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Mason And Slidell Released

Mason And Slidell Released image
Parent Issue
Day
3
Month
January
Year
1862
Copyright
Public Domain
OCR Text

The President and Cabiuet at Washington have acceded to the demandi of the British governiucnt, and iiavo ordered ' the release of Mason and Slidell and their Secretarles. Tho letter of Mr. Sewa'rd to Minister AsaUS, written in advnnce of any action of the British Cabiuct, and in wliich tlic release cï t!ie rebol oominissionora is foreahaUowed, the letter of Earl IIu.íhell, Brit tab Ministor of Foreigu Affairs, to Lord Lyons, and the rcply of Secrctary Sewaiïd, havo been given to the publie, and the two fürmer appear in our columns to-duy. - The length of the letter of Mr. Sbward compela us to dcfor its publicatioa uutil our pest issue, We are not disappoiuted at this issue, and havo antioipated it from the iirst, that is if our home Government adhered to the view of iuternational liw it lias always niaintaiued, rathtr than adopt the British view. After giving the subject full consideraron, and discussing it in all its bearings, Socretary Skwaiíd coruc3 to the conclusión that the rebel comniissioners _ a ■ i-i.,,.! J! tl. 1 il. _ _r_.__T___ _. _1 wero contraband, th.it the stopping anu scaroh of the ïreut was lawful, and i;avfully exerciscd, tlmt the.Ti'ent was justly a. forfciturc to tho captors, but that it sbould liavo boen brought into port fur logiil adjudication and condemnation. - Ttus iiot having been dono the capturo was not perfected, and tho prisoners must bc roleasud or thu wliolü history of our üoverumciit reversed. In coming to this decisiou the Socrutarj distiuotiy avows that he takes the Auioricau view of the law of natious and not tho British, that !ie ia governed by American priiccdeiit and not by J3ritish preceüent. He concludca, however, that the dcruanding tho rcleaso of the rebel Ceramisoiüuers Euglaud bas reviowod her past policy, aud aeknowledged herself in tho wrong, aud that hereafter tho law is eettled on American principies. .lio saya: Putting behiud nic all suggestions of this kind, I prefor to expresa niy satisf';iotion that by tlieadjuxtiitentof the present cuse up on prin. iples confnst-dly American, and vet, as I trust, uiutuallj satisfactory to both of the natious coueenicd, a jucstion was jinally and riyhUtj settíed %etwen ltem uihich he ctofore e.chauüed nol onlij (til J'orms of psaceful discussion, lui also the arbitrament of tvur ilself for moro than half a century alienated the tvvo cauiiti-ics from i-ach otlier, and j)erplcxcd witlifears and apprehensions all tlie otlier natious, The tour persons in qui-stiou are now hi ! 1 in military custody at Fort Warren, in the íátate of Mnssaelmsetts. Thuy will bo cliËurfully liberatod. Your Lordship will pleasa indícate a timo and placo for roeoiving thein, Our ou!y wonder is tlmt Lord Lyons sbould have acceptod the role:ise of the conimissioners, without at least disavovrDg the broad couclusion of tho above jaragraph, and we anticípate a protest 'rom tëarl Ilussell that onfrj the Trcnt affair s dispesed of, no principio settled, and no British policy reversed. - We are disposed to tiiink that the Govertiment bas doüc right, unpaletable as it may b?, but tvo apprcliend that tho British Uovcrument would have been jutter satisfied with a contrary decisión, [f it wants a war with the United States- and wo thiuk it does, - it might as well havo it for tho outragc(?) on the Trcnt, as for any other causo; and that seing disposed of it will soon fiad anotlier. Britain has aimeij for years to get up a family quarrel auiong the American States that sho miglit prout jy it, and we havo anticipatcd from the irst that the rcbcllion would bring a war with England. If t does not we shall jo happily disappoiuted, but wíth our views unchangcd we conceice it the duty of our Govcrnmcut and people to prepare 'or any emergeney. L:ST There is a law upon our Stíito statute books r.gainst kidnapping, and f it w;i8 not mado alo;ie to proíeet ' fugitivos from service " against legal arrest, tho State authorkies should Eee ;hatitis enforceil against all kidnappers of oitizens, even though they have not run avvay froin a southern master, and may unfortunately bo white. Wo refer to tho recent arrests in Lnpoer county. We have manifestad no dispoeition to oomplain of the sumenary arrest and transmissioD to Fort Lafayeito of supposed traitors, in any quartcr wheru tho Courts are powerless and the law can not tako its courso. But thero is no reason for sueh proceedingí in Michigan. AV'e havo loyal judges to render judginent, and loyal office ra to oxéente sentence, and there is do escase for kidnapping men in our State. 11' wo have traitors among :a let the law take its conree, let complaint be made in duo fonn, and arrest, oxaiiiination, indittmont, trial, and conviction or ai'ijnittal follow, we care not bow speed'.iy. But let not tho coDstitutional nafü-guards of the citizen bo brokèn down, for if they be the innocent may suffer vvilh tlio guil'y. There is no necessity for martial law in Michigan, no neoessity for the aents oliho Fsderal Government to override the civil law, and to persist in doing so will work only ovil. jf" Tho Fice fress has put on a new i!res8 and mnkes a fioe Dupearanco. Jacob Baiins and C. II. Tatlob, i'ormfci-ly of tho Gran-.l linpide Enquirer havo beeomo partnerH of Mr. Walker in its publication, Uarns is one of' ihe best practical printers n the State, and Taylor is an aole writer.

Article

Subjects
Old News
Michigan Argus