The Evansville daily journal. [volume] (Evansville, Ia. [i.e. Ind.]) 1848-1862, 1862-01-04

sgs@ The haste manifested by the Eng
lish press and people to make the seizure of
Mason and Slidell cause of war, has
placed them in an embarrassing position.
Their zeal outrun their discretion, and was
not according to knowledge or consistency.
They few into a passion, and reason was
bauished from the Island. Designating
all the presidents established by their own
government and courts, and for which they
have not hesitated to go to war, they placed
themselves in the anomalous position Of
preparing to fight for alright whose exist
ence they have always denied, and against
q privilege for which they have always
commended. The letter of Mr.. Seward to
Lord Lyons, will operate upon the British
public with as chilling an effect as douche
bath on an invalid burning with fever. Il
will awaken them to the disagreeable posi-
ton in which they have placed themselves,
and they will, for the frat time, realize
that they have committed themselves to q
doctrine which they cannot hereafter re-
pudiate, without having the whole moral
sentiment and power of the smaller mari
time States of Europe against them and in
our favor
The GOODNESS and reticence of our Gov
ernment in its management of this deli
cate diplomatic controversy, must strike
every one in favorable light. Mr.. Sew
ard treats the whole subject as though his
mind had been made up from the first, to
let the prisoners go, aud they were on
y retained in order to force the English
Government to assume the position relative
II the rights of neutrals hitherto held by
our Government 1t is seen how readily
the bait was swallowed. John Bull is once
again the victim of a miserable Yankee
trick. The nations of Europe are laugh
ing in their sleeves at the handsome man
ner in which he has been overreached, but
will hold him TO his position, inasmuch as
the benefits tosaccrue from his conversion to
the a american doctrine, will be realized by
them to as great an extent as by our people.
We are aware that in the first flush of
success the English press and people will
feel comfortable Concluding they hav e
frightened our Government into acceding
to their demands, they will sing "Brittania
rules the Waves" with new zest and Wig
or, and their mugs of foaming ale will be
daaffed with additional relish. They may
even fs.ter themselves that Great Britain
can Be bound by no precedent-that she is
Law unto herself-and that when ''the
preservation OF her existence" requires it,
she viii again repudiate the principles on
which she claims the surrender of Mason
and Siidell and overhaul and search neu-
trail vessels whenever and wherever she de-
sires In this they will find themselves mis-
taken. They will learn thatour Government
can defend it's honor with as much tenacity
and boIdness, as it can gracefully appro-
pirate to its own advantage such ebulli-
tions of passion as have bereft Great Britain
Of reason.
The eagerness with which the British
Government prepared for war against Re-
publican America, in contrast with the hesi-
taton that characterized her commencement
of hostilities against despotic Russia, can
not but be remembered by every lover
of democratic institutions throughout the
world, and some day it will come up in judg-
ment against her in so frightful form as
to cause her shudderingly to exclaim-
'srhou cans't not say I did it,"
Many sage predictions have been given
forth by English correspondents and Eng
Iish newspapers. The whole world has
been notified in the mort positive manner
that our government was the creature of a
mob; that the Administration dare not de-
eide counter to the wishes of the raging, tu-
multuous, rabble, or it would be hurled from
power; that the mob was against surrender
ing Mason and SlidelI, and that Mr. Lincoln
would not dare to give them up. With all
the information thrown in their way as to
the character and disposition of our people,
British statesmen are continually making
inst such plumbers, as Mr.. Russell and va
rious papers in England, have been guilty of
in this particular. John Bulls prejudices
are so thick-skinned that nothing can pene-
trate them, and whenever he guesses at all
concerning the political conduct of our
people, he guesses wrong. Repeated bluD-
ders in this particular, however, make no
Impression on his assurance or impudence
and he is Just as ready to ventilate a new
prophecy to-day, as though he had not been
proven a ridiculous blunderer yesterday.
The American people are satisfied with
Mr.. Stewards settlement Of the Mason and
Slideu difficulty. They are more than salts
fed that it has resulted ina the recognition