The Portland daily press., 1895-03-23

of the most desirable things prayed for
by the rebel government was the recog-
milton by France and England of their
confederacy government organized at
Montgomery, Alabama-or in other
words, the Jeff Davis confederacy." AS
means to this end it was decided in
the Confederate Congress to send a COM
mission to each of these European gov
ernments to present their case, and if
possible get favorable action il that di-
rection. In looking round for the right
kind of men to fill these places the POM
pous, naughty Mason was conceded to
be just the man to cut a swell before the
Lords and Dukes" of the John Bull
government, and he was at once appoin-
ted to the place. As commissioner to
France the appointment seemed naturally
to fall upon Slidell. He had French
blood in his veins, was an adroit, skill
full manager, could turn his hand to
plots and schemes at court as easily as
he could play a game of poker. He
seemed just the man for the emergency,
and of course he was selected.
On the 7th of Novem Der, 1861, the Brit
fsh mail steamer "Trent" left Haavna for
| St. Thomas, having on board Mason and
Slidell on their way to England and
France.
On the sth of that month the Trent
was hailed from the United States
frigate San Jacinto. Capt. Wilkes, and
brought to by a shot across her bows.
Two officers and about twenty armed
men left the Trent, boarded the San
Jacinto, and by force took the two COM
missioners and their secretaries Eustace
and Mcfarland. who were ali brought to
the United States and lodged in Fort
Warren. The most intense excitement at
once pervaded the whole country. The
loyal element everywhere threw up their
| hats and shouted themselves hOarse over
the capture of these notorious rebels.
Capt. Wilkes was everywhere toasted and
congratulated upon his bravery and
prowess. John P. Hale, then a Senator
in Congress from New Hampshire, made
a violent speech against their being given
up, which found a favofa BILE response
from all loyal men. No one seemed to
think or care for the "law of nations"
applicable to the case.
Not so with old England. The British
flag had been fred upon and the British
lion roared vehemently. Her flag had
| been insulted and instant redress was
demanded of the United States. This
placed President Lincoln and Mr.. Seward
between two fires-England demanding
1 their release and the loyal people of the
United States protesting against their
being given up. The whole question of
| international law was very ably gone
over and discussed by Mr.. Seward, our
Secretary Of State. The government
finally decided that the detention of the
vessel and the removing from her of the
emissaries of the rebel eonfederacy was
justified by the laws of war and the
practice of the British government;
but that in assuming to decide upon the
liability of these persons to capture for
himself instead of sending them before
a legal tribunal, Capt. Wilkes had de-
parted from the rule of international law
universally asserted by the American
government and forming a part of its
policy.
These men were finally given up by
order of our government, but it was a
bitter pill" for the loyal clement OF the
country to swallow.
This difficult matter was very skillfully
managed by Secretary Seward. His
mastery arguments were placed before
the A merican people and their "sober
second thought" led them to agree in
his reasonings. Everyone can now see
that at that critical moment in our
nations history we were in no condition
to "twist the tail" of tie British lion or
nation in Europe.
Mason and Slidell finally found their
way to the two governments to which
they were accredited by the Confederacy;
but their mission was failure. Neither
the French nor English governments
recognized the independence of the Con-
federate States. Mason was expelled
from the United States Senate in July.
1861, and after the war took up his resi-
dence in Europe. Slidell ever after the
war until his death resided in Paris.
They are now both dead with their bones
lying in foreign soil-to which they mad
fed for fear OF a trai tors doom.
Constitution Club was formed in a small