New-York tribune., 1884-02-17

| of the English capital. now much MI "ceu w.
compshed it woud be impossible to say. 1t was
| Stewards astute diplomacy which settled the ditii-
Guilty. but Thurlow Weed acted in remarkable har-
| mony with him even before il was possible for him
! to know what line the United States Government
| would lake. One of the greatest difficulties which
confronted him was q story current in London that
during the visit of the Prince of Wales to the Unted
States Mr. Seward "took advantage OF an enter
tanment which was given to the Prince ana HIS
suite to tell the Duke of Newcastle that he was
likely to occupy high office; that when he qua SO IL
would become his duty to Insult England ana thi'
he should insult her accordingly" And TINS, eA-
claimed the British press, just what he mas uonc
in the Trent case. Mr. Weed could only protest
that the story incredible, ana that any ''',s
Of the sort was ever said it must have been IN the
WOW Of bod;naqe. George Peabody, writing to Mr.
| Weed ahout n conversation with Sir Emerson Ten
nant, said:
! We talked over the mystery hanging over the
| Seward and Newcastle affair. Sir Emerson said
that there can be no doubt but that what the Duke
reported OF Stewards remarks has strongly Inlll-
enced the Government in preparations Tor sew
eral months past The Bishop SAID that he had re-
cevcd the account from Sir Henry Holland, and, /
| think Lord Shaftesbury, both of whom had the eX;
act words from the Dukes own lips fon should ma
at once write to Mr.. Seward for letter 10 the
Duke, and have the matter cleared up.
Immediately after sending the dispatch to Lord
| LYONS agreeing to the surrender of Mason and
Slidell, Mr.. Seward wrote:
My DEAR WEED.-Of course am unable TO write
reply to your many letters, which are very OseIui;
and now, when possible, are snQwh % TO tno I'S'-
You will see what has been done You Will know
who did it, You will hardly be more able to shield
me from the reproach of doing it, than you nave
been to shield me in England from the reproach o1
hostility to that country, and designs lor war
it, saw the Duke OF MeTeate a. AOay nn c
way from the hotel to the cars. The whole story,
| as | see it here, is a mistake. never Sald OF
thought word like it, but all could nave sald Is
so opposite that amazed that he lets IL pass
except it be on the ground do, that IL Is lposSiog
to correct popular errors engendered III pohticai
Why not 60 and ask him about it
| Later Mr. Seward wrote: " have prepared note
to the Duke of Newcastle but have thrown 1t INTO
the fire. Before this silly canard of his could be ex-
posed some new one would be started"
Mr.. Weeds efforts were shrcwdly directed toward
influencing the tone of the British demand for sur
render for upon that he saw that all chance OF an
accommodation depended. After n long conVcrsa-
tion with Eall Russell "more satisfactory III It's
conclusion than i'll its commencement" Mt weed
accepted an invitation from Lazy Russell TO walk
through the gardens:
Though the day was rather dark and clustering,
vet through the openings, her ladyship pointed out
Hampton Court, Kew Kingston, Windsor, and
other localities made classic by the residence OF sc
men as Pope and Walpoe. Mr.. Weeds attention
was attracted to a mound, some two or tnlee IceJ
above the level of the lawn ana ne asTGd a II Ras PnS
sell placing Mr. Weed upon it. Then she added;
" Look through that avenue OF ems, You are now
standing precisely where Henry VIII. stood Watc-
inc for a signal from the dome Of ST. Pauts Chrch,
announcing the execution OF Anne bOleyn." After
looking at mimic t9rthcati9n IN process oi II c4h t
structiOn by her children, Lady Russell as II the
idea had just occurred to her, turned toward nm
and said: Ladies, you know, are not supposed To
have any knowledge of public affairs. But we have
p1-pSg
troubles about the taking of some men IRON under
the protection of our flag II may be some enconr-
aeen ent to YOU to know that the Queen Is DIS
tressed at what she hears. and is deeply anxious
for an amicable settlement Assuming as ne ana
that this significant intmatlOn had been inspired by
the Earl, who had taken Lady Russell aside lew
moments before she received her hat and shawl Mr..
Weed departed from Pembroke Lodge with anxiety
abOut the Trent at1alr greatly aleVldteu.
| 1t has been well known for some time that the in
Auence of Prince Albert was eXerted in behalf of
peace at this crisis and have the following curl
GUS account of the manner in which his friendly IN
teryentIon came to the knowledge of Mr.. Weed.
The British Government lad just drawn up the de-
mand for the surrender of the rebel eyoys.
Information received by Mr.. Weed at this time
from n confidential source greatly lcsscned his
anxiety touching the tone of these dispatches, Lady
KiDnaiTd whose devotion to Olr cause entities her
to grateful remembrance, was q relative of Lady
poI1%crston with whom She frcluentlv passed the
afternoon and evening After the House adjourned,
Lord Kinnaird, then member of Parliament, drove
i
PalmerStOn Lord and Lady KinnaTd drove I'M
mediately to Mr. Weeds lodgings for the purpose OF
imparting in strict confidence, information OF the
utmost importance When Lord PamcrstOn re-
turned from Windsor, after an interview with the
Queen he left his portfolio on the table in the
library, where the ladies were sttlhg ana repaired
In his absence one of the ladies' of the family, re-
marking that she would have a peep into the
bagD opened the portfolio containing the dispatches
TO Lord Lyons. With these papers there was also
incl0sed the following memorandum IN tne mana,
writing of the Prince COnsort. with corrections and
ntcrlineatiOns in the handwriting OF the queen:
Memorandum by Prince 1ibert, corrected By The Quecn
WINDSOR CASTLE, December l. 1851.
The Queen returns these important drafts, when
npOn the whole she approves but she cannot help |
feeling that the main draft, that for communication
to the American Government is somewhat meagre. |
She should have liked to have seen the expression of
a hope that the American captain did not act under
instructions. If he did, that he Inexperienced
them, that the United States Government must be
fully aware that the British Government could not
allow its flag TO be insuled, and the security of her
Her Maiestv's Government are unwilling to belieVe |
that the United States &c 'ernment intended |
want0nly to put an insult upon this country, and |
70 add to their many distressing complications by |
forcing n question of dispute upon us, and that |
we are therefore glad 10 believe that upon full
consideration of the circumstances of the nndoubted
breach of international law committed, they would
spontaneously offer such redress as alone could sat
isfy this country; namely, the restoration OF the
unfortunate passengers and "a suitable apology.
In January Mr.. Dayton, Minister at the Tuil- |
cries telegfaphed Mr.. Weed to come to Paris lie |
had learned that in the Emperors annual address to |
the legislative chamber there would be dcnunca-
ton of the obstruction of Charleston Harbor and |
demand for the raising Of the blockade. Mr.. Weed |
sought an interview with the Due de Morny, and |
prepared himself for it by diligent study of pre-
cedents in the library of the Legation:
The Duke assumed at once the leading part in the
He was exceedingly afable and un-
reserved II gave HIM great pleasure, he said, to
meet Mr. Weed lie extended an invitation to the
opera. The season was rather dull to be sure, but
new singer was soon to make her appearance
Mr.. Weed referred to public topics by gradual
stages lie could not let the Duke know that he had
infnrr,nA of the of the EmnernIis