The times., 1897-07-04

excellent judgment which usually cha -ac-
tenzed his acts, promptly COmprehcnded
whatit was and what it ought to be. With
fingers which held the pen for the last
time and weak in muscular siren 9Th, but
directed by mind always clear, calm and
statesnanlike, he erased and inserted,
chan ged and modified the document, Unlil
1t lost every trace of insult and passion
and was transformed into a dispatch which
might properly be sent by one great ua-
ton to another of the same blod, aud o5.nA-
piled with by that other without humtlia-
ton Or any sacrifice of its dignity. lt was
tie dispatch OF Prince Albert, anduot hat
of Earl Russell, that was approved by the
Queen on her return from her drive, end
which Lord Lyons, q true friend of the
North, was able to deliver To Mr.. Seward
without irritation or any widening of the
breach between the two nations. Between
them they arranged for the surrender Of
the ENJOYS at a place and in a manner
which neither magnified their mission Eor
attracted the attention of the American
press or people.
Some impression OF the tone of Earl Rus
sells dispatch before its modification may
he gathered from q second dispatch from
tie Earl to Lord Lyons, written on the
same day, which was not submitted to the
Queen "Should Mr.. Seward ask for lie
lay" wrote the Earl, you will consent to
delay not exceeding seven days. If, at
the end OF that time, no answer is given,
or if any other answer is given except that
Of compliance with the demands of her maj
esty's government, your Lordship is in
structed to leave Washington, with all the
members of your legation, and to repair
immediately yto London You viii
also communicate Mr.. Stewards answer to
Vice Admiral Milne (of the British At
lantic squadroul and to the governors of
Canada, Nova Scotia, New Brunswick,
Jamaica, Bermuda and such other of her
maJesty's possessions as may be within
your reach No doubt the earlier and
more important dispatch was in similar
dictatoriai language and temper.
The friendly cooperation Of Lord Lyons
enabled Mr.. Seward to surrender the prts-
oners, and to demonstrate by one OF the
nost powerful dispatches to be found in
the records of diplomacy that the act or
Capt. Wilkes was wholly unauthorized,
and that we could not refuse TO surrender
the prisoners without reversing the estab-
lisfied policy OF the Government Instead
of provoking the loyal States to revoiu
ton, as our enemies, native and foreign
hoped, 1t satisfied them so thoroughly that
it met with universal approval. When Q
portion of the British press attributed the
surrender to cowardice or fear, they were
| laughed at, and only escaped the ridicult
| Of provoking tempest in teapot by
their subsequent silence,
The surrender of the rebel envoys was
not made in one Of our great harbors tC
| the flagship OF British vice admiral
| with thunder of cannon and the Stars ant
| Stripes on our ship at half-mast, In token
of humble submissionI 1t was made from {
| tug in the cold of winter morning In {
cove on the south shoreOf Cape Cod, where
they ceased to be heroes and martyrs, and
as Mr.. Seward predicted, subsidcd Int
an insignificant ce from which they neve
emerged The good prince" had, In th
meantime, passed to his reward, beyon
the river. But our republic survived al