Daily Ohio statesman. [volume] (Columbus, Ohio) 1855-1870, 1861-12-17
1IidcII and Masonsa Account Of their
M MS Onptufos

N O0ptuf0s
The Secretary Of the Navy has transmitted to
Congress the protest signed by Messts. elidell,
Mason, Eustis and Mcfarland, containing their
account Of their capture on board the Tfent:--
They say the hrst notice given BY the Ban Ja-
cintO was the firing Of shotted gun across the
course Of the Trent, followed BY another at o
short interval, the Trent having in tho mean
time hoisted the British Gag. A US. Lieuten'
ant then put Of from the San Jaclnto In boat,
followed Immediately by two other boats with
armed crews. The Lieutenant boarded the
Trent, and demanded her passenger-llst, which
the Captain refused to produce, and protested
against the visit for the purpose indicated. The
Lieutenant then stated that he knew Messrs.
6lidell, etc., were on board, and that bis orders
we're to take them and carry them to she san
Jscinto They declared that they would not be
taken except by force, and accordingly the
Lieutenant ordered up bis men from the boats,
who presented muekets with bayonets charged.
The party still resisted sufficiently to require
the actual laying on Of hands, which they say
was done. When they arrived on board the
San Jaeinto, they say they found the men at
their quarters and the guns bearing on the
Trent While still aboard the latter vessel, the
British naval officer in charge of the mails said
to the Lieutenant that, ss the only person pres.
ent representing his government, he felt called
upon, In language as strong and emphatic as he
could express, to denounce the whole proceeding
as piratical act.
Capt. Wilkes replies to this document that 1t
differs materially from h!s own account OF the
affair as reported to him BY his own officers.
The report OF Capt. Wilkes is also published.
He says that he heard at Cienfuegos that the
rebel Commissioners would take the English
mail steamer, and that he therefore immedi.
ately sat down and consulted all the authori-
ties on international law to which he had &C.
cess. He found that there was NO doubt that be
had the right to seize dispatehss thus transmit
ted, but there was question, whether he had
right to seize persons. He got over this dth-
Guilty, he declaree, by considering them 'as the
embodiment of dispatches, and as they had
openly declared themselves as charged with all
authority from the Confederate Government to
form treaties and alliances tending to the estab-
lishment Of their independence, became salts.
fed that their mission was adverse and crimi'
nal to the Union, and 1t therefore became my
duty to arrest their progress and capture them,
II they had no passports from the Federal Gov.
eminent, as provided for under the law of ma
Etions, viz, That foreign Ministers Of bellig.
erent on board of neutral ships are required 20
possess papers from the other belligefent 10 per-
nit them to pass Free"
The Trent, he had ascertained, was mere
merchant vessel, carrying the mail by contracts
he was satisfied, also, that the captain knew
the character Of his passengers, they having
been introduced by the British Consul to him,
and be consequently considered the vessel itself
lawful prize, but be forebore to seize her in
consequence Of being short Of oficeIs and men,
and on account of the arrangement 1t would
cause innocent persons. His orders TO Lieuten.
ant Fairfax authorized the latter to use force II
necessary TO effect the arrests. Captain Wilkes
says: .,gtyl
al would add that the conduct Of Her British
Ms;es.y's subjects, both official and others,
showed but little regard or obedience 10 her
proclamation, by aiding and abetting the views
and endeavoriDg to conceal the persons Of the
Commissioners .t.l-
He closes his report thus:
~ may add that, having assumed the respou'
siblity, am willing to abide the result"