Slidell, Mason And Wilkes

l rom thc New York Tiraos. James Mnrray Masón h a natre ol Virginia Ho was born in 1797, in what was at that timo a part of Fairfux Kounty, on Anadostan Mand, oear the pivsont metropolis of the Union. His tir.st ancestor in Virginia was Q enrice Masón, who was a meniber of tho English Parliament in the reign ol Charles Í. He w:is a stiong npholdcr of the Kin, and resisted the meas u reí adopted fig'ainit Bitn by the paihament. Stibsequently he became -n öfficer in the army ol Charles II., and com manded a regiment of caValry in the campaïgn againet the "Roundhead" roops oi Olivi-r Cmmwell. A f er the lefeat ol the royal foroes at Woreester, n 1651, he made his escape di.-guised as a peasant, and embarking lor America, landed at Norfolk. Onr present eubjecl begao liis edn catión at the prirnary Ëchools ia Vii-ginia and in Georgetown, D. 0., and graduated in 1818, at the Univei'sity ïf Penosylvania, in Philadelplná. lie coniinencod the ntudy of law at the College of William and Mary, Williatnsburgh, Va., alterwards enterad as a student in the office of the late Benjamin Watkita Leigh, at Kichmond, and obtained a iiocDse to practice 'n 1520. In 1826 he was elected to the Viiginia House of Delcgates, and was twice re elected. He also served as a liKtnbor of the convention called in 1829, to revise the Constitution of Ihut State. In 1R37, he wás elected to Congress, where he served but one term. Ho was a member of the Senatefor fourteen years. He was violcutly prosluverVj and took a ripemorable part in the debates on the Púgitive Slave Law, on the Kansas-Nebraska Bill, and on all questions which involved ín any w:y ,the everlasting negio. He will be remembered as the principal concoetor of the Fugitive Slave Bill. His npsitibn in the Senate made him somewhat acquainted with foreign :ifl;iirs, and itis njost likely on this plea that he has got himself appointed. He found it coiivcnient through üfeto class himself as a Democrat, though a man with lesb democracy in his compoaition or marinera nevei existed. He wrote disun'uin letters to South Carolina, and Union letttrs to MassaeWsetts, and in the debatable groúiid of Washington, when it suited his sebemes or his plans oí personal advancement, he was everything to all men - except being honest and trulhful. As far back as September, 1P55, he wrote '.' But one co-urse i'eraaina íor the South - immediate, absolute, and eternal separalitm. Better, tar bettér, to stand toward the Ñortbern States as we stand to the rest of the vvoild - enemies in war, in pea ce friende - than to remain halting undera eommon Government, eneiiiies in the guise oí peace, or friendo at war." And vet, oily two year? Uit r, he said, n ii f-peech delivemi to an audienee u-seniblüd on bunker Hill: " I sha! teil it in oíd Virginia, when I return U her hallowed land, that I found th spirit of Jlassaehus ;tts as buoyant,.as piltriolic, as cDmpletely filled with the emot'ons thatshould govern patriotism when I visited Bunker Hill, as it was when that battle was foóght" As long ago as Maruh last, he said in thi Senate that he reeognissed anc acknowledged no alkïLnanco to this Government; notie v hatever.' And yet for a considerable tirne afte that, he retained his seut in the XJnitec States Senate. JOHN SLIDELL. This nrch traitor is a native of the State of New York, He was born in the year 1793, and as soon as he reached manhood he went to New Orleans to seek his fortune, and shortly pndertook the practico of law in that city. His skill a;id adrei neas soon won for hira a high placo at the Ntw Orleans bar. Ilis success t.s a lawyer was unparalleled, and he was retained, on one tdde or the other, in alinost every important lawsuit whidi arose. Hip ttrst public service appoars to h;iva been as Unitel States Djstrioí Attprney at New Orleans, to whicli office h3 was appointed by General Jackson He was ireqtiently sent to the State Legislatura of Louisiana, and was afterwards ehosen one of I he Louisiana deJegation to Gonuress. In the House he was remarked for his tact and skill as a manager, and his shrewdness aod cooloese o 'K-bate. Slklell was selected by the President to act as Minister i'le:iipitunliary and Envoy Extra ord:nary to Mexico. The cirooinsUinees iinparted unusual im].urtance to the misaiqn. War was actually on the point oí bsakiog put, Taylor was on the Rio Grande, aiul the American t-quadron lay off Vera Cruz. Provious to tíring the first gun, however, President Polk, professing still to be anxious to pröeèrve peace, and Mexico having intiinated that a new envoy frorn the United States would be receivod, Slidell waa accreditcd. The mission did not achieve any use! ui nurnosa. After manv nnd fOtile cuesions, the Mexiean Govermnent refused to reoeive Shdell. and be tinnlly dcmanded his pasaporta and retnrned home. Wben Mr. Soule resigned bis geat in the Sonate to fill the post of Minister to Madiid, BUdell was appointed to succeed him for the uitexpiredterm; and, at the close of this term, hu VU re-elected for six years. In the caucusee of the extreme Southern party, wilt which he aeted, no niemher's advice carried more weight than Mr Slidell's. During liuohanan's roign, be was the controlling - In peyson, alidell is strikiug; oí iniddle heifjlit, stout figure and wiih a bold mein. Il o is utteiiy unprincipled and his politica! career in toHisiana is a record of villainies that it would be bard lo parallel. In 1844, by the celbraied PlaqucminefraudH, hednirauded the VVhigs of the voteof Louisiana, and therebv defeated Henry O'ay and nado Polk President. For his ini'amous vvork at this tiriie he aoquired, the toubnquet of Baron Phiquemine. Again, at, a later day, in the matter of ! nmnas land yrants, in Loaisiana, as guilty of frauda íso palpable and outrageous that even New ürleans, wilh its easy virtne, ahnost spewed him out. By this he acquired the noin Je pume oí' Oíd Iloumas.- But bis crowniog iraud on tliü peoplo - - l y( Louisiana, and on the country, was (vhen lio swindled his adopted Stato i out of the Union. $ CAPTAIN CHARLES WII.KKS. The name of Captain Charles Wilkes, ' who so neatly nabbed Sliilell nnd ( Mason, is a mime known both in navigation and in scienci1. He was born ' in this State in 1805, and originally l ontered the naval service of bis country ! in 1818, at the early age of thirteen ' ye&rs. In 1838, having previously l tinguished himself by his scientiflc ' abilitv, ho reeeired frorn the American Government the command of a ntival expudition intended to explore the i ' eountries bordering on the Pacific and Southern oceans. His command ' nisted ot two sloops-of-wur, a brig, and ; two tendurp, and he himself had tho ' grade of Captain. Leaving here Hliortly after hs appointment, he doubled Cape Horn, crossed over to Polynesia, Van Dieman's Land, and Australia, advancing as high as the sixty-fir-t degree of South latitude; he then visited the Fujee Islands and Borneo, and returned to Now York in 1842, after having visited Singapore and the Cape of G-ood Hope. This memorable expedition of fonr years was t'e'rtila in useful observations, which Capt. Wilkes recounted in a very able work iu five octavo volumes, entitled " A Narrativo of the Unitod States Exploring Expedition." In 1848, the Geographical Society of London presonted him with a gold medal, as a tokon of their appreciation o his labora. He has also, since then, pubüsbed a work entitled " Western America," which contains valuable gt.atis;ical details and geographical facis, and inaps rtlating to California and Oregon. Commodore Wükes received his prest nt corernission in 1855. He has ben in the servica altogatber forty-three years. Ten of these years ho has been on fea service ; twenty-six engaged on shore or other duty, and seven years unernployed. For sorae years latterly he has been assigned to special duty noar Washington. He is now retnrning from the coast of África wilh the U. S. steamer San Jacinto. On Uiè way home he found orders to cruise for privateers or vessels attempting to run the blockade, which duty he has been perfonningfor the past six weeks. - While entrnged in this business he feil n with the lwo rabel Pienipos. The vhole country nov rings with applai.so f bis bold iiction. TIIH AKREST. When Lieut Fairfax, of the Sun Faeinto, reiiched the deck of the Trunt, he met the Captain and mqnired if' lis hart Mason and Slidell on board. He hesitated in answering, hen Mr. Fairfax discovered Mason at a distance seated. übserving this, the Captain Mated that thpy vvere on board, and Mr. Fairfax approached the rebel envoy and inquired if h,e was not Mr, Mason. Manon aróse and stated that he was, when Mr. Fairfa? announced that he had orders for his arrest Masoo turned to ths Captain and asked if ha intended to allow this ou trage to be oomi.iitted upon his flng. The Óuptiain mada eome response, vvhich was inaudible to rny informant. Mr. Slidell at that moment carne up trom the cabio, and he was also informed b}7 Mr Fairf'ax that he had orders for his arrest. The ladies oí the snits ecom'ng i:p at the moment, a converation jn an under tone was pommenoed, which was físilowed by a very atfecting scène, as it became apparent that they were to be separatcd. Thoy espresscd themselves confidently that they would never see Mr. Slidell or Mr, Mason again, and when the ofter was made to his famüy to accompany hirn, Atr, Slidell objected, and asked that they continue the voyage. In a piivate conversation, it s supposed that they gave to Eustis and McFarland instructiona what to do when they reaohed Europe, and were rauch astonished to learri that they were also to be transferred. Their baggage wasbrought up and examined, and various papera w'nich were supposed to be of service tQ the Government were taken possession of. A considerable amount of money was found, Their wearing apparel was tran.-iferred to the boats, aod soon the prisoners were on board the San Jacinto. Masón was very baughtyin his manner for a time aíter reaching the vespel, but Slidell was pleasant and easy in his manner. Lieut. Fiinfax ia by birth 'a Virginian an(J is one of the iamily of that name in the Bastern part oi the State. Gen. Fairfax, a rebel Virginian, who played a prominent part in the effort to bring Northwestern Virginia loto the ri;b,ellion, is a meir.ber of the same fatnïly. The Lioutenant entored the naval service from North Carolina, and it is said that he is a distant relation of Mason, whoso arrest h? made. - Those who know him speak in high terms of his loyalty and integrity.