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

THE AMERICAN OUT.RAGE.

BANQUET BY THE ROYAL WESTERN YACHT
CLUB.-COMMANDER WILLIAMS'S SPEECH
ON THE "TRENT" AFFAIR.

An interesting meeting was held on Thursday
evening at the Royal Western Yacht Club of Eng-
land, at Millbay, Plymouth. Commander Williams,
RN., who was the mail agent on board the Royal
Mail steamer Trent when she was stopped by the
Federal war steamer San Jacinto, and Messrs.
Slidell and Mason, the Confederate Commissioners,
taken from her, is a member of the Royal Western
Yacht Club. When it became known how nobly
he had acted upon that trying occasion, some of
his brother members thought it would be well to
entertain the gallant officer at dinner in the club
on his return to his home at Stoke, Devonport. No
sooner was the suggestion made than it was eagerly
adopted, and very soon quite as many names were
entered for the dinner as the club dining-room
would accommodate. Commander Williams having
accepted the invitation the dinner was fixed for
Thursday. It took place in the dining-room, and
was attended by about 50 gentlemen.

The chair was taken by John C. Thierens, Esq.,
the chairman of the committee of management, and
the vice-chair by Captain Basden, R.N.
After the usaal loyal toasts,

The CHAIRMAN—The next toast which I hare
the pleasure of proposing to you is the " Health of
our gallant and worthy guest, Commander Wil-
liams—(great cheering)—who has kindly accepted
the invitation of the members and subscribers of
the Royal Western Yacht Club, who were desirous
of inviting him to dinner, as a mark of their admi-
ration of his conduct on the occasion of the late
insult offered to the British flagon board the Royal
Mail steamship Trent. However various our
opinions may be as to the course of events, we are
all united in our approval of that prompt, dignified,
and happily-worded protest made by our brother
member, Captain Williams—(much applause)—
whose sentiments not only express the feelings of
the great mass of our countrymen, but are also ap-
proved and confirmed by those in authority. (Hear,
hear.) Our desire is to mark our approbation of
Commander Williams' conduct on this occasion—
on this trying occasion, which roused the feelings
of a lion's spirit, without quenching the calmer
judgment of the diplomatist. You know the pro-
test which he made. (Yes.) The whole world
knows it. It must be as pleasant to Commander
Williams as it is gratifying to the members of the
Royal Western Yacht Club to know that one who
can so well acquit himself is a member of their
body. (Cheers.) Gentlemen, lam proud to pro-
pose to you the "Health of COmmander Williams,
and long life to him."
The toast was drunk in the most flattering man-
ner, the company giving cheer after cheer.

Commander WILLIAMS; who, upon rising, was
received with enthusiastic applause, which was again
and again renewed, said—Mr. Chairman, Mr. Vice-
Chairman, gentlemen, and brother members of this
the Royal Western Yacht Club, it is not with the
feelings of arrogance and presumption which Mr.
Fairfax has thought proper to impute to me that I
will now endeavour, as well as severe illness will
permit me, to convey to your minds the deeply-seated
gratitude that I feel, not only to the chairman for
the complimentary and too partial language used
by him, whom I have ever found, for the last four
or five years, my kind and considerate friend, but
also from the manner in which the mention of my
name has been received by you—you, many of
whom are old tried friends of mine, and many whose
faces I have never met before. Therefore, I take it
to be not so much a personal matter, but a national
matter—(hear, hear)—that you have taken this
opportunity of throwing around my shoulders the
mantle of your approbation. (Renewed applause.)
Gentlemen, if I fail to convey to you—if I fail to
convey to you from the poverty of my language, the
throbbings that swell up from the well of my heart,
I beg you to believe that I am sincere in all that I
shall say. (Bravo, and hear, hear.) This compli-
ment was never looked for by me. (" We believe it,
Williams.") I will endeavour to be as little egotis-
tical as possible, but in the present instance it may
be necessary that I should speak in some measure of
myself, in consequence of Vf hat has been said about
me in the New York papers and which has been
referred to by Punch. The New York papers have
thought proper to allude to me in unwarranted lan-
guage, and which, I fear, has been counte lanced by
Mr. Fairfax. Before I say one word about Mr.
Fairfax, or the proceedings which took place on
board the Trent, and which perhaps you would like
to hear from my own lips—(" We should," and. ap-
plause)—and the manner in which the Trent was
bearded, I crave your indulgence to allow me to
refer to notes. lam not a practised speaker. I have
never had to speak on any occasion like the present,
and, therefore, I must crave your indulgence to
allow me to refer to notes which I have this day
made from extracts taken from different papers, in
order that I might not omit any portion of such evi-
dence as I should wish to lay before you. I throw
myself on your indulgence. (Hear, and cheers.) I
believe, at all events, that I have on my side truth
and honour. To convince you of that truth, I can-
not give you the chapter and verse of these extracts
that I am going to read to you, because I have nei-
ther had time nor have I had the health to put my-
self to the task of taking any notes of the particulars
of the dates in such papers. (Hear.) But I read
in the Press the opinions of the Americans—l mean
the Northern portion of the Union, the Federal
States. In alluding to the attack on the Trent, it
says :—" If the act itself is justifiable, the manner
in which it was performed is unexceptionable."
(Oh, and derisive laughter.) As to the manner in
which it was performed. I was, at the time Capt.
Moir came to me to say that a suspicious vessel was
a head, on the maindeck, with a pipe in my mouth,
reading the Essays and Reviews. I did not then
think for one moment that such an atrocious thing
would have been done as that which was enacted by
the gallant officers of the San Jacinto to take as
prisoners of war, contrary and in violation of inter-
national law, the so-styled Commissioners from the
Confederate States. The argument that appeared
or presented itself to my mind—the argument of
the moment—as a flash of lightning was, that if a
slave—a fugitive slave—once succeeds in putting
his:foot in a Free State—putting aside Great Bri-
tain—that that slave from that moment was free
from his bondage. (Cheers.) The manner in which
it is performed is " exceptionable." Shortly after
the San Jacinto was seen, a very few minutes after
the vessel was descried, we hoisted our ensign. It
was not responded to. As we approached the San
Jacinto, a shot was fired across our bows. I appeal
to younow—to you officers of the army and navy—

PRICE .4d.
STAMPED ....sd.

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 lie
everything was conducted properly,
was glad to say
and nothing occurred which did not do honour to
the American navy. (Oh ! oh !) 1 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. (Hoar.) 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 Ibave said aught
that by possibility "—I can't say this is word by
word what he said, but it is the substance—(hear,
and " That's all we want "j—" 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.) I do 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 "Gasconnader." (Loud
cries " Have they dared ?" 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 " That
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
handon 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 ? I do not know whether it has come before
your notice at all, but what do you believe ? 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 I am 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 of the officer 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. I do as 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. Miss 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 I do
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 j
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 been sub-
jected to a prosecution if he should refuse to take

everything
wrong lam willing to bear it. (Cheers.) If what
was done was right, he and lactedtogether. (Loud
applause.) The liampshire Advertiser says that I
stepped out of my proper position, and presumed to
r
j:mmevhseaetrakyl
merely
seylmlneayartst
deliverereenrl
shirkedfso t a(aAsph (Applause,
almo diplomatic
afyuehdsdeeo at
ynb
dteocarm Majesty's
ideyes
locvof character—that
euicer,ntelttrlrcr:re,sfl. I was
done.")l elr(
hOalh a)
. ,
served 28 years under the pennant in my own ser-
vice, and I am too old to undergo the exnense of
commanding a ship, even if I had the interest to
get the appointment to one. I accepted my present
appointment in order to educate my orphan eon,
(His nephew. The young gentleman was sitting by
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
tender you my mostliumble 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 hambie
ilauddigems. (Applause.)entgoes th
Na they were thoroughly well-bred
w a Now what huapttwoiLlloynodn in aspecial
train. inkofth
is?
When I landed
train. I had prOtioully recommended Mrs. Slidell
and her daughteh 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, Oa the day after I had arrived in.
London I dined with Mrs. Slidell, for on the day
on which Mid arrive it, London I was engaged at
the Foreign Office with Lord Palmerston and the
Lords of the Admiralty until a late hour. I say,
then, that on the day after I dined-with -Mrs. Sli-
dell. lam somewhat diffident in telling you what
took place. Yon 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 must 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 Mre. 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
snviolent 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. Patey

Southanapton, Dec, 3, 1861.

" Sir,—With reference to your letter of the 9th ultimo,
detailing the circumstances under which Messrs. Massa
and Slidell, the Commissioners frem 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 other British autho-
rities.—l am, sir, your most obedient servant,
" CHARLES PATET, Captain Superintendent.
" Commander Richard Williams, Naval Agent, R.N."
The reading of the letter occasioned fresh ap-
plause.
Several other toasts followed.