The southern aegis. [volume] (Bel Air, Md.) 1857-1862, 1862-01-04
The Surrender of Messrs. Mason and Sill.
della Good Joke.

della Good Joke.
1t would be vain to search for better
joke than was perpetrated by the editor of
the Baltimore Clipper, in his issue of Both
December, in his alluson to the settlement
of the affair of the Trent. Indeed, so we'll
has he played the part of ready-witted
wag, that, without careful examination
of his article, which we publish below, one
would really believe the fellow serious
We confess that at the first glance we
were little surprised at the amount of
fulsome praise bestowed on Mr. Seward,
and had we not known the Clippers alb
horrence of sordid motives, we might have
attributed this sudden ebullition of feeling
to administration favors and public pat
ronage; but upon more minute examin-
alton of the article in question, our doubts
were dispelled as our eye fell upon the fol-
lowing passages ave most heartily for
give Mr. Seward all has errors IN the past,
oil his ultraisnas, and what were in our
opinion dangerous theories" at averts
the menaced war, that would have been to
us q war of the bitterest endurance, if not
indeed of anmihilotion !'
After reading the above passages from
the Clippers article, none can fail to see
the ironical hit of the waggish editor at
Mr.. Secretary Seward; for, we must re-
member, it has all along been the opinion
of the Clipper that we could without diff
Guilty crush out the rebellion, with Eng
land and France at its back ; and not sup
posing that the stout-hearted editor has any
"back-down" in him, or that he approves
of what the Rev. DR.. Sunderland in the
U. s. Senate the other day denominated
deferring to the forms of soft diplomacy
in these days of blows at the national
heart, and of foreign arrogance toward the
nation" and being still less disposed to
believe that the Clipper would thus sud,
denly change front for the mere gratifca.
ton of a Secretary of State, we are com.
PEELED to think that we have put upon his
article the proper and only construction
that can seriously be given it. We there
fore publish the article as the happiest and
best joke of the season:
THE ADMINISTRATION settlement of thu
Trent imbroglio in manner alike satisfactory tC
Great Britain, honorable to our own Government
and favorable to the maintenance of amicable re-
lations with European powers, is subject fol
public congratulation. 1t is an achievement wor
thy of the Hottest craftsmanship. 1t sheds lus
tire upon the present Administration which will
grow only brighter as the nation progresses il
greatness and power. ...
We were in the midst of war for the preser
walton of our national existence. 1t was eviden
that in the event of hostilities growing out O
the Trent affair, not only England but our ole
ally, France, also would be against us. w
could not safely count upon any effective ait
from either Ireland or the Canadas. To thought
full patriots the dilemma appeared grave one
involving our humiliation by Great Britain Of
the rebels in arms against our government. Tht
masses of the loyal people had already reluctant
ly concluded that it would be better to suffer th
humiliation from q foreign power for the present
and take an opportunity to eface the stain afte