New-York daily tribune., 1861-12-31
NEW YORK DAILY TRIBUNE TUESDAY DECEMBER 81, 1861

every opportunity is taken to stir IL up, and actua
warfare coula scarcely eDgender more menaces and
threatenings. The Mason aDd Slidell affair seems TO
be dismssec from men minds, but they are waiting
aDxionsly for the account OF tie reception Of the
news from Etpland and affect to believe IL must be
received WI hout irIita'iOn or surprise there.
CAPT. Wilkes is, as / said be wonli be-and, in-
deed, not shred Of the propbeticai mantle was
needed inspire the predIcion-7a hero at once, anu
The photographers are apon hin. He has been re-
ceiying dinner and making sreeeh, which In
mercy or in justice is Dot reported, but 1t Is de-
scribd as rapid AID comfendious and the paragrapb
relating tO It stares-mafk this-that Capt. Wilkes
declare ed he would not have removed Mr. Shdeli
and Mr. Mason II they could have shown a pass
from the Government (perhaps Goverporl General
OF what OF Cuba or Of the Confederate States
Tire statement is iuexp icsUe, tat ii Capt. Wilkes
ssd anything Of tLe kind il Slows clearly be felt he
bad no ri ut u seize Mr.. Sliiell aud Mr. Mason as
common enemies, as cOntrdband OF war carriers, or
80 ambassadors" but that he made them pf-on-
ers because they were Dot provided with sone nys-
terious document or another, OF which no one ever
feard before. 1t is quite evident why Calt.
Wilkes il made hero. The discharge OF an oidi-
nary well unders'O duty does not entltle any man
TO such bopors even in AmsIea. Ii the act We're not
one of defiance and outrage, let ns say not on
the law, but OH the well understood PRINCIPLES
regulating international conity and usage, there
would have been beroism about 1t. IL Is re-
ma, ked WITH something ke an air Of astonl-hment
or will isiaeon, according to the tone OF the re-
porter that Mr. Mason Is not upToaIlously conviviai
or taai Mr. Sldc il NOT in tears in the prison. One
i. reu ndsd of Divkenss story about the cocKney
ho deried that the French were at all 9ht-6earted
or pay becauc he had seen 2, 900 OF them prisoners
Ia AN English bulk, aud not one had smile on hls
face The caitives are treated, II Is said, III Tue
same way other prisoner; but mnst rFaiiy pro-
test sgain,t lie oion which IL prevalent here-if
an judge from the assertions IN some OF toe prn-
cipal palers-tbat pol iica offenders in Epgahd are
thrown toto the dungeons Of the Tower, heavily
chained aid ironed, or that they are used Ike
felons. Mr.. O'Connel had what our American
friends call ga very nice tiue Of it, in ri, hmoud
Jail ard even Bfigadier-General Msagber could
testify that he ana his iellow-prisoners were not
treated with harshness or indgniy in their Irish
prisons by the "myrmidons" Of the British Govern
nent.
DO not be in the least alarmed at the statement 10
one OF the Malignant enemies OF the peaceful reia-
tons OF the United States and England that Lord
LYONS has in the smallest degree violated the letter
or the 8, hit Of The honorable neutrality Ine
4" EXCITED President and Cabinet who stared over
the "rebel documents" brough, by distinguished
military off or from fortress Monroe, and discovered
Il al Lord Lyors in hi. official capacity was mere
agent for forwarding dispatches from the CoDieder-
crates through Biish Consular agei s III the South,
mst really feel rather ashamed OF these fasehoods
at heir cos, As to the British Minister, II would
seem that certain American journals OK the type
Of powerlessness without parallel 10 journalism,
Imagine that he is peg TO hang scandals up n
and that lie bound notice every lie which tho pow
erty of intelligence the richness of magioa'ion
OF their agents ray lead them 10 invent. fhere
sre the nost positive orders In the Chanceilery o.
the Legation prohibiting the Attaches, or others,
frou even writing to any of our own Consuls IN
tie South or sending letters under any prttense TO
the Southern S,ne, and the Consaar agents are Or
:. red most positiy.y to aix their seals 10 any
,,;va,e correspond. ace. One OF these gentlemen,
without au.hofi,y, seat few commercial letters to
Lord LYON for transmission. But the Bri ish Min
lister at one GENT them TO Mr.. Seward, the Secretary
OF State and info, ned him that he would have
no hug to do with forwarding them. Nothing,
however, can abash or shame these scandalous my
tholopists. Coniure hundred times, the "crea-
ture's al his dity work sgain." The French Con-
sni a, New.Orleins, as am informed, still sends
commercial letters French subjects by the cruis
era, without aOy difficulty or restriction, and not
word il said.