Weekly standard. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1858-1865, 1863-04-15
Mr.. Mason and the British Government.

The Northern papers have recently brought to
light from the English papers, the correspondence
between Mr.. Mason, the Confederate Minister, and
In July it seems, Mr.. Masos expressed desire for
a personal interview with Earl Russell, to which
the latter replied that he "did not think that any
advantage would arise from the personal interview
which Mr.. Mason proposes, and must therefore
decline it" '....
We publish below the letter Of Earl Russell to
Mr.. Mason, of date August 2, 1862, as embodying
the gst Of the correspondence 1t will be seen that
Earl Russell holds out no hope that the English
government will speedily recognize the Confederate
States.
Nj. Mason, ,. seems, stated IN enc of his lsttsrs
that the separation of the Southern States from the
old government 3as "the termination Of Confed
eracy which had, during long course Of years,
violated the terms of the federal compact" This
is not true in point Of fact Up to the time when
the cotton States seeded the old government had
not only not made, but had not threatened to make
any. encroachment on the rights Of the South. 1t
is true; several of the nonslaveholding States had
nulfed the fugitive slave law, and had proved re-
creant in this respect to their Constitutional ohli
cations; but the common government had at no
time "volated the terms Of the federal compact"
This statement of Mf. Mason is similar to the one
made by Mr. Yancey, in August, 1861, to the gov
ernments of Europe Mr.. Yanccy, in letter writ
ten at that time, declared that the Southern States
did not secede on account Of slavery, but account
of the tariff; and to prove this he referred to the
fact that after the cotton States went out the black
Republican. Congress, by twethirds vote. agreed
to guarantee slavery in the States for all time. 1t
may be that Mr.. Yancey, Mr.. Mason, Qnd others of
their school of politics, advocated and desired
cession on account of The tariff; but if they had
made the issue the tariff alone, in the cotton
States, the secession movement would have failed.
But It is we'll known that these gentlemen conspred
to break up the Democratic party at Charleston and
Baltimore not on account of the tariff, but because
the national Democracy refused and very properly
refused to pledge themselves 20 urge Congress to
enact laws to protect and establish slavery in the
common territories. That party was willing to see
slaves carried to the territories and the rights OF
their owners protected by the Courts under the Con-
stutlon until the territories should become States
but it had always refused IS it refused at Charles
ton and Baltimore, TO take any steps to legislate
slavery into or out of the territories. Mr.. Yancey
and his followers knew in advance that the party
would not change its platform in this respect; but
it was urged to do it. and the public mind was in
famed on the subject because they determined
in any erent, to break up the gorernment. This is
the truth of history; and it is to be regretted that
! tho efafn Of he NJ ma
by our Ministers in Europe, not consistent with
the truth 1t would have been much more truthful,
as we'll as more manly, to have said that portion
of the Southern States desired separate anG inde
pendent government; that they availed themselves
of the election of Mr.. Lincoln, which, to some ex
tent they aided in accomplishing. to announce theil
separation from the old government; that contrary
to their belief and expectation, the old government
levied war against them, and called on the borde,
.slavehoding States to aid it in prosecuting the war
that the border States though they disapproved tn,
act of separation, regarded the call on them fo
troops and the of the sword against the seeded
States, as violation of the Constitution and sub
version of the government itself as it was originally
formed; that they also held that the wrong of Sc
cession at will could not justify the wrong Of co
ercon by the common government which was tn
creature of the States; that if the was the pa
rent of anarchy, the other was the parent Of des
potism; ard SO holding, and being united with th
seeded States by the bonds of common nstitu
tion and common sympathes, they determined t.
Join them in resisting the old government, and t.
perseveTe in this resistance until the independence
of the new government should be established. Bu
we are OBTAINING readers from the letter of Ear
Russell, which is as follows:-
EARL RUSSELL TO MR.. MASON.
Foreign Office, August 2, 1862.
Sir: have had the honor to receive your letter
of the Oath July and lst instant, in which yo
repeat the considerations which, in the opinion Q
the governu ent Of the socalled Confederate States
entitled that government to be recognized of right
as separate snd independent power and to be re
ceived an equal in the great family of nations
In again urging these views you represent, as be
FORE that the withdrawal Of certain Of the Confeder
ates from the Union of the States Of North Americ
is not to be considered a revolution, in the oId
nary acceptaton OF that term far less an act of in
surrection or rebellion, but as the termination of
Confederacy which had, during long course o
years, violated the terms of the federal compact
I beg leave to say, in the outset, that upon thi
question Of right of withdrawal, as upon that @
the previous conduct Of the United States, her Ma
jestys governmenrhav never presumed to form
judgment The Interpretation of the Constitutio,
Of the United Staes and the character of the pro
ceedings Of the President and Congress Of the Uni
ted States under the Constitution. must ne deter
mine'l, in the opinion of her Majestys government
by the States and people in North America, who in
herited, and have till recently upheld, that Const
tuition. Her Majcs,y's government decline alto
ee,her the responsibility Of assuming to be judge
in such controversy.
You state that the Confederacy has populatio,
Of twelve Millions that it has proved itself capabl
for eighteen months Of successful defence agains
every attempt to subdue or destroy it; that in tn
Judgment of the intelligence Of all Europs the sepa
ration is fnal and that under no possible circun
stances can the late Federal Union be restored
On the other hand; the Secretary Of State Of tn