The Camden confederate. [volume] (Camden, S.C.) 1861-1865, 1862-01-10
Formal .Susr ender of the Southern Commits
sioners by the Lincoln Government.
Seward's Correspondence with Lord
Lyons.
THE NEWS FROM RICHMOND.

English Government for the surrender or Ma
son and Slideii, the answer of Secretary Sew
ard, and the response of Lord Lyons.
The English Minister is short and pointed in
his first communication.
Seward, in reply, surrendcrs the Commits
tiplicity Of words, and argues by .frstly's"
and secondiy's," that the Southern Commits
sioncrs were contraband and liable to capture
He says, however, that the laws o. nations,
while justifying the capture of an encmys
ministers, as contraband, do not, as would be
necessary in the present case properly provide
formulas for adjudicating the capture This
might have been obviated, he says, if the
Trent had been retained by proceedings against
her. which would have been morally case
decisive of the character of the Commission
crs. The moral certainty of the character of
Mason and Siidell would have been sufficient
in the eyes of the law; but the Trent having
been dismissed, this resource was lost. Sew
ard says substantially that the capture of Ma
son and Slidell was in opposition to, and that
their restoration is demanded by, all the prn-
ciples which ever obtained in American politi-
cal administration, and to vindicatc which the
Declining to surrender the Commissioners, he
would violate the long maintained dogma of
the country, and which he approves.
A summary of the points of Stewards reply,
to be published in the Richmond Enquirer of
tomorrow, says:
lst. The. capture was right, when tested by
Justice, law and dccorum.
I'd. Its advantages must be surrendered
upon an assumed tcchnicality in court where
there are no plcadiugs.
Sd. That the capture was wrong, as judged
by the principles always maintained IN the
United States, even to the extremity of war.
TO Stewards laborcd effort Lord Lyons makes
a brief reply, and with regard to his argumcn-
tativc points, merely says that he has sent his
words to England, and will sec him soon and
receive tho Ministers.
The Philadelphia Bulletin says that whatever
has bccn yielded, is only owing to the impera-
tive necessity of avoiding foreign war while
we have domestic one on hand. Better not
stand on principles and run the risk Of the
Union being destroyed by an alliance bet"een
the rebels and the leading powers of Europe.
The New York Express says that "this sur
render to necessity will soon impose on us
other necessities in connection with Great Brit
ain, to which VIC must either yield or fght.-
Ninety days will not clapse without some
further insulting demand from the English oil
garchy" The Express advises instant prepa-
rations for war, to the extent of 100000 men,
1t says that the Administration has given up
Mason and Slidcll not to law, equity or right,
but to necessity. The American Eagle, in
it's trials and troubles, is humbled for the first
time to the British Lion. The rebellion on
hand drags down flag, never before humilia-
ted, before England. Let us, Americans, hang
ino our heads because of our humiliation, dis
miss the subject with as much silence as pos
sible
The National Intclligcncer says chat Sew
ards course was approved by evory member Of
the Cabinet, and that his policy alone has
averted war with England and Frarce.
In Congress, to-day, Daniel p. White, Of