British steamer as ordinary passengers no
lance upon the nyioabity Of the British flag; and they
received in good faith by the captain commanding
Accepting the statements which TO from North
ern sources there for any suspicion OF cou
sion between tho Southern Minister'S passengers and
the officers of the British steamer. They secure
under the protection of the Union Jack land they
manned under the protection when they transferred
themselves to q British deck.
The action of the american Commodore, then constitutes
the ofea;ire outrage Which Brother J0ndtdn has dared
10 rerpeae UPON the British flag. II Mcssrs Mason and
Sdel may be seized board OF British steamer and
carried OF prisoners, they might with equal proprety
have be seized during their stay in Bermuda. In
gard 10 the British flag, the Yankee Commodore has
right at which he does not possess land and tho
fact that he did not make any attempt to effect
Bermuda is equivalent To confession that lie had
lawful authority in the premises Avowediy he waited
unit. Mcssrs Mason and sde had sailed, and then sus.
tanned by overpowerng naval force, he exncted their
surrender under protest AS the stands, there
not feature to modify its ofcnsivcness. o1nto
nnroposed and ind Jcnsibe insuE 10 the British tiog
Tho proceeding is rendered worse by the tonc which
the right Of search They have held that tho flag
country is nvoiabe shelter to the persons who sail
beneath III and they went 20 war with Britain rather
than sbmit to the right which government claimed
OF taking British sailors from American ships. They
pcrillcd everything rather than acknowledge foreign au
thory in American vessels and tacy their position
has been acquiesced in Now however they venture to
do what they treated as cause of war when done by
another Power They have asserted their right TO search
British vessels and to take from them part whose
whoe offence is political in its character. Clearly,
such act he liberated ~ h.is instance IL may Dc multiplied
guards an leneath IL, ,yiii be heard no more
II an American malpf war may cocrce British vessel
in the channel q the bahamas American officers may stop
and search the Cnnad RS the Canadian steamers or any
other British steamer, when aud where they please Ii
they may outrage the British flag at sea, they may defy
II land, and they drag from Canada the refugees
who here seeking shelter from federal desp0 ism.
TIE pre-, cora0 iciU mol be tolerated And this
of Messrs Mason and slido will probably bring the qucs
ton TO ISSUE 1t is not the first attempt which the
NorbegLe-s have male since the commencement of tae
do as they will towards British authority. the
incursion OF armed rnflans into Essex 10 capture
British subjects who had left the federal army,
sample OF what VIC might expect Mr. Stewards agents
but that occurrence though gross trivial compared
10 thu pr ings OF Commodore Wilkes. The arrest If
Mason and .oidtH sfries al the root N Britih authority,
and G6i,nS ,ighi ne lat Of The Northern Sctes 10
ichch fhc meanest nation Chiton could not honor
ably submit
he Washington government disaro,cal Of ne act n their
Commodore, and The release Of Mesvs Mdsoa and Slid
Not to assume this would be TO suppose that B ian Is IN
different the rights and honor of her flag OF these
contingencies we need not say which is the more prob
able
From the Toronto Globe, Nov 49,
An event has just occurred which might, handled IN
temporarily, involve the United States and Britain in very
serious complications An American Irgate the san
JacDt9, has stopped British mail steamer on The high
seas comp lied the surrender O. Messrs Mason and
Sldc diplomatic representatives OF the reyoltcd States
their way TO Europe Had the British been
grain less prudent had he rked the loss of his
sci TO the safety Of his passengers and had the san
acnto captain ventured 10 Are upon her the aspect Of
the matter would have been much serious than what
is now presented. Possibly the American officer would
not have proceeded to cxremties hut the British
mandcr, whoever he was acted rightly in yielding for
the moment well aware as he must have been that his
government would recty any error or injustice which
might be committed.
There be doubt that the action of the San ia
cinto commander outrage the British dag and
an nfracton of international law There can be pos
sibe justification for il. The niN duals arrested were
voyaging i'll vessel of neutral Power, under the pre-
lection OF its flag cngas III no act Of violating
law which could possibly be applied their case Yet
the vessel conveying them stopped upon her course.
and by threats their surrender secured. II such
were permitted there would be possibility q acting
neutral part in any Ii subject OF OF the bel
lserent Powers were found Oh board of any ship, that
ship would be liable 10 seizure by the other begeren till
be searched 8, could neutral territory There are many
Southerners in Canada at this moment and the action OF
the San Jacinto legal there would be 10 hiniranoe
10 Americans coming over here and carrying them of 10
Fort Lafayette or Fort Warren The matter does not adj
init OF DISPUTE The seizure OF SIessrs siic and Mason
gross wrong, which can only be repaired by Ire
OFF, ample apologies y the United States government
and the liberation Of the captivcs.
In the year 1904 Sir George Rumbod, British Charge
d. Afaires in SaXony seized at his country house
Hamburg by party OF French troops and conveyed
to Paris The Senate Of Hamburg appealed TO the courts
of Berlin Vienna and St. Petersburg to protect the
trality OF their territory ana IN obedience to the
circumstances Of Prussia, Napoleon, then almost at
the zenith of his greatness, liberated the captive
This is almost a parallel case, the difference be-
tween land and water not affecting it, The Of the
Leopard and the Chesapeake will occur to many pa
ralle The British irgte Leopard demanded the priy
lege Of searching the American rigate Chesapeake for
deserters 1t refused the British shin fired broad
side into the other which beng unprepared for action
was compelled TO haul down her colos and the fesrers
were taken from her. For this highly roprehensble act
Mr. Canning offered ample apologies which were accepted
by the United States government. Still later. in the year
1872 a Hungarian refugee, Koszta, sought refuge
board an American ship-ol-war III the Mediterranean
lis slrrcnderYas demanded by the AUSTRIAN aa'ho'es
but the Ameii an commander refused to give him mp
and was highly commented for doing By his govern
ment and the public at large.
We imagine that the taken by Napoleon L. when
he was almost undspuei master Of Europe, that Of
Mr. Canning, acting for the powerful government of
Britain viii not be rejected BY President Lincoln at the
present crisis Neither will he disregard the precedent
laid down by his predecessor in the koszta case.
The seizure Of slidcll ard Mason wrong. but il
ry records These dipc matiss going Europe to
Stir mp feeling against the North and the acnow
iedgment Of The southern confederacy In sczing them
the American officer did 10 accomplish their
eriand than anything they could possibly have
done themselves. We have expectation that
the British government will deal with the mat
ter otherwise than temporarily. bit the collision
VIII strengthen tie hands of the uninuentia parties
IN britain who are striving to induce the government
interfere IN the American quarrel Better have had ten
oieis and Masons IN Europe than permit such
OF quarrel 70 arise We know MOI what may be The
character oil the captain Of tho san Iacinto for loyalty
but II he intended to help the insurgents he could not
nave gone about the work better. The American vessels
have been vanly chasing the Sumter from port TO port
they have allowed the Bermuda enter Savannah and to
leave III they have permitted the Huntsville reach the
befindas and receive the cargo Of tho Fng they have
reserved all their courage ana activity TO stop an un
armed neutral vessel on the and take from her two
venerable non combatants But for the Port RnVal hom.
bardm mt The whole American naval service would sink
beneath contempt
The extreme anxiety OF the Washington government to
prevent the Southern dipomatists reaching Europe is
curious piece # weakness who profess 10 be care
less as 10 the action % foreign Powers The United states
have nothing to fear from Europe, Il they % OF wh
the war vigorously and succeed IN the desired ouoct IL
preserving the Union and il is altogether very small
bus ness 10 hunt couple Of meni over Tie ocean to
prevent them using their tongues TO persuade
the shrewd rulers Of England and France e. do
q he pfpyp a ar