Springfield globe-republic. (Springfield, Ohio) 1884-1887, 1885-03-22
THE TRENT" AFFAIR
One of the Incidents Connected with the
Late Unpleasantness.

/
Late Unpleasantness-
Is. 5. Cox'S Three DecadeS."l
| Being upon the foreign affair. committee
Of the house of representatives when the
/ Trent affair occurred, the writer attended a
/ dinner given by the secretary at his then
| happy home This was at time when men
held cir breaths in trepidation, lest Great
| Britain and the powers of Europe might
make the Trent matter the pretext
| to consummate their recognition of
| southern Independence. Some feared that a
! disparted republic would have to give way
before the Jealous encroachmentS of those
who sought to divide our country as they
| endeavored to imperial Mexico. On the
| right Of Mr.. Seward was seated burly Eng
I lish heartiness incarnated in Mr.. Anthony
! Trollope, the novelist. His presence was al
] most a surprise. if not satire on the occa-
| sion, as II concluded At the other end Of
the table sat John J. Crittenden. He was
| then chairman of foreign affairs in the
/ house. The author was on his right, as he
was nearer by sympathy to him than others
on the committee. The dinner progressed.
! One incident led to another, until Mr.. Sew.
ard, with a hrusqueness entirely prepenss
upon his part but surprising to US, drew the
attention of all by saving:
'Gentiemen, there is only one man in this
country. to whom l allowed unrestricted
communication with Jefferson Davis since
| the war never asked him what he wrote
to Mr.. Davis. trusted his honor AMI 10y
atty. He Is here drink the health of Mr..
Critten 3enI'
Mr.. Crittanien throwing back his shoul-
ders, as was his custom when pleased or ex-
cited, said:
MFR. Secretary. never told you what /
wrote to JEFF Davis. viii tell you now,
sir. have two sons in the war-one is a
Union and the other Confederate general
They are both, OF course, dear to my heart.
| wrote Mr. Davis: For Gods sake. sir,
since You have the gallantry of ons of my
boys on your side, d0it send him to or
against old Kentucky"
This little by-play sent out a gleam of
pleasure that sparkled around the board. 1t
was intended by NJ. Seward to placate Mr..
Crittenden for what was to follow, and it
did Then Mr.. Seward, with his exquisite
diplomatic savoirfaire, said, looking around
the board:
Il think must now trust my guests, as |
trusted Mr.. Crttenisn. l Will divulgs to
you a secret To-day the order was issued
to release Mason and Slidell"
A dead pause ensueil All awaited the re-
sponse OF the venerable and patriotic chair
man of foreign affairs He was known not
to be part al tO England. He was not en-
tirely cordial with the Confederate embasSa-
dors. With puzzled look of anger and
chagrin, the great Kentuckian hesitated for
moment he seemed held back by the
hand of courtesy. He then brought down
his dainty glass of sherry with a sudden
crash upon the table. The little fragments
few about his plate The golden contents
bejeweled the writer's investments. Then
pausing another moment, half ironically
and half loosely, he exclaimed.
"a good riddance, sirl You sent them
away none too soon, sirl They We're doing
much mischief here;" and regardless of the
occasion, a little murky cloud of profanity
dimmei the atmosphere about the table
Never, since the days of Uncle Toby, was
emphasis more excusable