Memphis daily appeal. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1847-1886, 1862-01-10
SURRENDER OF MASON AND Sill
DELL.
General Feeling at Is,G.AiagtoH.

PeoPLs-A Day Of Reckoning to Come.
Correspondence Cincinnati CommerciaLl
WASHINGTON, December 28-The capital was
electrified this morning by the official announce
ment that the surrender of Mason and Slidell
had been made. The secret was so admirably
kept, that not twenty persons knew Of the result
reached before the full diplomatic correspondence
was in print. 1t appeared exclusively IN this
mornings National ImeligeRcsr, which, for per-
haps the first time in its history, had the news
land a pretty big item of news, tOO,) in ad-
vance OF all our contemporaries" Mr.. Seward
managed the matter so adrOitly as to cut off all
communication of the surrender to the people of
the country, until the official statement OF the
case should be before them. Consequently,
although the result was reached, and the elab-
crate letter Of Mr.. Seward, prepared and sent to
Lord Lyons on Thursday, the New York papers
OF Saturday morning knew nothing about it.
All that they contained was a vague announce
ment that "a public solution of the Mason and
SGdell affair had been reached" Meanwhile,
the hntsljgsncsr was quietly furnished by the
Secretary of State with a copy of the al-impOrt-
ant documents, which appeared in a correct
shape, and were telegraphed all over the country
this morning. The sharp-witted and eager-eyed
reporters of the New York press were conse-
quently batled for once, and the EHteLigenesr
~rejoices in a reputationNwhich promises to renew
its wealth, and Teanimate the sleepy old veteran
Of half a century with quite a Juvenile air Of
enterprise. The unsolicited, yet substantial
favor of this publication, is worth some thou
sands of subscribers to the IateAigeHcer.
Of the acceptation of the news itself, the tele-
graph, and your own iTepressible impulses, will
have appraised you, long before this letter can ap-
pear in print. 1t is no exaggeratiOn of the plain
fact to say that such a result was anticipated by
few, and is reiOieed in by none. However deep
ly interested all may be in preserving friendly
relations with Great Britain at a period so criti-
cal as the present, the instructive feeling of al
most every one is that the surrender of these
two emissaries of treason is a national humilia-
ton. However p~lausibly defended by consider
atoms drawn from our past policy as to the right
of search, or the present infOrmality of the pro-
ceedings of Capt. Wilkes, there is a surrender Of
substantial justice in the premises which the
gorge rises at, aud which all Mr.. Stewards subtle
augmentation fails to overcome. We feel that
these rebel emissaries, shielded by a perfdiOus
neutrality, and going abroad under the flag of
our pretended friends to wage far more effective
war against our nationality than they could have
done in arms at home, were righteously clutched
from the deck Of that offending steamer, and
should rightfully be held 10 pay the penalty of
their guilty and ineXcusable treason. 1t is true
the ignOminy of THEN surrender is not such as il
NVNAA AhNN hONA AtA OhA EOhCluAADAE auAubAAGIu
or formally approved their capture; but the fact
that ON Secretary Of the Navy has publicly
thanked Capt. Wilkes FOR the prompt and chiv-
alric action goes far to detract from even the
small consolation which might be derived from
= the doubtful virtue of consistency on the part o.
the government.
3 Besides, the grounds ~assignedby Mr.. Seward
for the surrender are So purely technical as to
diminish greatly the public confidence in the
1 business of the conclusion reached. That he
, should so soon surrender the prisoners in the lace
D Of a foreign demand, whom he would eagerly
have detained in custody without it, viii be as
unsatisfactory to the feelings of a brave people
i as his reasons for it are inconclusive to their IN
t derstandings. The popular instinct Of Justice i.
5 swift, and it will be found that it reached a true
mark when it fixed the seal of universal apprO
baton upon the conduct Of Capt. Wilkes, thar
all Mr.. Stewards fne-spun metaphysics, which
labor to the conclusion that the brave and Iowa
officer committed. not only a blUndsr, but al
Otiense against the laws Of nations. Ii will no
= do to tell twenty millions OF people that it is JUS
TO surrender f~rst-class cOnspiratOrs against on
government into the hands of a false-heartet
neutral" power, upon a mere want of p%unctiliC
in the arrest, and a quotation from .ha sentiments
u of James Madison, in lS4. For this is Also
J, lUtely all that Mr.. Seward offers in derOgatiOn o
I. the rightfulness Of the arrest and detention o
these conspirators. To relegute them to the pro
i lection of the British flag, is to signify to all tn
G world that we are ready to yield TO their dicta
ton what we WoRld otherwise have held Oh t
E till the end OF the chapter,
1t will be small comfort to the people to be toll
that MaSonand Slidell were of little consequence
and that their release, while it proves that W
. possess "a magnanimOus government, will adj
nothing TO the strength of the rebels. Mr.. Sew
IL TIL - I'll n --.
with his usual art and ability, VIII fail in im
pressing it upOa the ROpUlir mind, and for tn
g simple reason that it il not true. Can anybod
1t believe thai the wrath Of the British government
s was reused solely by the circumstance of th
50 pretended insult to their flag. in being bolrde
and searched for contrabands f" Does not lhei
quiet submission to scores OF such searches an
seisaTes, during tue past six months give tie Il
to any such belief They have resented this &C
OF search for a reason that lies behind the prs
tended one they are secretly determined on f
meRsiHg tAe southern rebellion itself. The almos
{ united voice of THEN press, and the entire conduc
OF their government, were enough to prove TIN
to any clear-sighted person, long before the alta
n Of the Trent occurred. 1t is because they wei
= half ready to treat with Mason ana Slideh, tina
they resolved to resegt Mason and Slidell
It capture.
Ie This proud, naughty, selfish and oVerbearin
British race cannot endure that any other gOI
eminent should wax as great as their Owl
They will allow nobody to take liberties wit
6 neutral rights bp. themselves, if they can bel
! it. They see IN this Instruction the long-defe
red opportunity to wesken, annihilate and d
vide the United States. If anybody believes j
: the reality or depth Of Great Britain's friendshi
for this country, he has read history to little pul
q pose, and is strongly lacking in the discenmsu
of character. Not the least Of the objection
, which press against the Surrender OF these rebel
6 is the fact that n al probability il will prove
e f~ruitless sacrifice Of national dignity and sci
y respect. Great Britain does not heartily desiT
peace with us, least of all a peace which sha
u end in the crushing out of the southern rebellion
She viii be all the mora ready to seek a pretez
% for quarrel with Us, now that we have shown he
how successful she is likely to prove. The vic
latiOn of neutral rights is the pTetext to-day, an
. the inefiicienoy Of the blockade; or the cOniscs
q ton of British vessels carrying eontraband, wi
be the pretext tomorrow.
The refreshing serenity with which Mr.. Sewar
suggests, in depreciation of the outraged publ
feeling Of the nation, that the safety of the Uniol
{ not requiring the detention Of " these capture,
persons, we may as well let them go free, is wei
calculated to provoke a smile, were it not for tn
bitter reflections which surround the subject
g As if it were a vital and necessary measure o
= safety to capture secession spies and hold in Gus
tody suspected women, while these public EN-
bassadofs of the Confederate usurpatiOn are 0
no consequence at all. 1t will do for Mr.. Sew.
9 ard to congratulate us upon " the ~efeetual CHECK
e and waning proportions OF the existing Insured
ton" when it no longer requires one hundred
thousand arme4men to secure the tranquility o.
his slumbers in his mansion on lafayette square
The skeleton in his closet, and in the closet Of
every member of the administration, should have
1 taught him hetter than to make light Of a rebel
D rous mower which has act only forced him to
D the employment Of the most stringent powers,
but has virtually, by the success Of its preten-
tons abroad, forced him to the alternative Of this
surrender. The rebellion viii never be queIled
by depreciating t upon paper, while giving it
free course to make itself felt abroad. The
somewhat ~citcuitoUs method by which Mr.. Sew
ard arrives at the optimist conclusion that the