Newbern weekly progress., 1862-01-21
A Yankee Reviewing the surren-
ders.


the humiIiating results that to grow out of it
after speaking of the artful cunning exercised
by Seward in keeping from the public the true
nature and result of the diplomatic negotiation
going on between himself and Lord Lyons un-
til it was consumated and the astonishnent and
chagrin felt by the public when known, proceeds
on this wise:
Besides, the grounds assigned by Mr. Seward |
for the surrender are purely technical to di
minish greatly the public confidence in business
of the conclusion reached. That he should so
soon surrender the prisoners in the face of for
eign demand whom he would eagerly have de-
tained in custody without it, will be as unsatis |
factory the feelings of brave people of his |
reasons for it are inconclusive to their under
standings.
The popular instincts of Justice is swift and
it will be found that 1t reached truer mark |
" hen it fixed the seal of universal appreciation !
upon the conduct of Capt. Wilkes. than all Mr..
Stewards fine-spun metaphysics which labor to
the conclusion that the brave and loyal officer
CO nmited, not only bunder, but offense
against the laws uf0ations.
| 1t will not do to tell twenty millions of people
that it is lust surrender first class consprators
against our government into the hands of false.
| hearted "neutral' power upon mere want of
punctilio in the arrest, and quotation from the
sentiments of James Madison, in 1904. For
this is all that Mr.. Seward offers in derogation
of the rightfuness of the arrest and detention
| of these conspirators. To relegate them to the
protection of the British flag, is to signify to all
the world that w are ready to yield to their die
| tation what would otherwise have held on to
| till the end of the chapter.
! It will be small comfort to the people to be
told that Mason and Slidell were of little con
sequence, and that their release, while it proves
that possess magnanmous government
will add nothing to the strength of the rebels.
Mr. Seward, although he puts forth this con-
sideration with his usual art and ability, will
fail in impressing it upon the popular mind
and for the simple reason that it is not true.
| Can any body believe that the wrath of the
| British government was reused solely by the
circumstances o. the 'pretended insult to their
| flag, in being boarded and searched for contra
bands ?" D1,s not Their quiet submission to
scores of such searches and seizures, during
the past months give the lie to any such belief?
They have resented this act of search for a
reason that lies behind the pretended one -
they are secretly determined on .fomenting the
Southern rebellion itself: The almost united
voice Of their press, and the entire conduct o:
their government, were enough to prove this
to any clearsighted person, long before the af-
fair Of the Trent occurred. 1t is because they
were half ready to treat with Mason and Slidell;
! that they resolved to resent Mason and Slldelps
| capture:
This proud, naughty, selfish and overbcar-
ing British race cannot endure that any other
government should wax great as their own.
They will allow nobody to take liberties with
neutral rights but themselves, if they can help
it. They see in this insurrection the long de-
ferred opportunity to weaken, annihilate and
divide the United States. IF body believes
in the reality or depth of Great Brita,n's
friendship for this country, he has read history
to little purpose, and is strongly lacking in the
discernment of character. Not the least of the
objections which press against the surrender
of these rebels, is the fact that in all probabi
ity it will prove iruitless sacrifice of national
dignity and sef-respect Great Britain does
not heartily desire peace with US, least of all
a peace which shalt end in the crushing out of
the southern rebellion. She will be all the
more ready to- seek pretext for quarrel with
US now that we have shown her how success
: fIl she is likely to prove. The violation OF
neutral rights the pretext to- day and the in
efficiency of the blockade, or the confiscation
OF British vessels carrying contIaband, will he
the preteXt tomorrow.
The rcshing serenity with which Mr.. Seward
suggests in the depreciation of the outraged pub
lie feeling of the nation, that the safety OF the
nation not requiring the detention Of these
) captured persons" may as we'll let them
90 free, is we'll calculated to provoke a smile,
were it not for the bitter reflections which sar
necessary measure of safety to capture seces-
sion spies and hold in custody suspected wo
men, while these public ambassadors of the
Confederate userpation are of no consequence
at all TT will do for Mr. Seward to eongrat-
ulate US upon 1.-The efSectual check and wan
; ing proportions of the existing insurrection,"
when it nolonger requires one hundred thouS-
and armed men to secure the tranquility of his
slutnbers in his mansion on Lafayette square
The skeleton in his closet, and in the closet
of every member of the administration, should
have taught him better than to make light OF
a rebellous power which has not only forced
him to the employment Of the most stringent
p1ws-s, but has virtually, by the success Ct its
pretentions abroad, forced him to the alterna-
| tive of this surrender. The rebellion will new
er be quelled by depreciating it upon paper
while giving it free course to make itself felt
abroad The somewhat circuitous method by
which Mr.. Seward arrives at the optimist con-
clusion that the rebellion is about extinguished
{ furnished sad illustration of the straits to
= which diplomacy will bring a nan.
AS for Congress, during all this f1utter of
; international excitement, there IS none. A
few manly out spoken words got uttered in the
, Senate on, Thursday, by Senator Hale, but it
was after the surrender had been determined up
on, and while the ink of Secy Stewards invita-
ton to. the great pacifcatlon dinner was hard
lily yet dry, Lord Lyons, Dr.. RUSSELL, and the
rest met and exchanged congratulations over
the result under, the auspices of Mr., Seward s
genial hospitality, which, as is pretty well
known to the country, is of the most flaming
description Meanwhile, the congressman
treat the ill-news with varying emotions-that
Of disgust, am bound to- say, predominating.
They will vet become reconcied to it under
the hard discipline of necessity. however, and
the popular discomfort may eventually be alb
sorbed in the contemplation of the superior
comforts and blessings Of peace, as compared
to war with England: But am much mis-
, taken that this blow at our national pride does