American citizen. [volume] (Canton, Miss.) 1851-1863, 1861-12-28
An Interesting Document.
PROTEST OF slgTaEss caaalss -sEsS

Treat By Capt Wilkes. Of the L :
steamer San Jacinto: also the reply II
Capt. Wilkes
Protest c< the COMMENCEMENT
U. ). SrxAxER SAX JsCfSro.
AT sea. Nossmber 8
4 Gspt. H1Zkes. L. 5 Y. c0naassAasa-s So
.Kgcinfo-
Sir-We desire - cOmrunicste toTos-
By this memorandum. the facts aitea41nS
our arrest Yesterday on board The British
mail steamer Trent by your order. Art
our transfer to this ship
We. the undersigned. embarked A.
Havana on the 7gh inst. as passengers
on board the Trent. Capt NOR. hoan1
to the Island of ST Thomas. The Treat
being one of the regular mail And rSs-
senger line Of the British royal naal
steamship company running from Vera
Cruz, via Havana, - St. Thomas. ard
thence TO Southampton. Englaz1- We
paid our passage money for The whose
route from Havana 10 Soathamnsoo. .
the British consul At Havana. who acES
rs .ae agent or representative of the sail
steamship company. Mr.. Siideil being Ac-
companied by his family. coasissias &C
his wife. four children and a servant. AL
Mr.. Easiis bv his wife aud servants.
The Trent left the port e Havana
about o'clock A N on the morning e
the 7Jh inst. and pursued hsr xexas~
uninterTuptedly until intercepted by ths L.
5. steamer San JacintO. under year eosa-
mand. on the day following. the S,h fuss..
IN the manner nov 10 b related.
4 =
several miles distant. The Treat wss par
suing the usual course Of her VOYAGE zlsns
the old Bahama OF NicholaS ehana~f.
was about two hundred and fotfv miles
from Havana. and in sight Of ne GsAl-
house Of PoTado7 Grsnce. the 81 I.a-ia-
to then lying STATIONARY. or nrzrfv =.
about the middle oF the channel. an
where i ~as some 6ftesn Eiles wi1e. -
since shown Us on the ehaT'. TIE nas5oa-
atty Of the ship being then Ruknown-
When The Trent bad approached near
enough for her flag to b disiin -si~A~1.
it was h0isted a. the peak ard &C ih-
main. and so remained for = tine- "
flag was shown b. the Stn Jsr5nts
When the Trent bad approached Wlsbfn
a mile Ct the San Iaeiato. stiH rassesus
gun was fred from the htrrr ~lie .-F.s~S
the course Of the Treat. an tle CE5el
States fi,g al The same lime Gs-F ayr1 s.,
the peak.
The British flag was again isuus.-dss-e-
" hoi>sed. as before. b. the fsrur. AMI
50 remained When The TREAT hs1 tr-
preached. still on her eoarse. bia ESQ
or three hundred wards Of the So Jsrie-
to. 4 second shosted San was 6frl sle-l
yo-r ship. again acre~s tbe ceurs- ef tt-
Trent When the TFcns 20, n5.sia I.-g
ing distance, her captain Impaired u-a-
vas wanted. The reply sa> ar srr~-a,sl
to be They would sen1 a b.ss--'
Both vessels were thea siaIiosaFv. - 3
steam shut of. / boat waS pas 90 srea
your ship. followed immedia,siy % ,9o
other boats. wHh full eFeNS. su1 aHu~5
with musk els and Sile-aruns- 1 Iea,. rsrk.
in the naval uniform of che Uuit-5 >sa-r~
navy. and Wilh sde-arus. boarded ,ar
Trent. and. in the presence Cf mess of laz
passengers. then assembled ga she urFsF
deck. said 10 Capt Ms;r that BE- earzr
wilh orders to demand his psS>~usvr I>f.
The captain refused u pFa.}a-~ e. azI
formally protested against any Ei-As q.
visit his ship for the puFF0se iuss.ce--i
After some eoGverS8fian. IusptF-1ns Fe-
newed protests On the part Of tte csrrssa
against the alleged object of he Visa.
and on the part of the ofEicvr 81 thr 80
JaciniO that be bad oaly 10 yxee-sse hl>
orders. the latter said
THAT two genllemes. Eam7nS Ne~s~S
Slideil and Mssoa. weve kaowa e. D. en-
board, a also two ether seas,~a.-n.
naming MsssTs- Easiis sn3 M1cfsrsaHa
and that his orders were - tske AL
carry them on board the S&a lscia-a.'-
I. should have been Rose3. gAaI 81 6r~s
addressing the captain. ke zrzg==--3
himself As a lieatenaas Of the Uai-v1
States steamer San Jseinto. Tie 6saE
getlemen thus named being Fressas. th~
lieutenant addressed Mr.. >.aleli. sui
afterwards Mr.. Mason. repsasin thas
bis orders were 70 take tkeu.. ss.sesber
with Eustis and Mscfarl4n1. su3 esrrv
them on board bis ship. MOSS S5i~4
and Mascn. IN reply Pros-sesd. n ia~
presence Of the captain OF The Trert -
officers and passengers. against sash
threatened violation e their psEso1s AL
their rights, and infcrmed TIE Eez-euap.
that thew Scald not leave the ship theE
were in unless compelled - tie s@Fley-
ment Of actual force greater than theE
could resist. and Nessrs- EasEis azl Iss-
farland united with them in expressing
a Ike purpose. That offcer sr2ssd thssl
he hoped be would not be eoasr~lt-s3 -
resort 10 The use OF force. bat. II i Woal1
become necessary ID employ i. - oFlasr
10 execute bis orders, he was prepared -
do so.
He was answered By the un1srslS1s1
that they would submit - saeh fsree
alone. The ieutsna thea wens - tAe
gangway where his boats ~sFe. The a.
dersigned going at the same tine - der
state rooms on The uext deck b~low- ST.
lowed by Capt Nor. AMI g. ths oshsr
passengers The Lieutenant EstaEns1
with a party Of his men. a porsioa 0G
whom were armed wIsh siae-aFmS. snd
others appearing TO be squad e n<Eisss
having muskets and bsyon~ts- Mr. -