Worcester daily spy. [volume] (Worcester [Mass.]) 1850-1888, 1863-07-08
MIR. Conway VS.. MIR. Mason.


To the Editor of the London Star; Sir
Absence from London has prevented my Civ
lngas much careful attention to the correspond
ence between Mr.. Mason and myself as was
necessary to make the explanation which the
publc on both sides of the ocean will natural
ly expect OF me. In the correspondence as
1t stands there are three parties involved
namely, the abolitonists of America, myself
and Mr.. Mason, with his confederates.
As to the first, it was to pounce upon them
and compromise them with their government,
that Mr. Mason rushed into print so eagerly,
that, though only little way from London, /
did not receive his last letter until half Il day
after had seen it in the Times. But won
der that Mr.. Mason did not see, what the
Americans will certainly see, that my second
note to him admits that my authority extended
only to the declaration that the abolitionsts
were giving moral support to the war simply
and only in the interest OF emancipation and
that when that issue ceased To be involved,
they would no longer sustain ii ''but that,
with regard to this special offer" | must write
out and get special authority. This LETT it
yet an open question, whether the leading
anti-slavery men were prepared 10 negotiate
with the cu#t"dcratc authorities" He springs
his snare before they are in it. They are not
compromised at all. They do, indeed, stand
committed to an mwillngness to prosecute
this terrible war for any less important aim
than the complete wiping out oftheir cOuntry's
crime and shame but it has all along been
their avowed position that they are, to quote
Wendell Phillips, willing to accept any
thing union or disumon-on the basis of
emancipation"
Then OF the aboliuonistS, | alone am impli-
Gated in this correspondence. And here am
ready to confess that my incxperirnce in dip
lomatic and political affairs had led me to
make proposition the form of which is OBJ
Jectlonable. Recognizing Mr.. Mason only us
an unofficial though representative southcrner,
whose views would be a test of the DISPOSE
ton OF the rebels on the subject of slavery
and anxious to afford that test to certain very
eminent literary men in England who ac-
knowledged that the reply to such q PROPOSE
ton would decide their feelings with regard
to the issue, | inferred hastily and improper
~ that the right to declare the object of the
abolitonistS in the war justities me in sending
the proposition to Mr.. Mason personally. As
this, my first correspondence with the enc
my, was undertaken only IN the interests of
my country, and was virtually demand for
the surrender IF the enemys capital, | shall
hope that the apparent diSoyalty of it, Of
which l was unconscious, will be condOned
by the country meant to serve.
But Mr., Mason and his confederatcs are in
Volyed in this matter in Il way which desire
to call the attention Of those gentlemen To sat
isty whose minds, wrote the proposition, and
of all others, who think that the south is fight
ing for any worther independence than i'm
punity in permanently robbing another race
of its independence. In order to compromise
the aboltlOnists. he comedies that | had au-
thority to make the offer OF independence for
emancipation. He acknowledges, on the
strength of Mr.. Garrson's letter of credit
that had the authorization to which, when
shown him, he had promised reply. So %he
English public know now, with a clcarness
which my own laundering way of evoking
such Il confession did not merit, what the + !.
ply OF the south is to any proposition offering,
her "trcedom," as she calls it, on the condi-
ton of her according the same to the millions
whom she nppreSsrS Whether | had the
right to make the offer or not, it is answered.
The believer IN the Golden Rule has only to
ask himself what his interest in the success of
the northern arms would be if his own wife
and children were to-day under the lash of Il
southern plantation, now that we have Mr..
Mason'S assurance that every gatewaj of lib
Grafton except that of war is closed.
| am, &C., MoNCuRE ID. CONWAY.