Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1897-06-23
TIE QUEEN AND THE UNITED STATES.
True Story Of Her interference in the Trent
Affair.

There Is one episode in the long reign
of Queen Victoria which may be recalled
with peculiar interest by Americans II
this Jubilee season. James q. Blaine. II
his Twenty Years OF Congress, after
describing the war scare that grew out oil
the seizure OF the Confederate commits
sioners, Mason and siideii. from the
British mail steamer Trent, by capt.
Wilkes OF the United States steamer San
Jacinto. on November y, 1851, wrote as
follows:
III would be ungracious TO withhold
an expression OF the lasting appreciation
entertained In this country OF the course
pursued by Her Majesty the Queen OF
England throughout this most painful or
deal. 5Sh- was wiser than iier ministers.
and there can be iittle.sieubt that. but Tor
her consderate interppsliion, soiteniiiS
ih, rifor Of the British demand the t"D
nations would have been forced ihto
war.
Tho story of what MIR Blaine terms
her considerable lnttfposiiion Is one OF
the m0sg romantic chapters III Anne rieltn
and English history. When the news of
he Trent affair arrived In England on
November y. lSii--the cable was not then
iaid-the Indignation aroused was gem
erai and Intense. Statesmen 0f both pstr-
fies joined in q passionate cry Ter an I'M
mediate demand upon our government
for the surrender Of the captured com
m.ssioners and an apology for what Was
called ''the outrage. ON this side OF the
Atlantic the feeling WIS iuSi as general
and intense iu The other direction. our
House Of Representatives at Washington
unanimously adopted a resolution Of
thanks to capt wilkes and our secrs-
iary " the navy. Mr.. Gideon Weiles. Of
iielally approved the selzure-
In this situation of affairs Lord Palmer
exon then prime minister. wrote 10 the
Queen ths.is he cabinet had decided to aa-
wise Her Majesty TO demand reputation
and redress Tnat WAS on November
. ON .'ne following day there Was full
meeting of the eahinet. and A, us close
! ord Russell. foreign secretary, forward
ed 10 the Queen the drafts 81 the various
aespHtohes winch he proposed 50 send to
arl LYONS. the British ambassador at
Washington. They reached Windsor
castle in the evening The Prince Con-
sorg was already 81 the first Stages Of
the Illness which ended IN bis de8th. lie
had passed a slcep,ess night. ne rose
early on The ruGraiag Of Dece mber I. and
read the Russell dispatches. He ia not
approve uf their bciiic1Ac tone. Before
eight . clock he had finished a infmor0n-
dunn TO the Queen concerning ihcH and
the Queens course IN adopting the advice
given her ia tlat memorandum doubtless
prevented an otherwise almost Inevitable
war between the two nations. and
changed for the better the waole course
of their history. II was the last writing
on public affairs that the Prince did
thirteen tt4vS later he was dead. \ fac
slnile of ahe document s. preserved in
Martins Life OF the Prince Consort,
and tine handwriting shows traces OF his
weakness whieh was such taat ne told
the Queen ne could scarcely hold his pen
while writing,
This famous memorandum. which had
such a tremendous influence for peace,
was in form q request TO LORD Russell 10
drop the arbitrary and threatening tone
tn his dispatch of instructions 10 Lord
Lyons and 10 present the British claim
for PREPARATION in courteous and moderate
terms, such rs President Lincoln and his
cabinet could accede TO without loss Of
dignity K ran as follows:
windsor Castle. Dec. |. 1851.
Tho Queen returns these important
drafts, which upon the whole she a2-
proves: hty she cannot help feeling tina.
the main draft-th3t for communication
to the American governments some
what meagre. she would have liked TO
have seen the expression OF q nope that
the American captain did nct act under
Instructions. or. II ne did. t-at he mis-
apprehended rheni-that the United States
government must be fully aware that the
British government could not allow Us
flag 20 be insulted and the security of her
mail communications 10 be placed in
jeopardy; and Her Maiestv's government
are unwilling to believe that the United
States government intended wantonly to
put an insult upon this country, and to
add to their many distressing compica-
tons by forcing question of dispute
upon us: and that we are, therefore. glad
TO believe that, upon fun consideration of
the circumstances and the undoubted
breach of International law committed.
they would spontaneously offer such re-
dress as alone could satisfy this country.
viz. the restoration OF the unfortunate
passengers and a suitable apology.
This request to Lord Russell to change
the keynote Of his dispatch to our gov
eminent from one of menace to one OF