Richmond Whig. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1862-1865, 1863-10-17
THE eOSsTITUTICN -STATE RIraT .
RICHMOND WING.
SATURDAY MORNING, OCT. Il, 1898.
Another Lost Opportunity

theJ are by our people" Those causes stated
By the President himself the deelination by the
British Government of the oyeriures made through Mr..
Mason for establishing by treaty friendly relations be
tween the two Govsrnments and its refusal to receive
thai gentleman as the accredited mnitsr Of the Con-
fsdsrate States We have doubt the SsEtHsI is cor
rect in saying that this action of the British Govern
is Indignantly resented BY large classes Of English
men. We have had many and convincing evidences
that the sympathes of large majority Of the English
people especially Of the higher classes, With Us in
our struggle for independenes-and in all have said
in denuncatiOn OF British policy towards u.s. have
sI6savorel TO discriminate between the feeling Of toe
people and the action Of the Government. Ter the
genuine uslliness and sterling honor of the British
race have profound respect. For the selfish,
rOw-mnded aud bgottsd ideas that contrOl the Btsh
Government We have a still more profound contsmp.
We but wonder that such ministry permitted
to act and SPEAK fIr such race and have fer
time believed hA. if the issue could be presented in
any practical way, 10 the people themselves they would
render such judgment on l., As would compel the
ministry speedily their policy, resign their
places TIE recall of Mr.. Mason rdly pesents such a.
isse because bis presence in England not matter
that directly involved British interests.
But the presence OF British consus here does directly
and vitality involve British interests, and upon that
qustion praes.ca. issue could have been made With
the Ministry, if unfortunately Secretary of State
had based their dismissal upon other grounds tban
those which in Mr. Aas0ns tie SsHHsl US
have elected the indignant resentment Of large clsse.
Of Enghshmen against their owl Government. The
question which Mr.. BENJAMIN presSDs fS- Eoglishuen
to consider is whether Ict RICH: Tor Brit
ish oons1ls to advise tneir fellow conymen that they
could no. be compelled 10 bear INST tue Ulied
States. Upon this question, the Proclamation of the
Queen being remembered i: il probable the Elglish
people viii generally CONSIDER that the eonsuls
right ard that for giving such advice ;hey should nc,
have teen expelled. Tney therefore demand o:
the snstry tat they shat accommodate themselves
Mr.. Beajauins J.eEs by asking have the consuls
inststed with Instructions advise British subj that
they be compelled TO bear against the Unite
States in spite OF the PrOclS nation Of their Soyereg
foroddng it. But it, instead OF assigning tie
set fort forth in his despatch Mr.. sds Mr.. Bena
min had placed their expulsion on the grounds en-
hrsced in the Presidents order TO Mr. Mason, namely,
the refusal of the British Government TO elter into
treaty with aud to receive diplomatic represent
tstVes, then the large classes Of EngisEmen Ecors
70 by The Sentinel would nave bad an opportunity
exoress their reseotneas against Earl Russell and his
colleagues in a practical and operative form. They
would have Tel: the necessity Of having eonsus here
and would hlvs understood tae conditions only upon
which they would be received Wit the reversal Of
the policy towards OF the Lissry, recognition,
and the reciprocal sending and receiving Of diplomatic
and commercial represen aud agents. The ques-
tion would have ihSE ell Erglishmen could
have understood that stood out clear OF all mystic
res Of staeeraft or tecbnicAeS Of law and appealed
" me peoyerbial common sense and regard for fair
llAy - b ltisl Toe hus;ings, toe press, the
cub rOou the ale house a1d the workshop would have
become vocal 18th its iisclssioa. Shall We deny
selves, aud our fellow SUBJECTS in the Confederate
Safes the great advantage OF being ocA i represent
ed in that coantry because thai advantage We
have TO ad.t that people who for nearly three years
have maintained regular and stable Government and
have successfully resisted tie determined attempts
of mlioa and half of armed men to owe run them,
are, and Of ght ought to be considered, . fres and
independent people, This would have been the form
the question would have laksn and it is morally impos
sbe tnas the agitation Of It would have failed to bring
such q mass OF opinion TO bear against the policy OF
the ministry as would have compelled them to recant
their action or would have swept them from poser.
We have thought from the first that Mr.. Benjamin
entertained mistaken of the position Of these
Consus In his dispatches relative tee dsmi al o!
Consul Moore, be made the singular concession that
they were here By right-not by courtesy. he over
looked the essential point that the act OF our former
Agent-the United States GOvernment-ceIsed TO be
binding upon when the condition on which II de-
pendsd failed Tae condition 10 respect to Consals re-
siding here aud exercising consular posers, vas thA;
We should have q similar privilege IN G'ea: Britain
That privilege denied US the condition ialed and the
right Of the party thus viols the terms Of the con-
tract was from tha: instant clearly and Absolutely for
fsited We had right, of course, to aieH tie Con-
suls to remain here, but they had right 10 demand
tha. privilege Il was thsneeforth simply matter OF
courtesy Whenever it mo longer couduesd 20 our in
tsres or was consistent with dignity continue that
courtesy, we had right, which could question,
TO withdraw t. witbou; assigning any reason at all or,
If We preferred TO the grounds Of the action Il
would have been infinitely better to have named those
assigned BY the President for the recall Of Mr. Mason
But Mr. Benjamin. having committed himself to the err
rOneous idea hS. the Consuls we're here by right We
suppose felt it obligatory upon him TO show that they
individually and officially had done something that
dissntited them to the eujoyme@t o the right any
longer He has thus raised issue upon petty CUES
tons Of fsc. and prOpIiey With tha CensuI on which
the British people viii a!moy: rtAlnlJ take sides
against him instead of Issue with tho British Gov
ernment upon the commanding and paramount CUES
ton Ct our right recognition, upon which the British
people would certainly We taken sides With hm No
one has higher opinion Of Mr.. BepjSuin's Intellectual
ability than ourselves; but forced most regret
fully To the conclusion that in this matter be has blum
dered seriously and lost by far the best opportunity be
has had Of advancing the interests Of the csnfsderAcy
Our Cavalry.
lis no longer secret that Gen. Lee Is moving upon
u..Sa His advance Was made 90 adroiy that our