Seattle daily post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, W.T. [Wash.]) 1881-1888, 1885-05-09
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Being upou the Foreign Affairs Com
mitkse OF the House of Representatives
when the TreEls affair occarFed, the
writer attended dinner given BY the
Secretary II bis thsn happy home. This
was as the time when men held Their
bre2ths in tEssDidaflon. lesist Crest
Britain and the powers Of EGr,Spe might
nsks the Trent matter the pFesext TO
corsamusate thsdF recognition ct Soufh-
err Independence. Sone feared that a
departed Rspakiie vozld have 10 give
xag before the Jealous Gneroachments
Of those VITO soaRht 70 divide on. conn
Try, a. thev erdeayoted To impsrializs
Mexico. On the right Of Mr..
seward was seated bury English hearfi-
ness iucarnated in Mr.. Anthony Trol-
lope, the novelist His presence YES
almost surprise, ii NOS satire on the
occasion, a. il c0oelnded. At the ether
end Of The table sat John j. CTittaEden.
He was then Chairman Of Foreign At
fairs IN the Hoess. The author Sss on
his right, as he was nearer by sympathy
70 him than others on tie COMMITTEES.
Ihe dinner progressed. One incident
led 10 another, until Mr.. Seward, With q
bEusq1eness entirely preTense upon has
part, tsut surprising to ia, drew the at
tentis9 Of all ky saying:
s-csenslsmsn, there Is only one man ia
this country 20 whom / allowed zure
stricted Communication with jefferson
Davis since the war. ! never asked him
what be wrote 10 Mr.. Davis. trusted
his honor and loyalty. He is here l
drink to the health of Mr.. Critssnaen.
Mr.. Crittenden, throwing back his
shoulders, as was his custom when
pleased or excited, said:
Mr.. Secretary, never told yen what
wrote 10 JEFF Davis. / will tell you
nov. SIR. have two sons in the war
one Ii Union and the other is Con-
federate General They are both, of
course, dear 20 nv heart. wrote Mr..
Davis: For Gods sake, sir, since you
have the gallaRtry of one Of my boys
on your side, don't send him to or
against old Kentucky"
This little by-play sent out CLEAN of
pleasure that sparkled round the board.
Il was intended by Mr.. Seward to pla-
cate Mr.. CrittendeR for what was to
follow, aud it did. Then Mr.. Seward.
with his exquisite Diplomatic sapoir
.fairs. said, looking round the board:
II think / must now trust my guests,
a. trusted MIR. Critteiaden. l will
diyulge 10 you secret. Today the
order was Issued to release Mason and
SlideIl."
A dead pause snsued. All awaited
the response of the venerable and patri-
otto Chairman Of Foreign Affairs. He
vas known not to be partial 10 England.
He was not entirely cordial with the
Confederate Ambassadors. With a pug
zled look of anger and chagrin the great
KentuekiGn hesitated for e moment. He
seemed held back by the aaud of cour-
tesy. Hs then brought down his dainty
glass of sherry with Sudden crash up.
ON the table. The little fragments few
about his plate. The golden contents
bejeweled the writer's investments
Then pausing another noment, half
ironically and half ioc0sely, he replied:
"A good radiance, sir. You sent them
away none to soon, sir. They were do
ing much mischief here" and regardless
Of the occasion, little murky cloud of
profanity dimmed the atmosphere
about the table. Never, since the DAYS
Of good old Uncle Toby, was emphasis
more excusable.
IL was not until nine days after the
release Of the prisoners that the public
were brought TO realize what a great
diplomatic victory Mr.. Seward had won.
The demand of the British Government
had no foundation in international Law.
II was against British precedent. Il
harmonized only with distinetiveiy
American doctrine. 1t would have come
well from oar Government had Great
Britain been the aQgressor. Mr.. Sum-
ner, than whom none was better quail
ned to discuss the true merits OF Mr..
Seward's course. delivered a mastery
speeek In the Senate on the 9th of Jan
ualy, 1862. Ii set the public mind at
ease by showing that ws had emerged
from the pending trouble not only with
honor, but by putting England in posi-
item in which neither former diplomacy,
nor. a. Secretary Seward said. ''the ar
bitrament Of war; itself had placed
her.