The New York herald., 1861-10-17

Sir james Fergusson's letter to us does not,
therefore, alter in any respect the inference
that has been drawn from his visit to Richmond
and his associations with the rebel Commission
ers in London. 1t simply goes to establish the
possibility of an error in regard to the former,
while it withholds the information that would
have proved it, supposing it to be mistake.
The New Rebel Comm issioners to Eu-
rope-Importan Circular of Secretary
Seward.
We have already announced that the rebel
steamer Nashville, with ex-Senators Slidell and
Mason on board, ran the blockade at Charleston
on Friday last, the llth inst, and is now on her
way to Europe and that the United States
government had despatched vessels in pursuit
of her. We give to-day, in another column, the
full details fthe escape ofthe rebel steamer and
OF the departure Of our gunboats on her track.
1t appears that the Nashville has been fitted up
by the rebels especially for the service in which
she is now engaged She ran the blockade of
Charleston during the night, and it is hoped by
the rebel leaders that her arrival in Europe,
direct from blockaded port, at this time, will
have great moral effect in convincing the
European governments Of the ineftciency
of our blockade of the rebel ports and in de-
monstratng that vessels can be run in or out of
those ports with impunity at any time they
please.
The main object of the Nashvilles trip, how
ever is to land, safely and speedily in Europe
the new rebel Commssioners-or, as they call
| themselves, "Ministers "-Messrs. SIidell, of
Louisiana, and Mason, of Virginia. The rebels
have all along tlattered themselves that by Oc-
| tober, at the farthest, the Southern con-
federacy would be recognized by Eng
land and France, certainly, and prob
ably by all the other European Powers.
In this hope they have been disappointed and,
! with their usual self-concet, they ascribe the
failure Of their cherished dreams of recognition,
| not to the stern realities of the case and the
irrefutable logic of events, but only to the in
| competency and imbecility of their present
Commissioners, Messrs. Yancey, Mann, Butler,
! King and Rost. They imagine that if
they can only send out the right
| kind Of ministers in the place of the pre-
sent Commissioners their success is assured;
| and they have. therefore, selected two of the
shining lights of the confederacy for these en-
! basses, hoping that the ex-Senators who SO
adroitly manipulated and managed the Bu-
chanan administration will be able to humbug
| and seduce Lord Pamerston and Louis Napo-
| leon.
They have selected also the very best posi-
BILE time, rs well rs the best possible men, for
these missions. Now, that in Lyons, France, rs
we learn from the Araba's news, forty thou
sand workmen are out of employment, and in
England the manufacturing villages are begin
ming to be filed with idlers, discharged from
! the factories the rebels imagine that France
| and England will be well disposed to assent to
| the glittering offers Of cotton and free trade
| which Slidell and Mason are empowered
to make. Our government appreciates the
! Importance Of the affair, and has taken
measures to counteract this well devised
scheme. Three steam gunboats-the Ala
bama, Augusta and Connecticut de-
spatched from this port yesterday, by
order of the Secretary Of the Navy, to over
| haul and capture the Nashville and her diplo
matte cargo. If this expedition succeeds, we
shall not only secure fine rebel steamer, with
| a valuable freight, but we shall also get hold
| of a large party of rebel leaders, who accom-
pany Messrs. Mason and Slidell; we shall obtain
possession of large amount of official rebel
correspondence and papers; we shall demon
strae that our blockade is at least too efficient
for the rebel navy, and we shall nip in the bud
this most promising and best devised of the
rebel schemes for European recognition.
1t is useless to disguise the fact, however, that
if the Nashville eludes our feet, and Mcssrs.
Slidell and Mason present themselves at the
courts of England and France, they have
much better chance of a friendly re-
ception than at any previous period.
And in this connection we call attention
| to the circular of Secretary Seward to the Gov
| ernors Of the loyal States which we to-day pub
lish. This circular was probably issued apropos
Of the escape of the Nashville, and it urges
views which the HERALD has repeatedly present
ed. Its key note is, that we are only secure
| from foreign war while we are prepared for
it, and it calls upon all the loyal States to place
themselves in this state of preparation. 1t is
! needless to say how cordially we endorse these
| suggestions Months ago the HERALD called
upon Congress to make appropriations for our
coast defences; we have published maps and
articles showing where and why these dcfcnces
were needed; we have encouraged by every
means in our power the employment of our
local militia as sea coast guard. These sugges-
tions, once sncered at as the acme Of sensation
journalism, we are glad to find adopted and
urgently pressed by the general government
We hope that our Governors will take this mat
ter in hand Immediately that our coast will be
put in position of defence, and that our militia
will be properly trained in the use Of the
heavy sea coast artillery. Then, prepared for
any foreign foe, we should be called upon to
meet none. Only our weakness invites attack,
and when we can be strong upon the coast,
without in any way interfering with our war
upon the rebels, this weakness is unpardon-
able.