The daily Gate City. [volume] (Keokuk, Iowa) 1855-1916, 1861-12-30
KEOK u *:
THE sLIDEIL AND MASON AFFAIR.

THE SLIDEIL AND MASON AFFAIR.
The surrender of Slidell and Mason to
the British Government is likely to excite
astonishment and indignation in the minds
of most of our readers But we doubt
net the perusal of the entire correspond
ence in the premises will tend to dispel.
or Mt least diminish the very natural ex.
element which will meet the first bare
announcement of the fact
The case was one of double compiled
ton and of special delicacy and immense
Importance just at this critical juncturc of
our affairs. In the first place our Gov
eminent denied the propriety and protest.
ed against the course of the British Gov
eminent in admitting the rebel Gonfeder
aey to the rights and privileges of bel
ligerent power. The view taken by the
British Government on that matter was
backed, however, by France and other
European powers, and furnished only
ground of friendly remnnstrance, not OF
hostility on our part. Still it was impor
tant that our Government should maintain
Its original position assumed in its protest
against the recognition OF the rebels as
belligerents,
But the seizure Of Slidel and Mason
on board a BRUSH ship as p5iiriCat refu-
gees, amenabie to the laws Of the United
States. would be utterly unjustifable by
the laws of nations In order, therefore,
to undertake TO justify it, our Govern
ment would have to abandon its original
position assumed in the protest But then
comes another difficulty for our Govern
nent, for from our earliest history we
have maintained the very position now
maintained by the British Government
and that Government has practiced on the
opposite principle We have commended
from 1890 10 the present day that the flag
OF neutral Government protected every
person on shipboard except military Off
GERS in the service Of tie belIigerent ma
lions. This Is q special statement of our
position historically applicable to this very
case, while the general principle under
which 1t comes has been the subject of
controversy between the British and
American Governments for three quarters
OF century, and was ut the bottom of
the war between the two countries in
1912.
The course of events has forced Eng.
Land 10 assume, in the present case, tie
position heretofore occupied 10y u.s. 1t is
the true position also, and it we'll becomes
our Government to stand by it even to our
disadvantage in this individual case
The principle is ole which the Govern.
ments If Continental Europe desire to
see established, and now that England has
made a stand for it in this notable in.
stance she will be held to it forever here
after.
Let not our war-dogs think they will
famish for lack of fight England is
bound to pick quarrel with us, and when
thus Yretenee is removed she will find an.
other. She is now exactly in the humol
o. the wolf in the fable which quarrelec
with the lamb for drinking at the sam,
time he did and making the water muddy
and when his attention was directed t,
the fact that the water would MOI run a.
stream, the wolf thought he would hay,
good picking any how, and pitched in,-
Such precisely is the spirit and policy 0
the British Government, and with or with
out pretence they will pick quarrel Will
US But whether they get into a wa
with us now or not, the British Govern
ment has taken a course in 'aid aud com
FORT Of his rebellion in an effort tohum
BILE our flag, which has sunk deep in tn
Am I can heart The settled, stern
thoughtful demand for vengeance vii
become a universal American sentimcn,
which will "bde its time but will b
all the more terrible when that time shall
come
kS A regiment Of cavalry left St, Lou
Is the same day with Gen Curtis. Prob