The Sun.
London, England, 1861-12-14 00:00:00

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is it usual for a neutral Power when wishing to
speak with another vessel, to fire a shot across her
bows to order her to heave to ? (No, no, certainly
not.) We proceeded slowly. We put our helm
a starboard and approached her. We were not half
a cable's length from her. I would say she stopped
—except that she had steerage way--when a shell
was fired across our bows—(shame)—and that is
the way which it has been thought proper to style
as unexceptionable. (Ironical laughter.) I make
them a present of that. (Hear, hear, and laughter.)
Capt. Wilkes says—" In the process of arrest he
was glad to say everything was conducted properly,
and nothing occurred which did not do honour to
the American navy. (Oh !oh !) I will not dilate
upon that. If they think that honour, let them hug
it to their souls ; but God forbid that her Britannic
Majesty's navy should hug such an act to their
souls as honour. (Bravo, and repeated applause.)
Now, gentlemen, I approach a subject with great
diffidence, for it personally affects my honour, it
personally affects my character. (Hear.) Before I
say one word regarding the notes which I have
before me, I will tell you the manner in which Mr.
Fairfax and I parted. (Hear.) Mr. Fairfax came
to me on the main deck, hat in hand, and said—
" Sir, I have a painful duty to perform, and if in
the excitement of the moment I have said aught
that by possibility "—I can't say this is word by
word what ho said, but it is the substance—(hear,
and " That's all we want ")—" If I have said aught
that by possibility can be construed into a personal
offence or any insult towards you, I most humbly
beg your pardon, sir, for I never meant it." I re-
plied, " Mr. Fairfax, I have had a painful scene to
witness—a scene of degradation to my country's
flag. (Hear.) Ido not deny that my feelings have
been greatly excited, but if by any gesture I have
done aught to offend you, as a man, there is my hand,
sir, and I crave your forgiveness." (Applause.) I
ask you now, gentlemen, that Mr. Fairfax—l do not
say that he has said so—but I say he has coun-
tenanced it in the American papers, he has
countenanced the expression Gaseonnader." (Loud
cries " Have they dared 9" and shame, shame.) He
(Mr. Fairfax) says, " That my manner was so vio.
lent he was compelled to request Captain Moir to
remove me from the deck"—(oh, oh)—and " Tbat
there was no union existing between Captain Moir
and myself." Gentlemen, I utterly deny that there
ever occurred one single instance of a want of
unity between Captain Moir and myself. (Bravo,
and " That's a refutation.") And I am proud to
have this opportunity of saying that I can bear tes-
timony to the high character of Captain Moir—
(cheers)—the most gallant sailor, the most urbane
gentleman, with all the courtesies of life to endear
him to those with whom he is associated, it has
ever been my lot to meet in this world. (Repeated
cheers.) I confess I have been advised to speak at
no length on account of my health, but. I cannot
help it, let the consequences be what they may.
(Hear, hear.) I must explain to you what has never
yet appeared in the public papers. (Hear.) It is
said by the American papers—but I cannot put my
hand on it now, though I have read it over and over
again—it is said, "That Captain Wilkes could not
have received instructions from his Government at
Washington, for that he was on his return from the
Western Coast of Africa, wending his way through
the Bahama channel to New York." What do you
think P Ido not know whether it has come before
your notice at all, but what do you believe P How
will you put trust in the veracity of such men who
will write such things, when, on Oct. 16, I saw the
San Jacinto off St. Thomas. I cannot remember
now whether it was on the night of the 16th or
the morning of the 17th. I went on my way to
Mexico, going to Havana, Vera Cruz, and Tampico.
On my return to Havana on Nov. 6, I found that the
San Jacinto had been to Havana from St. Thomas;
that she had coaled there, and that two of her officers,
passing themselves off as Southerners in their
hearts, had lunched with Mr. Slidell and family,
and extracted from them their intended movement.
(Sensation, " Cowards," and " That never came out
before ;" "Bravo.") I again say that lam going
to approach a subject with great diffidence. I am
going to speak of Mrs. Slidell and her daughters.
(Hear, hear, and cheers for them.) I tell you, sir,
that Miss Slidell branded one cf the ofriocr to his
face with his infamy, having been her father's
guest not ten days before. (Disgraceful, and bravo
for Miss Slidell.) No words of mine shall pass my
lips in a political point. I have no political feel-
ings. Idoas I am ordered. Mr. Fairfax denied
that the marines made a rush towards Mrs. Slidell,
at the charge, with fixed bayonets. I believe when
I lay my hand on my heart—(suiting the action to
the word)—and say, as I hope for mercy in the day
of judgment, it is true that they did so. (Hear,
hear.) Miss Slidell-and no girl in this world has
been pained more at the mention of her name in the
public papers than she has been by the manner in
which some persons have alluded to it, not pained
by its having stated the manner in which she acted
—(cheers)—but some of the public papers described
her as having slapped Mr. Fairfax's face. (Cries
of " Serve him right if she did," and " Bravo."
She did strike Mr. Fairfax. (Loud cheers for her
then.) She did strike Mr. Fairfax—(cheers)--but
she did not do it with the vulgarity of gesture
which has been attributed to her. Mies Slidell was
with her father in the cabin, with her arm encircling
his neck, and she wanted to be taken to prison with
her father. (Hear, hear.) Mr. Fairfax attempted
to get into the cabin—l do not say forcibly, for Ido
not say a word against Mr. Fairfax, so far as his
manner is concerned—he attempted to get her
away by inducements. In her agony then she
did strike him in the face three times. I wish
that Miss Slidell's little knuckles had struck me
in the face. I should like to have the mark for
ever. (Oh! and laughter.) It has been argued in
the public papers that if Captain Moir and I—l am
not finding fault with the papers ; I am finding
fault with the letters which have appeared in the
local papers ; I am not finding fault with the feel-
ings of the country, for the general voice of the
country has thrown over me what you have done
this night, as I said before, the mantle of your ap-
probation, which is dear to me. (Great applause.)
It has been argued whether we should not have
done our duty more clearly if we had refused a
passage to these so-styled commissioners of the
Southern States. Now, on this point I have a very
strong opinion. I know that there are at this table
members of the legal profession, but I am not going
to offer any opinion of my own. I ,am going to
offer to your notice a fact of which I am perfectly
cognisant, and which occurred in the year 1833
either at the latter end of the year 1833, or the be-
ginning of the year 1834. At that time Donna
Maria was on the throne of Portugal. In 1833
Don Miguel was expelled from that country, and
yet a noted agent of Don Miguel applied to the
Peninsular and Oriental Company for a passage to
Lisbon in the Tagus steamer. The passage Was
refused. That agent prosecuted the company. I
do not mean to say that this is decidedly a point in
support, but a fortiori it strengthens my argument.
He prosecuted the company for having refused him
a passage, and, after a long hearing, the political
agent was cast, but the only plea on which he was
cast was the plea of the company that if they had
not refused him they would have been refused ad-
mittance to the Tagus, and consequently have been
subjected to a prosecution, collectively and indivi-
dually, by passengers who had paid their money to
be taken to Lisbon. A fortiori, I say that it is
a case in point. (Hear.) It shows that Captain
Moir had no right or power whatever to refuse
these so-styled Confederate Commissioners passage
to England. (Cheers.) Moreover, so far from any
disunion between Captain Moir and myself, I should
have had nothing to do officially with either accept-
ing or refusing them as passengers. (Hear, hear.)
But I should have offered my advice most strenu-
ously to Captain Moir that he would have
sub-
Ijected to a prosecution if he should refuse be
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make myself a diplomatic c

merely a deliverer of her Ma

Well, I am not ashamed to be a deliverer of her Ma-
jesty's letters. (Applause, and cries of " Well done.")
I have not shirked my duty to my country. I have
served 28 years under the pennant in my own ser-
vice, and I am too old to undergo the expense of
commanding a ship. even if I had the interest to
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his side, and the remarks occasioned
a continued
outburst of applause of enthusiastic character.) I
thank you for allowing him to be present and sit
by my side. Although some may blame me for it I
tnier you my mosthumble thanks'. (Cheers.) Well,
I must speak of Mrs. Slidell. You may be aware
that these ladies were under my charge for three
weeks—three weeks of close intercourse on board
ship with ladies under your charge gives you a
greater insight into their character and their feel-
ings than casual intimacy on .shore. (Hear, hear.)
Whatever other people may say of-Mrs. Slidell and
her daughters, I assure you that so far as my humble
judgment goes they were thoroughly well-bred
ladies. (Applause.) Now what Will you think of this?
When I landed I was sent up to London in a special.
train. I had previously recommended Mrs. Slidell
and her daughters to an hotel in London, believing
it to be a quiet hotel, and where they might get
apartments en suite. (Hear.) Well, I was sent up
in a special train to report the circumstance to the
.Government. On the day after I had arrived in
London I dined with Mrs. Slidell, for on the day
en which I did arrive in London I was engaged at
the Foreign Office with Lord Palmerston and the
Lords of the Admiralty until a late .hoar.. I say.,
then, that on the day after I dined with Mrs. Sli-
dell. lam somewhat diffident in telling you what
took place. You will hardly believe that- a:gentle-
man of the Northern States—aye, a so-called gen-
tleman—had called upon Mrs. Slidell that after-
noon, and as if their feelings were not harrowed
enough by being separated from their father and
protector, some demon mast come to make the
rankling in their hearts more bitter by telling them
the decision of the law officers of the Crown. He
said he came to offer his condolence (I) and to in-
form them that the law officers of the Crown had
decided " That the seizure of her husband was not
contrary to international law !" (Cries of Dis-
graceful, and Shameful.) Gentlemen, I was enabled
to tell Mrs. Slidell—and perhaps you will pardon
me if I repeat the expression here—(yes)—that
it was a infernal lie !—(oh, and a laugh)—for
I had just come from the Foreign Office, where I
had learnt the decision of the law officers of the
Crown—(hear)---and which was diametrically oppo-
site to what the man dared to say. (Cheers.) Now,
gentlemen, I have only one more subject that I
know of, on which to speak. The circumstances
attending the gallant Federal Marines rushing
with the points of their bayonets at Miss Slidell.
(Hear, hear.) It was at this point that she
screamed, for her father snatched himself away
from her—l do not mean snatched himself rudely,
but he snatched himself away from her to break
the window of his cabin, through which he thrust
his body out. But the hole was so small that I
hardly thought it would admit the circumference
of his waist. It was then the lady screamed. I
am charged by Mr. Fairfax " that my manner was
so violent that he was compelled to request Capt.
Moir to remove me." (Nonsense.) But when the
marines rushed on at the point of their bayonets—
and I believe that it is not necessary that I should
make a solemn asseveration that it is true—(no)--
when they rushed on at the point of the bayonet I
had just. time to put my body between their bayo-
nets and Miss Slidell—(oh)—and I said to them—
and if Henry of Exeter were here I would ask him
for his absolution for it —(laughter)—l said to them
" Back, you -- cowardly poltroons." (Bravo,
and capital.) I need not ask you, gentlemen, if I
am acquitted of bullying. I bullied no one. (Hear,
hear.) I need not ask you whether you acquit me
now. I beg once more to express my thanks to you
for the mantle of your approbation which you have
thrown over my shoulders. Capt. Williams then
resumed his seat amidst repeated applause, and im-
mediately rose again and said—Allow me one mo-
ment. It is sufficient for me that I received such.
approbation, but it may be satisfactory to you to
know that I have received the approbation of my
Government. (Hear.) I received this letter from
my immediate chief, Capt. Matey
" Southampton, Dee. 3, 1861.
_ _

" Sir,—With reference to your letter of the 9th ultimo,
detailing the circumstances under which Messrs. MasE)n.
and Slidell, the Commissioners frau the so-styled Confede-
rate States of North America to this country and France,
with their secretaries, were forcibly taken out of the Trent,
contract steamer, on the 9th of November, in the Bahama
Channel, by an armed party of officers and men from the
San Jacinto, United States seam-ship of war, I am com-
manded by the Lords Commissioners of the Admiralty to
convey to you their lordships' approval of your conduct
whilst acting as naval agent on board the Trent on the
occasion in question ; and also of the judicious steps you
subsequently took for making the matter known to Lord
Lyons and Vice-Admiral Milne, and othei British autho-
rities.—l am, sir, your most obedient servant,
" CHARLES PATEY, Captain Superintendent.
" Commander Richard Williams, Naval Agent, R.N."
The reading of the letter occasioned fresh ap-
plause.
! Several other toasts followed.

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