Evening journal., 1913-10-27
NEW NEWS OF YESTERDAY
James M. MaSon'S Sense Of
the Ridiculous
By Holland.

James NJ Mason, who was one of
the two commissioners OF the Confed-
crate government who were taken off
from the British steamer Trend By
Captain Wilkes, of the United States
navy, in the fall Of 1861. was one OF
the most lovable of men," said Fred
erick W. Seward to me once when he
was speaking in some of his reminis-
cences of the days when he vas as
sistant secretary of state in the cab
met of President Lincoln.
You may remember what a tre-
mendous excitement the removal of
Mason and Slidell from the British
steamer and their subsequent impris-
onment in Fort Warren, Boston, caus-
ed. There was for a time the gravest
danger that we might be involved in
war with Great Britain on account
Of the incident.
'The difficulty was happily ended
partly through the kindly offices OF
Queen Victoria and her husband, the
prince consort, and partly through the
tactful disposition of the case which
was made by President Lincoln and
my father
"All this, however, is a matter Of
history. Every schoolboy has heard
of it.
"But what always interested me
particularly in the case, especially
after. Mason and Slidell we're turned
over to the British government. was
the remarkable difference of person
ality between the two men.
John Slidell was a Northern man,
a native of New York State, and my
father knew well some of those who
were near of kin to him. He. went
from New York in early manhood to
Louisiana and there gained great in
fluence both as a lawyer and as a
Democratic politician suppose
there was not a more intensely de-
voted and jealous supporter of Sc
cession and the establishment of the
Confederate government than John
Slidell was.
'He was a very stern man. It was
said Of him that he thought il be-
meath lis dignity to smile. He looked
upon very seriously and he
thougi his own dignity was the most
seriou. hing in life.
'Ala 0u. on the other hand, was a
native Of Virginia, and was one of
the jolliest and gentlest of men. He
wouldn't hurt a fly. He was full of
fun and he had a very keen sense
Of humor. He was a large consumer
Of tobacco and was not always care
full about the direction in which he
expectorated it. so that it frequently
happened that his linen was spotted
with tobacco juice. He was confined
with Slidell in Fort Warren, but he
had not been in the fort an hour be-
fore he captured by his kindly good
nature every one who was brought
in touch with him. II was soon dis
covered that he was immensely
amused by the stern mannerisms
of his colleague Slidell Occasionally
he would stir Slidell up to irritation
so that he might enjoy the spectacle.
Captain Fox, the assistant secre-
tary of the navy, told me that when
the order came for the release of
Mason and Slidell and the delivery
Of them to a British vessel which
was waiting for them near Province
town, Massachusetts,, Slidell refused
to budge an inch. He said they had
taken him there by force and they
would have TO take him out by force
Masor stood by, with difficulty sup.
pressing his sense of righteousness
of Shdells attitude. He caught Foa
looking at him. and he slyly winkeC
so that he might thereby convey tc
Captain Fox his sense of the humoi
of the situation.
But il was. when they were cross
ine Massachusetts, bay in a little
stambeat in high sea and a heavy
wnd that Mason's sense got the best
Of him. Poor Slidell lay on his bunk
g'oaning with seasickness. He was
II despair and intimated that he
would be pleased if they would
throw him into the sea.
"Mason himself was not very sea.
SICK but he attributed his immunity
to his sense of the ridiculous ant
grotesquely pitiful appearance of hi:
colleague as he lay groaning will
the tortures of his nausea, aud es
pecially at such times as he yielded tC
It,
$50 when Mason boarded the Brit
ish vessel the officers perceived tina
he was in excellent good humor, al
though they were practically carry
ing the almost PROSTATE Slidell from
the little steamboat to the deck o.
the British vessel
Nov, | should have said that thu
New Yorker would have had tn,
sense of humor and that the Vir
ginian would have stood upon hi
dignity. But the reverse was tn,
case. Those who knew Senato
Mason we'll told me that in his per
sonality his cordiality, his open
mindedness and his kindness of hear
he was one of the most lovable o
men,"