Port Tobacco times, and Charles County advertiser. (Port Tobacco, Md.) 1845-1898, 1862-01-02
The Press on the Release of Mason ani

The Press on the Release Of Mason and
Slidell.
The surrender of Messrs. Mason and Slidel
continues to be the great topic of discussion
and it is interesting to read the diversified views
of the press in relation thereto. The Philadel.
phia Inquirer comments at some length, and
after congratulating the country upon the con.
clusion arrived at by the Federal Government
adds:
We trust this embarrassing affair is now ter.
minated. We cannots however, but observe
that Lord John Russel's note sets forth one case
and Mr. Stewards reply makes out another anc
quite different one. Mr.. Seward defends every
thing in the transaction except the single cir
cumstance that the vessel was not taken into a
prize'court.' This is not the thing of which Lord
John Russell complains. The grayamen of his
charge, as contained in his note, is "thot certain
individuals hare been .forcibly taken from on
board British vessel ;" this is the "act of vio-
.lence and affront to the British flag" for which
he asks amends.
Mr.. Seward justifies the taking, of itself con.
sidered but comedies that by the non-perform-
ance of subsequent act, we have estopped our
selves from retaining the fruits of the taking
We shall see, however, from future developments
on the other side of the Atlantic, whether our
suspicious are well founded We have, at any
r te, assun ed a just an magnanimous osi ion
before the nations, even at the risk of some mis-
construction, and the consciousness of having
thus acted from pure motives in the present,
will give us additional strength to bear ourselves
with heroic part in the future. III
, The New York Herald declares, in view Of
the decision arrived at, that "the record of our
Government is clear, consistent and satisfactory,
and further remarks:
: By happy and very remarkable coincidence
it appears that on the very same day, the 3Oth
Of November, while Earl Russell, in London,
was Eliminating his alternative of war, our Sec
rotary of State, in Washington, was engaged in
preparing for Mr.. Adams an olive branch Of
peace. The decision of our
Government had very marked and favorable
effect on the public mind in New York on Sa-
tnrday. It removed load of care from mems
spirits, and restored degree of elasticity which
was noticeable in every department of trade
The public pulse beats more evenly than it had
done for the last five or six weeks. The stock
exchange felt the influence, and gave evidence
of it in an: advance in the price of Government
securities and a general movement in stocks
Even those VINO neld tnaC tne actlOn OF COmmO.
dore Wilkes was legal and justi6able felt graft
fed that the Administration entertained some.
what different idea, and that it found mode O
postponing war without subjecting the natior
to humiliation and disgrace.
|. The Philadelphia american is quite indig
nant. It says:
It is not too much to say that the announce
ment of the decision of the Government in re-
gard to the Trent affair has been received by
the public with profound and unprecedented
regret, mingled not only with indignation, bu
with extreme bitterness toward England. It il
felt that England is as guilty of intentional ont
rage upon the honor and dignity of the United
States as she fegns that this country woule
have been in directly ordering the seizure of tn
Trent, or f,any otherlke vessel. in the guise o