Spirit of the age. [volume] (Woodstock, Vt.) 1845-1913, 1862-01-02

military custody at Fort Warren in the State oil
Massachusetts, They will be cheerfuly liberia
ted. Your Lordship will please indicate Il
time and place for receiving them. | renew
my assurance of my very high consideration
(Signed) WM. II. SEWARD
A dispatch from ~ Thouveha to NJ. Mer.
ccr. French Minister to our Government, is al.
so contained in the correspondence, in which
NJ. IhOuyenal urges that neutral flag from a
neutral TO another neutral port covers the per.
sons and merchandise it carries, and adopts the
principle laid down in the dispatch of Earl Rus.
SELL to which Mr.. Seward appropriately re.
plies.
The following is from Lord Lyons to Mr.
Seward:
WAsuINGroN, Dec. ~
The Hon. w II. SEWARD. dc.
Sir-l have this morning received the note
which yon did me the honor to address to me
yesterday in answer to Earl Russcll's dispatch
Of Nov. 30th, relative to the removal OF Mr.
Mason Mr.. S do, Mr.. Mcfarland and Mr.
EustiS from the British Mail Packet. Trent
will, without loss Of time, forward to her Males.
tvs government copy Of the important CON-
municalon which you have sent to me. | will
also, without delay, do myself the honor to con
fer with you personally on the arrangement to
be made for delivering the four gentlemen to me
in order that they may be again placed under
the protection of the British flag.
have the honor to be- &c,
(SigneD LYONS,
Spe.king ofpubic robbers, the N. Y Jcu-.
nal OF Commerce says -
Public RonnERs.- When We reflect uron
the anxiety which has weighed on every Amer
lcan heart for six months past, the intense sor.
row with which the country has been pressed
down, it seems incredible that any man can be
found who would add to this burden, even the
minntest weight.
When We remember the excitement with
which men sought out all who were suspected
Of aiding the rebels, and the anathemas that
were hurled on every one who WIS believed to
Sympathize with them when we recall the IN
1ignaton that descended on the heads Of even
many Innocent men, who still suffer the odium
Of the attacks made on them. it appears incred-
lille that there can be among the citizens Of our
country, among the men that We associate with
from day to day, those who have been all this
time perpetrating crimes, more dctcStnblc than
even treason, because they involve not only
the betrayed Of the nation but its betrayal for
proposes Of private gain But the report Of the
CongressionaI Investigating Committee leaves
no room for doubt that such is the fact
Have our citizens read this tcport? Have
they duly weighed the lessons that it teaches
We have been struggling for months against
difficulties which now seem to have been in.
creased by these very men. Everything with
which the vornmeut contendci was made
more IormiiahIo by these criminal plotters
They we're men who were lond in their
boasts Of patriotism They were fierce in their
dcnunciations of all who would bring the war
to a peaceful close. Tucy were lniolcranr of
all ideas Of compromise, Tocy churk|cl CON-
placently when defeat post ponei the end even
tn ugh it cost us many lives Of noble men.
They repecd in the sound Of war And they
plnudered the people 1ll the while.
It is not late to learn the lesson Of this OK
posure. ii we d. not make examples of these
men, Their success is but the temptation 70 9th
ers ike them. Ii was not alone last summer
that such persons could thrive. The land is
broad, and the expenditures are heavy, aud the
chances are great, aud there are villains ready
to take advantage Of the nations distress even
now. Bn. these men who should be in prisons,
walk oar streets undisturbed The pundercrs
Of the afflicted nation are ready to continue
their nelarous work 1t is the duty Of the pea
pie, Of respectable men everywhere to make ex-
amples Of such men, and to express in personal
Intercourse with them, the lotestation which
hoy I.,t IL f,,., =
ton be preserved from such disgrace