Richmond enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1815-1867, 1861-11-19
Aiebnou0 Enquirer,
TUESDAY MORNING, NOV. 10, 1901.
capture Of nIessrs. Mason ana sildehF
BY TYLER. WISE & ALLEGRE.

Capture OF nIessrs. Mason ana sldellF
The intelligence vas officially received III
this city on yesterday, that Messrs' >. Al
| Mason and John Slidell, our ministers to Eng
! land and France respectively, have been seized
By r United States vessel, and are now prison
ers in Fortress Monroe! The circumstances 81
the capture invest an esent important IN slse!'
will extraordinary interest.
The despatch from Gen. Iluscr to the Score
tary of War, states that they we're taken from
an English mai! steamer, while on iirr way
from the Vest ladies TO Engiand, by The UNI
ted States vessel Of war San Jacin'c, c"mmand
ed bv Commodore Wilkes. The attaches Of
the Two ministers wire also taken, and now
share tl,sir captivity in Fortress hcnroe'
1t is believed Tia. the Ministers sailed on tho
e!h inst, and that they were brought to For
trcss Monroe or Saturday, the 10Th. These
dates afford the only information we have as
to tho distance tho mail steamer had gained
before its arrest by the S-n Jac'nto.
This extraordinary act Of the Lincoln Gov
eminent, tu,st be frlla@ed by important con-
SEQUENCES. II is Impossible for the English
Government wi,l!uut disgrace, to isll to exact
the fullest rcparatior. If Commodore Wilkes
acled under orders, We do not see how Lincoln
can possibly escape tho most serious cothP'-
cations with the English Government. llltoe
SAID that England, in 1912, claimed the right oil
visitation Of our national vessels, and SEIZURE
Of Le- subjects on board, it will be replied that
our Government denied tho right, and resisted
it with war and that England in consc
oaence abandoned tn" practice. Nay, so SCH
.itiva have We, sgd 81 dsjcrent;al has England
since beer Oh tins point, that even suspected
.;uv.rs SAILING under our flag have been pro-
tectcd by !; from English visitation, although
We agreed viii. England! ia ~deropnclns the
slav. trade as piracy!
Gan England, after eonceding all this 10 our
claim, md after having so long abandoned the
exercise, il she has not disavowed the right OF
visitation and seizure, NOM submit othe hard
ships Of It. theory, tho benefit Of which was
denied :lcr AMI, that TOO, VI the hands 81
the government whieE dsm!ed it, Will she
silow what still c!airus to be the Government
q! the Unite! States &c have tho benefit, an't
herself In: disadvantage. of both sides st H."
question # Is not possible.
Eagi.ni has acknowledged uS I" be a tel'i'
serent power, and declared that she would
maintain il neutrality. Tie a!law her mail
steamer to be stopped on the Casan, and per-
CONS taken from u5dcr tho protection OF her
h.... by r Jurisdiction Is 10 whose quarrel silo
i; neutral, is as much AZ war with all her p'ac'
t;ca .nl traditions. AZ ii is opposed IL her
honnr. England, like America, has ever been
4 house Of refuge among the nations; and Tho
slrai GER under her flag has always found the
protection due to her nwn subjects, cx-
teAGeL with all the generous sensItirsness 81
an Memorable host. Lincoln will have to apo
~ =" e&d :ra....r Ike s:GtHS. or fight. We see
~" O. .'n' IL. ria''n.