The New York herald., 1862-01-15

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low; but sufficient for the day is the good
thereof We consider the change in the War
Office equivalent to great Union victory in its
moral effect upon the army and the country
In the retirement Of Cameron the abolition
game of emancipation or separation" has
been emphatically repudiated by the admins
tration, and in the appointment of Stanton the
conservative war policy Of "Honest Abe Lin
coin" has been as emphatieally reafirmed.
Complete harmony being thus restored between
the President, the Secretary Of War and General
Mcclellan, all that we now require for the
speedy suppression of this rebellion is the CO.
operation of Congress with the administration
and the army, and active legislation in pro-
viding the ways and means to maintain the
army, the credit of the government, and the
financial capabilities Of the country upon this
war basis of expenditures Of six hundred mil
lions year.
The Possible Fate OF Mason and slidell.
Considerable speculation is aaoat respecting
the fate of the British steam sloop-of-war Ri
naldo, and, per consequence of those notorious
personages, Mason and Slidell and their secre-
tariss, who were on board. This is owing to
the non-arrival of the vessel at her supposed
destination, Halifax, and the circumstance that
when she sailed from Provinoetown, on the
evening of the LIST of January, perfect hurri-
cane was blowing, which continued unabated
during the whole night and part Of the follow
ing day, subsiding only then into fresh gale
It may therefore be interesting to weigh the
chances in favor Of and against her weathering
this storm, and Messrs. Slidell and Mason being
still in the land of the living.
The first question that presents itself is,
was the Rinaldo bound to Halifax when she
sailed on this occasion? If so, there is indeed
cause for believing that the worst has overtaken
her. Under this view of the case she became
due at the port mentioned on the Sd inst. The
only way to account for her non-arriya, COM
patible with her own safety, is by supposing
that finding, after leaving Provincetown,
the weather continued increasing in severity,
she headed for Bermuda to escape its force; but
even taking it for granted that she did so, her
safety is still equally in doubt; for vessels have
arrived at American ports that sailed from Ber-
muda subsequent to the time at which the Ri
naldo would have become due there. 1t is
quite possible, however, that the public is mis-
taken in supposing Halifax to be the port to
which the Rinaldo was ordered, although the
general expectation at that place of her arrival
there was sufficient to warrant the rumor which
now creates so much speculation. The sealed
orders under which she left port may have di-
rected her to England, or even to the island of
St. Thomas, for which, it will be remembered,
the rebel ENJOYS were bound at the time OF
their capture. The Rinaldo is q very heavily
armed vessel for her size and steam power, the
latter being only two hundred horse. She car
ries seventeen thirty-two-pounders, all of which
are on the main deck, two of these being pivot
guns, and weighing more than ten thousand
pounds. Undoubtedly SO much top weight
would increase her danger in heavy storm
like that of the 1st and I'd; but it was so far in
her favor that it blew from the shore.
If it should be, however, that she foundered,
it will be one of the singular events OF history,
from the fact that she had as passengers the
Southern ENJOYS, whose delivery on board was
the condition exacted by England to prevent
her going to war with the United States. Such
q sudden termination of their career would cre-
ate another great sensation in Europe, second
only to that produced by their seizure. For
them, indeed, it would be out of the frying pan
into the fire-the latter, of course, in asymboli-
cal sense. We, however, sincerely trust, for
the sake of the two hundred and odd lives
whose fate depended on her own, that the Rinal-
do is not lost. A few days or weeks more will
perhaps be required to clear away the mist of
doubt which at present prevails, as to what has
become ofthe Rinaldo and Mason and Slidell. But
meanwhile let US charitably hope for the best.
1t would be pity if the intercepted diplomat
lists were only taken out of Fort Warren to be
Immediately drowned by their delivereYs. How
would England ever forgive herselffor leading
these men to watery graves The affair Of the
Rinaldo would be worse for those on board
than the affair of the Trent, by all the difference
in the world.
THE VALUE or AN EMANCIPATION PRoCLAMA-
T1ox-Six times week freedom shriekiAg
Greeley clamors for q proclamation to emanci-
pate the slaves in the SossA, in order
to a successful completion Of the war. Of
what avail would an emancipatmg procla-
nation be? 1t would only be bru.un f,tlmen,
unless the rebellious States we're previously
subdued. 1t could not, therefore, assist in their
subjugation, but the contrary. 1t has been pro-