The Democratic press. (Eaton, Preble County, Ohio) 1860-1865, 1861-12-19
Opinions Of the English Press
on the Mason & SIideII Affair.
LETTER EROM THE PURSER OF
THE TRENT.

The purser of the Trent sends
the following letter to the Times:
To the Editor Of tie Times.
SIR,-I hasten to forward you
some particulars of the grievous
outrage committed to-day against
the English flag by the United
States steam sloop San Jacinto,
Captain Wilkes. You have proba-
bly, heard how, some three weeks
ago, the little steamer Theodore,
having on board the Commission
ers sent by the Confederate States
Of America to London and Paris,
ran the blockade at Charleston, ar
irving safely in Havana. Once ar-
rived there, they Of course mag
ined that on neutral territory they
were perfectly free and safe from
all molestation, and therefore made
no attempt to conceal their names,
position, and intended movements.
Mr.. Slidell, the Commissioners for
Paris, was accompanied by his
wife, son, and three daughters, and
also by his secretary, Mr.. G.. Eustis,
with his wife; Mr.. Mason, the
Commissioner for England, being
accompanied by his secretary, Mr..
Mcfarland. 1t was well known in
J, Havana that berths were booked
for the whole party to proceed by
this steamer to st. Thomas, there
to join the homeward West India
mail steamship for Southampton.
They accordingly embarked yester-
day morning, trusting to receive
the same protection under the Eng
lish flag which they had already
received from that of Spain.
We left Havana yesterday morn
ing at eight. This morning, about
half-past eleven, we observed a
t large steamship ahead, and on a
| nearer approach found she was
t hove to, evidently awaiting us. We
were then in the narrowest part of
the Bahama Channel, abreast of
, Paredon Grande Lighthouse. AS
soon as we were well within range,
p we had the first animation of her
nationality and intentions by a
round shot being fired across our
bows, and at the same time by her
! showing American colors. W.
were now sufficiently near to OBJ.
f serve that all her ports were open,
guns run out, and crew at their
stations. On a still nearer APP
proach she fired a shell from a
swivel gun of large caliber on her
f~orecastle, which passed within a
-, few yards of the ship, bursting
about a hundred yards to leeward.
We were nov within hail, when
r Captain Moir, commanding the
> ship, asked the American what he
:, meant by stopping his ship, and
why he did so by firing shotted
: guns, contrary to usual custom
/, The reply was, that he wished to
! send a boat on board of US. This
, was Immediately followed by a boat
pushing from the side OF the So1,
b Jacinto, containing between twenty
and thirty armed men, under the
!, command of the First Lieutenant,
who came up on the quarterback,
and asking for Captain Moir, de-
-, manded a list of passengers. AS
t bis "right of search" was denied,
| the information required was, Of
course peremptorily refused. He
q then stated that he had informa-
ton hat Messrs. Slidell, Mason,
I Eustis and Mcfarland were on
board, and demanded that they
II should he given up. This also
being Indignantly refused, Mr.. Sli.
. dell himself came forward and said
Il that the four gentlemen named
were then before him, but appealed
to the British flag, under which
they were sailing, for protection.
The Lieutenant said that hi.
orders were to take them on boart
c the San JaciDto by force if they
would not surrender. He thcl
+, walked to the side of the ship anC
:, waved his hand; Immediately three
more heavily armed boats pusnct
S off and surrounded the ship, ant
. the party of marines who came il
the first boat came up and took
. possession of the quarterback
y these, however, he ordered down
e on the main deck, to take charge
of the gangway ports. Captain
e Williams, X. n, the naval agent
: in charge of the mails, then, in the
name of Her Majesty, he being the
4 only person Oh board directly rep
c resenting her, made a vehement
t protestation against this piratica.
i, act. * A most heart.
rending scene now took place be.
L tween Mr.. Slidell, his eldest daugh.
ter, and the Lieutenant. 1t would
require a far more able pen thar
d mine to describe how, with flashing
eye and q~uivering lip, she threw
herself in the doorway of the cabir
where her father was, resolved t.
II defend him with her life, till, OF
the order being given to the ma