The Bolivar bulletin. [volume] (Bolivar, Hardeman County, Tenn.) 1865-1888, 1871-08-17
Death of Hon. John slldell.


rope lastMOnday. He was one of the
leaders of the Southern Democracy
before the war, took prominent part
in the secessian movement, and dur
| ing the war between the States,
| labOred with great zeal and faith
fulness for the success of the South
ern cause. Since the war he has
| resided in Europe. Mr.. SLIDELL was
born in New Y York in 1893, and was
therefore in his 18th year when he,
died. He commenced life as a.
| merchant, but not succeeding,
| leans where he embraced the
profession of the law, became one
of the most prominent members of,
the Louisiana bar, and was appoint
| ed by President JACKSON United
frequently elected to the State Leg.
islature; and was q representative in,
| Congress from 1913 to 1915. In the
latter year President Polk appointed
| him Envoy Extraordinary and Min
lister Plenipotentiary to Mexico to
negotiate for the settlement of the
| threatening questions then in dispute
| between the two countries, but his
mission proved fruitless, and he re-
turned home in the spring of 1916.
In 1858 he was elected to the United
| States Senate for the uneXpired term
of Senator SoULE, who had been ap-
pointed Minister to Spain, and was
thereafter elected for six years. lie
spoke rarely in the Senate, but
| served upon the committees on Ma
val Affairs and Foreign Relations,
and eXerted great influence. lie
was a strenuous supporter of the doc
| trines of the Southern Rights party,
and after Louisiana had passed the
ordinance of secession, and his col
| league, Hon. j. 2. BENJAMIN, with
! drew from the Senate ON the 4th of
! FEBRUARY, 1861, both making memOr-
| able speeches, which will be used by
the futnre historian, who undertakes
| to portray the spirit of those times.
In the fall of 1861, the Confederate
Government appointed him commits
sioner to France, and, in company
with Mr.. MASON, of Virginia, who
was appointed in q similar capacity,
| to England, he ran the blockade at
| Charleston, S. O., and subsequently
| embarked at Havana on board the
English steamer Trent. On the Sth
of November, 1861, the Trent was
drought to" by Capt. WILKES, of
the United States frigate San Jacinto,
! in the narrow passage of the old
Bahama channel, opposite the Pana-
dor Grande light. a Lieutenant in
the uniform of the United States ma
Wy, and with sidc-arms, boarded the
Trent, and in the presence of most of
the passengers then assembled On
the upper deck, said to Capt.
MoIR, of the Trent, that he came
| with orders to demand his passen-
ger list. The Captain refused to pro-
duce it, and formally protested against
any right to visit his ship for the
purpose indicated. The Lieutenant
said that two gentlemen, naming
| Messrs. SLIDELL and MASON, were
known to be on board, and also 9TH
er gentlemen, naming Messrs. EUsTIs
and MCFARLAND, the secretaries of
the former, and that his orders were
to take and carry them on board Of
the San JacintO. The four gentlemen
named being present, the Lieutenant
addressed Mr.. SLIDELL, and after
wards Mr.. MASON, repeating that his
! orders were to take them, together
with Messrs. EUsTIs and MCFAR-
LAND, and carry them on board his
ship. Messrs. SLIDELL and MASON,
| in reply, protested in the presence of
the Captain of the Trent, his officers
and passengers, against such threaten
ed violation of their persons and their
rights, and informed the Lieutenant
that they would not leave the ship
, they were in unless compelled by the
employment of actual force greater
a than they could resist. The Lieuten-
= ant stated that he hoped he would
, not be compelled to resort to the use
of force, but if it should become ne
t cessary to employ it, in order to eX-
, ecute his orders, he was prepared
to do so. Subsequently the armed
force referred to appeared, when
u the Lieutenant and several of his
men. by his order, took hold of Mr.
MASON, and others took hold of Mr.
t SLIDELL, and those gentlemen were
. at once cOnveyed to the boat belong
ing to the San JacintO. One account
says an exciting scene took place be-
tween Mr.. SLIDELL's eldest daugh-
g ter, noble girl devoted to her faith
|, CT, and the Lieutenant. With flash
ing eyes and quivering lips, she
threw herself in the doorway of the
i cabin to which her father had re
! treated, resolved to defend him Will
her life, till, on the order being giveI
g to the marines to advance, which they
, did with bayOncts pointed at thi
:. poor defcnceless girl, her father end
~ ed the painful scene by escaping
h from the cabin by a window, whel
W he was Immediately seized by tht
marines and hurried into the boat
id The commissioners and their secre
a taries were taken by the San JaCint'
d, to Fort Warren, in Boston HarboI
where they were confined as prison
Or ers. 4 most intense excitement wa
around in England upon the arriya
ie of the news of the transaction. Pre-
Is parations for war with the UniteI
States were commenced, and foT
a. NAL demand was made for the surren
>. der of the commissioners and a
apology for the act by the Govern
he ment of the United States, Whic
was promptly complied with, an
Messrs. SLIDELL and MASON an
Iis their associates sailed for Englan
Jan. /, 1862. Mr.. SLIDELL continue
- to represent the interest of the Con
cd federate States in Paris until th
nd close of the war. He has resided /
Paris ever,since, until the Franco
ed Prussian war drove him to Londol