Cincinnati daily press. [volume] (Cincinnati [Ohio]) 1860-1862, 1861-11-22
The seizure Of Mason and sildell-HOw
Received in Canada Comments of the
Toronto Leader and Globe.
OUTAGE UroS rHn sIrrrsn FLAG.

OUTRAGE UPoN THE BRITISH FLAG.
The arrest Of Mesrs slidell and Mason,
under the circumstances recited in the tele.
ersphic dispatches, is, in many respects, the
most important incident Of the war.
The information furnished upon the subject
is characteristically indefinite. We gather,
however, that the Confederate Mitisters to
France and England had passed from Cuba,
where they had landed from Charleston, 10
Bermuda, with the view Of taking passage 10
British steamer for Englsnd. Com modore
Wilkes, of the Federal service, commanding
vessel of war, demanded their surrender, aud
was met by the British Captain With declara-
tion that "there was not force enough to take
them" Another American vessel was then
placed in position, and under the threat Of
American guns the Captain of the unarmed
British vessel delivered up his passengers, o.
the same time protesting against the course of
the American officer. Aud Messrs. Mason and
SHdell are now prisoners in the hands of tho
Federal authorities. II is admitted that the
parties proceeded on board the British steamer
as ordinary passengers, in reliance upon the
inviolabiliiy Of the British Aagi and they were
received in good faith by the Captain com
maudipg. Accepting the statements which
come TO ne from Northern sources, there is not
loom for any suspicion Of collusion between
the Southern Ministers, as passengers, and the
officers OF the British steamer. They we're
secure under the protection of the Union Jack
on land; they remained under the same prosec-
ton when they transferred themselves to q
! British deck.
The se'ion of the American Commodore,
| then, constitutes the most offensive outrage
which Brother Jonathan has dared to perpe-
trate upen the British flag. If Messrs. Mason
and Slidell may be seized on board of British
steamer, and caiied of prisoners, they might
with equal propriety have been seized during
their stay in Bermuda. In regard to the Brit
| ish flag, the Yankee Commodore has no right
a. sea which he does not possess on land and
the fact that he did not make any attempt to
effect an arrest in Bermuda is equivalent to a
| confession that he had no lawful authority IN
the premises, Avowedly, he waited until
Msssrs. Mason and Slidell had sailed, and
then, sustained by an overpo weriDg naval force,
be exacted their surrender under protest. AS
the case stands, there is not feature to modify
its oftnsiveness. 1t is a wanton, unprovoked,
and utterly indefensible insult to the British
flag.
The proceeding is rendered worse by the tone
which the Americans have uniformly main
tained in relation to the right of search. They
have held that the flag of country is an In
violable shelter to the persons who sail beneath
II; and they went TO war with Britain rather
than 10 submit to the right which our govern.
ment claimed Of taking British sailors from
American ships. They periled every thing
rather than acknowledge foreign authorize in
American vessels; and, taci,ly, their posit.On
has been acquiesced in. Now, however, they
venture to DO what they treated as O cause Of
war when done by another power. They have
asserted their right to search British vessels
spd TO take from them parties whose whole
offense is political in It's character. Clearly, II
such an act be tolerated in this instance, it may
be multiplied indefinitely, and the proud boast
of England, that ber flag guards all beneath it,
will be heard no more.
II en- American man of. war may coerce 9
British vessel in the channel Of the Bahamas.
f American officers may stop and search the
CupaHds, the Canadisn steamers, or any othel
British steamer, when and whore they please
If they may outrage the British Gag at sea
they may defy it on land, and they may drag
from Canada the refugees who are seeking
shelter from Federal despotism. The preten.
sion can not, will not, be tolerated. And this
) arrest of Messrs. Mason and Slidell will prob
| ably bring the question to an Issue. 1t is no
{ the first attempt which the Northerners have
? made since the commencement of the war, tC
i | do as they will toward British authority. The
. incuTsion of armed rnfiaDs into Essex, to cap.
3 tuTe British subjects who had left the Fedora
, Army, was a sample of what we might expec
!, if Mr. Seward'e agents were permitted to tam
5 per with the loyalty of our people, but tina
| occurrence, though gross, was trivial compared
to the proceedings of Commodore Wilkes. Th
srrest of Mason and Slidell strikes at ths roo
D of British authority, and afitms right on tn
\ | part of the Northern States to which the mean
est nation in Christendom could not honorably
2 | submit.
! We assume that Lord Lyons will at once de
| msnd from the Washington Government dis
avowal of the act of their Commodore, and th
{ release of Messrs. Mason ard Slidell. Not +
q assume this, would be to suppose that Britai
is Indifferent to the righls and honor of her fae
Of these contingencies We need not say whic
is the more probable.
e The Toronto Globe of November 18, whic
: has always been for the Union and against tn
, South, has the following article:
9 An event has just occurred which might,
e handled in,emp0rately, involve the Unite
# States and Great Britain in very serious CON
], plicstioDs. An American steam frigate, th
/. San JdcintO, has stopped q British mail steame
ON the high seas, aud compelled the surrendt
Of Messrs. Mason and Slidell, diplomatic rep
resentatives of the revolted States, on their wa
a to Europe. Had the British commander bee
u one grain less prudent, had he risked the loi
of his vessel to secure the safety of his passer
/. gers, and had the San Jdcinto captain venture
II to fire upon her. the aspect of the matter woul
It have been much more serious than what is no
h presented. Possibly the American officer woul
i not have proceeded to extremities, but ii
b British commander, whoever he was, acte
rightly in yielding, for the moment, we
aware, as he must have been, that his govern
n ment would rectify any error or injustice whiC
might be committed. .,.l
There can be no doubt that the action of IL
Is San ,JdeintO commander was an outrage on ii
n Bitish flag ard an infraction Of iuternaion
law. There can be no possible justification f
g it. The individuals arrested were vOyaging
5. a vessel of q nentral power, under the prote
le ton of its aag, engaged in no act of war, vi
Istipg no law which could possibly be appli'
10 their case; yet the vessel convey ing the
u was stopped upon her course, and by threa
o their surrender was secured. If such acts we
" permitted there would be no possibility of &C
= ipg neutral part in any war. If a subject
~ ~ one of the belIigsrent powers were found
~ board of any ship, that ship would be liable
or seizure by the other beligerent till the passe
gers were given up; and if neutral ships cOu
be searched, SO could neutral territory. The
Do are many Southerners in Canada at this m
40 meDt, and il the action Of the San Jaeinto WI
n- legal, there would be no hin6rance to Anne
70 cans coming over here and carrying them
10 to Fort Lafayette or Fort Warren. The mi
ter does n ot admit Of dispute. The seizure
Ia Messrs Slideil and Mason was gross wroI
~ which can only be repaired by the offer Of q
- pie apOloeies by the United States GOVernmC
- and the liberation Of the eAptives.
ho In the year 1904, Sir George Rumbold,
~ British Charge d'Affaires in SaxOny, was seiE,
at his country house near Hamburg, by pa
RI of French troops, and conveyed to Paris.