The weekly sun. (New York [N.Y.]) 1851-1869, 1861-11-30
Tho sild,n and Mason Affair in Cam Ia.

The following article possesses the more i'm.
Portance from the fact that the Toronto Lsdier
from which it Is extracted, is the recognized
organ of the Cinadiln Ministry. 1t isa state
ment Of the arguments that we may expect to
meet from the press and perhaps the Govern.
ment in England as well as in Canada.
The Globe, too, the organ of the Opposition,
concurs in the views here taken, and says that
''it will add to the strength Of the American
Government If the capiivcs are liberated with
out remonstrsncc from "Britain."
Toronto is no; very far from what was ths
seat Of war in the time Of the Canadian Re-
bcllion, at Navy Island. Perhaps tn, editors
OF the Ledlcr and he Gi5If may remember the
case of the American steamer Caroline, which
was cut loose from an American wharf. in the
quiet hour of night, and after being fired, was
SET a-driit in tho rapils to be carried over the
Falls Of Nihsin. Perhaps they can inform
their readers when and how tn, British Cow
crnment granted redress and rcplrition for
that wanton outrage upon the American nie,
and show, through tht' as q precedent. how
our Government shoili respond to tn, demands
Of their Queen, should any hc made, Ia refer
oncc to the case now in question:
OUTRAGE rroN Tur nRirisH FtAG.
Tho auc,, Of Mes,rs. Slidcll and Mason. un-
''r the circumstances rccitcd in the tccgraphc
ID patches. Is IN many respects the most inn
pnrtant incident ot the war.
The iniprnlti.u furnished upnu The sub rct il
,huactcris'irallv inlcini,c. W. gather, how.
ever, thai the Confederate ministers to France
and England had passed FROM Cuhl, where they
hal landed from Charleston 90 Bermuda, with
tho Wow Of taking passage in n British steamer
for England. Commodore Wilkcs. Of the Fcle-
rl service, commanding vessel of war, de.
mludcd their surrender, and was met 10y the
British captain with declaration that There
VIZ not force enough to take them Another
American vessel was then placed in position,
md under the threat OF American guns
he captain Of the unlrmcd British YES
eel delivered up his passengers, at tho
same time protesting against the course of
tue American officer. And Messrs. Mason anl
Slilcll arc now in th, hands Of the Federal au-
thutiiics. Il is admitted that the parties pro-
ulcdcd on board the British steamer as ordinary
passengers, in reliance upon the inyioahity Of
he British tlig; and they were received In COOL
.ith by tho captain commanding. Accepting
10, statement, which come to us from northern
sources. there is not room for anv suspicion of
,ullusiun between the southern ministers, as
passengers and the officers of the British steam
cr. They were secure under the protection OF
the Union Jack on land; they remained unlcr
the same protection when they transferred
themselves to British deck.
The action of the American commo lore
then, constitutes the mu,t offensive outrage
| which Brother Jonathan has dared to p'rp,-
tratc upon the British tlag. II Messrs. Mason
/ and Slidcll may bc seized on board of British
steamer, and carried oil prisoners, they might
| with equal propririy have been seized durin;
| thcir stay in bermuda. I'm regard to tho Brit
ish flag the Yankee commodore has no right
| At sea which he does no, possess on land and
| the fact that he dill not make any attempt to
| flee, an arrest in Bermuda il equivalent to a
confession that he had no lawful authority in the
| promises. Avowclly, hc waited until Mes,rs,
| VI son and Slidcll had sailed, and then, sus-
utnel by AN ovctpoworing naval force, hc cx-
| acted their surrender under protest. AS the
| 1sc stands, there is no. a ioaiuie to molfy it,
ncnsiycnrss, II is a wanton, unprovoked, AM
| i'eilN indcicnsiblc insult to the British flag.
The proceeding is rendered worse by the tone
! which the Americans have uniformly maintain
rl in relation to the right of search. They have
| held that the flag of a country is an invipllbe
shelter to the persons who sail beneath 1t aud
they went to war with Great Britain rather
| than submit to the right which our Government
Il ,imcd of taking British sailors from American
ships. They pcrilled everything rather than
acknowledge foreign authority in American yes-
| sells and, taCitlv, their position has been ac-
| uuicsc,d in. Now, however, they venture 10 no
| what they treated as a cause Ol war when done
hy another power. They have asserted their
right to search British vessels, and TO take from
| them parties whose whole offence Is politich in
it, character. Clearly, if such an &C be tolerlt-
ol in this instance, IL may bc multiplied ini ie-
! Gntolv. and the proud boast of England, that
| her ilig guards all beneath 1t, will be heard no
more.
II an American man-of-war may cocrce a
British vessel in the channel OF the BIhimIs
American officers may stop and search the Gu
| rnrdcrs, the Canadian steamers, or any other
British steamer, when anl whore they please.
| Ifthey may outrage the British flag nj sea, they
may defy il on land, and they may drag from
! Canada the refugees who are here seeking shClt
Ter from Federal despotism. The prct'nsion
cannot, will not, he tolerated. AMI this arrest
Of Messrs. Mason and Slidell will prob
ably bring the question TO an issue. II
is not the first attempt which tho North
einers have made since the commence
ment of the war TO do as they will
toward British authority. The incurson o
armed ruifians into Essex, TO capture British
subjects who had left the Federal army was
a sample of what we might expect If Mr.. Sew
ards agents were permitted to tamper with th'
LOYALTY of our people but that occurrence
though gross, was trivial compared to the pro
cecdings of Commodore Wilkes. The arrest O
Mason and Slidell strikes at the root Of .Bhtis
authority, and afirms the right OIL the part O
the northern states to which the meancst natiol
in Christendom could not honorably submit.
We assume that Lord Lyons will at once de
/ mand from the Washington government ds
nyowal of the act of their commodore, AMI tn
release of Mcssrs. Mason and Slidell. Not Il
assume this, would be to suppose that Britain /
Indifferent to the rights and honor Of her taI
, of these contingencies We need not say whic
is the more probable.