Evening journal. [volume] (Wilmington, Del.) 1888-1932, 1915-06-11
New News Of Yesterday
How the Country Was
Spared One Humiliation
By Holland.

The Lusitania incident has revived
the recollection of the time when the
United States, in response to the de-
mand of Great Britain, delivered Ma
son and Slidell TO British authorities
some weeks after they had been taken
from a British steamship, the Trent,
because they were acknowledged COM
missioners from the Confederate gov
eminent whose service was to be at
London and Paris.
Secretary William II. Seward agreed
TO meet the demand of Great Britain
by surrendering Mason and Slidell and
by also making an apology for the
taking of them from British mail
steamships and he furthermore agreed
70 salute the British flag.
Secretary Seward and Lord Lyons.
who was at that time minister of
Great Britain to the United States,
we're personally attracted each TO the
other so that at last a warm friend
ship was established between them.
The hardest part of the duty which
Secretary Seward felt he must per-
form was the agreement that the Brit
ish flag must be saluted when Mason
and Slidell were delivered 10 the
British authorities.
There was at that time a strong
suspicion that Secretary Seward and
Lord Lyons came to sort of infor-
NAL understanding by means of which
the bumiliating ceremony of saluting
the flag could be avoided.
Mason and Slidoll were confined as
prisoners of war in Fort Warren,
Boston harbor. Gustavus b. Fox. as
sistant secretary of the navy, was de-
signated as the officer to supervise the
handing over of Mason and Slidell to
the British authorities. Fox although
a very serious man so far as his Navy
Department duties we're concerned.
had a keen sense of humor. When he
came back to Washington after Mason
and Slidell had been delivered to a
British steamship which was at an
Choir off Cape Cod he detailed to Sec
rotary Seward the manner in which
these two commissioners we're turned
over TO Great Britain and how the
salute of the British flag had been
avoided
II had been agreed that in view Of
the violent feeling in Boston against
Great Britain il might be the better
part not 10 have the British steamer
Rinaldo enter Boston harbor. SO it
was agreed thai she was 10 ancnor off
Cane Cod Mason and Slidell we're to
be taken from Fort Warren and trans
ported by q government tug across
Massa chusetts Bay TO the RinaldO. OF
course as the Rinaldo was sixty miles
away from Fort Warren it was inn
possible to salute her flag. and as Ma
son and Slidell We're taken out of Fort
Warren az o'clock in the morning
no salute being fred except N day
light--it was not possible to salute
the departing prisoners who hal been
set free. Both commissioners were
deplorably scasick while making the
passage from Boston to Cape Cod, and
siden was perfectly limp and helpless
when removed from the tug to the
British vessel These facts were mar
. rated Ia. Secretary Seward A shor
time after. he entertained Lord Lyons
az his house. and probably told the
British minister what ha6 happened
Lord Lyons heard this story at Sec
rotary Stewards table ard was greatly
amused He was able % communicate
20 his government that while Tho
United States was al ready 10 salute
the British flag. it was impracticahl'
% 10 do that under the circumstances, 81
that presumably the better part wOulC
be 10 take the will for the deed.
Copyright. 1915, hv r.. J. Edwards
All rights reserved)
Tomorrow MI Edwards will tell. o.
"A Mysterious Friend of the Union II
France"