The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1880-01-14
"What Queen Victoria Never Told

People attempting to do great deeds
and failing are having a run in litera-
ture Just now. The atlantic recently
published the story of 1.-THE man who
was to have assassinated Napoleon, "al-
though the story, as told, makes it
doubtful whether there ever was any
such man. The Saturday Magazine,
published by Mr.. F. B. Perkins, assis-
tant librarian of the Boston Public Lii
hrary, and nephew of Mr.. Henry Ward
Bcecher and Mrs. Stowe, furnishes tale
of exceeding interest, written by Suchet
Ward, the secretary of" Admiral Nor
gan, OF the United States flagship Ten
nessee.'" Mr.. Perkins is Secretary
Wa DIS executor and found the story
among his papers. The incident it re-
lates has never been discovered in any
public document, nor has it yet etappeared
in Martins Life of the Prince Con-
sort" and Mr.. Perkins thinks it never
will. Briefly the story is as follows:
The Tennessee was cruising in the
English channel when the news came OF
the stopping OF the Trent and the Cap
ture of Mason and Slidell. Morgan was
eager for fight, and hoped the incident
would lead to war. He was holding his
vessel off Osborne, Queen Victoria's
residence, on the Isle of Wight, subject
to the orders of our minister to England.
Ward was sent ashore to fetch that gen.
tleman, and on his return with him was
told by the coxswain of the admiral's
barge that the "old man had got wild.
der below, runnin' off with her. They
saw she's the richest woman in Eng
and"
As soor as Ward and the minister
were on board, the Tennessee got under
; way. 1.-The widow was Queen Victoria
with one of her personal attendants,
Lady NJ The American minister
was stunned, looked again, stepped for
ward, and, bowling very low and cere-
moniously, said he was most astonished
whereupon Queen Victoria burst out
upon him, asking him if it was possible
he had cnntrived this wickedness. She
declared, in great rage, that she had
been kidnapped by this person" mean
ing the admiral, who was worse pirate
than John Paul Jones. but whatever
happens to me-" she said, "it will be
the end Of your republic, Mr.. and
you will richly deserve it, "She
spoke right royalty; without tinge of
fear; as boldly as If she were addressing
her own parliament in Westminster
abbey instead OF being a captive in a
foreign man-of-war, beyond the posi-
bility of rescue"
The minister at once ordered the ad-
miral to stop the vessel, turn about and
take it back to its anchorage. The ad-
miral demonstrated. "Mr. -" he
said, "we've got 'em sure. with her, "
motioning toward the opposite cabin;
''they will be glad to drop Mason and
Slidell like hot potato" But the
minister insisted, and the admiral
obeved. Then the minister went into
the cabin and had long talk with the
queen. He told her that she controlled
the lives of thousands Of brave men. for
she could cause or prevent the declara-
ton of war. He begged her, as o
Christian, to overlook the insult, and
not destroy a country which loved and
reverenced her as her own English peo.
pie did. There was a tremor in his
voice. Queen Victoria, changed color.
hesitated, and finally agreed to keep
silence, if she could he put on shore
again without it's being known. This
was accomplished. the minister kissed
the queens hand, and the American re-
public was saved. -.
Admiral Morgan had been studying
the London Illustrated NcUs. containing
sketches of Osborne and the grounds,
together with narrative Of the queens
habits and favorite resorts while resid-
ing there. He was thus enabled to put
a boat ashore, secretly capture her and
carry her off to his ship. The queen
was rs good as her word and never
breathed n whisper of the affair. Per-
kins heads his article, What Queen
Victoria Never Told" We, however,
have private information, to which
Perkins is quite welcome, that the rea-
son why she never told it is because she
never heard it.-DetroI Free Press.