Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1911-12-24
FIFTY YEARS Ago
IN THE STAR

News Of English resentment over the
Trent affair reached this country about
the middle Of December,
1851, and, being stated In
somewhat strenuous terms.
11Vtest. created considerable ex-
on this side of the Atlantic, with
some apprehension Of warlike result.
In The Star of December IL, 1851. Is half
q column Of a dispatch from Halifax
the London news under date
Of December 1 brought by the steamer
she having sailed from Liver
pool on the 3Oth OF November and
on the ID Of December. hav-
ing been detained at the latter port by
order Of the government. doubtless to re-
ceive the queens messenger with dis
for Lord Lyons. British ambas-
sador at this capital. 1t was stated that
on the 3Oth her majesty held a privy
council at Windsor. The announcement
had been made in London that the Brit
ish demands on the American government
were for an apology and for the restitu-
ton ito the protection of the British
flag of those who were violently ana
illegally torn from that sacred asylum.
The London Observer said: There IL no
reason why they should not be restored to
the quarterback of a British admiral at
New York, or Washington itself. in the
face of ten or twelve men of war, whose
presence in the Potomac would render
the clustering cabinet or washington as
helpless as the Trent was before the guns
and cutlasses of the San Jacinto. 1t Is
no fault of ours if it should come even
to this
It was stated in London that arrange
ments for increasing the force in Canada
were not yet complete
Military but in q few hours every
thing would be settled
MOVeS. In the meantime a large
ship. the Melbourne, had been Iaken III
and was being loaded with Armstrons
guns, some. $4,000 Enfield rifles. ammuni
ton and other stores at Woolwich. i
was said to be not impossible that THU
vessel would be escorted by one or tive
men-of-war. The rifles were intended
for the Canadian military, and strong re
Inducements of field artillery were to b'
dispatched forthwith. At privy coun
Gil on the Saturday preceding an orde
had been issued prohibiting the expor
from the United Kingdom or the carry
ing coastwise Of gun powder, saitpeIer
nitrate of soda and birthstone. TIL
hostile, treating the affair as an intoler
able insult, the Times asserting tina
it had been Mr.. Stewards policy to fore
a quarrel with England and calling 10
energetic military preparations In Can
ada. The Times had no hope that tn
American government would comply witt
the English demands.
X x
Naturally, the dispatches brought b!
the Europa gave rise to exciting rumors
and wild exaggeration
Note Not an regarding the situation
- were speedily in circu
U1tAmdtuin' lation. The Star o
December 16, 1861, said:
1.-The utter unreliability of the sensa
tional accounts of England's action upol
the Mason and Slidell seizure question Il
embrace a positive declaration that Lore
Palmerston has sent out his ultimatum
to be presented by Lord Lyons to thf:
government. That is to say ina. Eng
land proposes to open her negotiation
upon the subject by an act which was
never in diplomacy, before resorted u
except to c,ose such negotiation Or
in other words, that England has de-
termined to commence the matter with
being an avowal of the purpose of COINS
to war with the United States. Secesh
grows desperate on the other side or the
Atlantic, or it would hardly have re-
sorted to such a. foolish dodge to operate
upon public sentiment in the loyal United
States"
It is an interesting coincidence that in
the same issue of The Star as that con-
tanning these matters is
Serenade an account of a serenade
given to Capt. Wilkes
10 WlheS. commander of the San
Jacinto, at his residence, corner 18th
and H streets. The music was by the
Marine Band, which opened the program
by rendering Hail to the Chief" Mayor
Wallach introduced Capt. Wilkes with {
tribute to his last great act, the seizure
of the rebel commissioners, that adds
special luster to his name" Capt. Wilkes
later consented to make a brief address
thanking those assembled for the compli
ment paid him, and carefully avoiding
any reference to his late exploit other
than to say that if a similar emergency
arose he should do precisely the same
thing again.
In The Star of December p. 1861, is g
statement of the situation up to maj
time, as follows:
Diplomatic I'VE have every rea
son to believe that yes
OVAAoAeASeS' terday Lord Lyons ha6
three unofficial interviews with Secre'
tary Seward upon the affair Of the Trent
Confidential in their character, as sucf
diplomatic interviews always are. OF
course, no one else knows what trans
pired between them, though it wa.
doubtless preliminary to the presentation
of the official views of the British gov
eminent brought over by Capt. Seymour
whose presence in this city attracts, sin
gularly enough, little public attention
Notwithstanding the flourish of trumpet:
with which the British press heraldeo
his departure. We may add that suffi.
cient has transpired since his arrival t
make 1t plain that a war with England
can only grow out of the affair as the
result of Britains purpose of entering