Montgomery County sentinel. [volume] (Rockville, Md.) 1855-1974, 1862-01-17
sPE E CHI
OF

der of Mason and Sldell:
The Speaker laid before the House a
message from the President, transmitting
copies of correspondence between the Sc
cretary of State and the British and
French authorities in relation to the cap
ture Of Messrs. Mason and Slidell.
Mr.. Vallandigham, of Ohio, rose, and
said as this question was debp.able. he
would submit few remarks Ha spoke
as follows:
| avail myself, sir, of this, the earliest
opportunity offered, to express my utter
and strong condemnation, as one of the
representatives of the people, of the act
of the administration surrender:ng Mr..
Mason and Mr. Slidell to the British GO
vernment For six weeks, sir, they were
held in close custody as " traitors" in a
fortress of the United States by order of
the Secretary of State, and with the APP
proval and applause of the press, of the
public men, of the Navy Department, of
this House, and of the people of the
United States, with full knowledge of
the manner and all the circumstances Of
their capture; and yet, sir, in six days
after the imperious and peremptory de-
mand of Great Britain, they were abb
jectly surrendered upon the mere rumor
even of the approach of hostile fleet
And thus, sir, for the first time in our
national history, have we strutted inso-
lently into quarrel without right, and
then basely crept out of it without honor;
and thus, too, for the first time has the
American eagle been made TO cover be.
fore the British lion Sir, a venal, or
fettered and terror-stricken press, or SER
vile and sycophantic politicians in this
House, or out oft, may applaud the act,
aud fawn and fatter, and lick the hand
which has thus smtten down our honor
into the dust, but the people, now or
hereafter, will demand terrible reckon.
ing for this most unmanly surrender -
But do not trust myself, sir, now, as
| purpose some day, tospoak and | rose
only to put on record my emphatic pro-
test against it, aud to express my deep
conviction that the very war, which the
other day might have been avoided by
combined iirmness and wisdom, is now
inevitable. Sir, this surrender may be
no fault of the Secretary of State, but he
has shown, fear, the dragons teeth by
this, bis fatal dispatch, and armed men
will spring from it.
In the name Of God, sir, what does
England want with Mason and Slidell :?
1t was a surrender of the claim of right
to seize them on board her ships, under
her flag, that she demanded. And yet
this is the very thing Mr. Seward peril
naciously refuses and he only condemns
Captain Wilkes because he did not en-
force this asserted right with greater Sc
verify against the offending neutral ship.
Why, sir, upon the principles of this
dispatch, if merchant vessel, as at first
intended, had been employed to carry
these men out from Fort Warren to En-
gland, she might to-day have been ar
rested on the high seas, and they dragged
from her deck, provided only she were
forthwith brought back to tho port Of
Boston for conliscation.
But more than that: England needs,
| do not Say wants war, but she must
and will have it, and this administration
has acted from the beginning as if it was
their purpose to oblige her in it to the
utmost. Look into your diplomatic cor
respondence. Look at your stone
feet" But let that pass. Who, ask
among all the millions Of this country, OF
even in this House, in the Senate, in the
administration itself, in the midst Of the
dead calm of stolid security which broods
however all, has reflected for moment
upon the portentous signihcancy Of the
events of the passing hour A British
man Of war bears to the shores Of Eng
land, to be received there in triumph,
and with shouts Of exultation as mar
tyrs and heroes the guests of the peo-
pie Of England and the proteges Of her
ministers the very men who but for the
rash act of Captain Wilkes and the still
rasher endorsement of the administra-
ton and the country, would six weeks
ago have been quietly landed from a pri-
| vate ship, 10 quiet aud obscurity as re-
bells and refugees. All Europe echoes
with their names--all Europe will rise
up 20 do them honor
And yet you surrendered them, TO aid
you to escape recognition by England Of
the Confederate States, and your Secre-
tary Of State, with Christian resignation
or stole philosophy, calmly rejoicos that
"the efoctual check and waning proper
tons Of the instruction, as well as the
comparative unimportance, when weighed
dispassionatoly," Of the persons concern
ed, happily. enable the administration,
after six weeks Of experiment; to "cheer.
fully liborate" them and others TO remove
this feterima causa beii. Sir, give mc
leave to Say that the moment they stepped
upon the deck Of this British man-of-war
your prisoners Of State, whom. the other
day you would have consigned to felons
cells became indeed the ENJOYS aud am-
bassadors Of recognized aud indepcn-