Essex County herald. [volume] (Guildhall, Vt.) 1873-1964, 1915-06-18
MEMORIAL DAY ADDRESS
Continued from Page /,

hours CdICleu IuCdlCuldDle lOICS'
The late British ambassador to
Vienna expires ses a generally accep-
ted fact in saying "a few days de-
lay might in all probability have
saved Europe from one of the great
est calamities in history. This ele-
ment alone almost precipitated war
between European nations and the
United States in the early days of
the Rebellion. Slidell and Mason had
made their way from Charleston,
South Carolina, to Havana, Cuba,
and taken passage on a British YES
sci with commissions from the Con-
federary with which they were to
seek acceptance as it's official repre-
sentatives at the courts of France
and England respectively, and Cap
tain Wilkes without governmental
authority had intercepted their pas
sage and brought them back to New
York. The Secretary of Foreign
Affairs in England instructed Lord
Lyons then minister from that gov
ernment to Washington, to demand
the release of the prisoners and their
return to British protection, and
stated that if the demand was not
met within seven days 'Your lord
ship is instructed to leave Washing
ton with all the members of your
legation" In the excited state of
affairs in this country at the time it
was difficult to fix public attention
on the strict legal status of the oc-
currence. 1t was said that Great
Britain was demanding of this
country redress and apology for do
ing the same kind of act that she had
appealed to arms to maintain her
supposed right to have done
hundreds of times in the impress
ment of seamen. The House of
Representatives adopted resolution
thanking Captain Wilkes for his
conduct and our Secretary of Navy
approved his action. Beyond ques-
ton the act of Captain Wilkes could
not have been sustained by law, and
the slightest indiscretion in the di-
plomatic adjustment of the matter
would have complicated us in war
with European nations and been ia
tai to the Union cause. France,
Prussia and Austria informed the
United States that they would sus-
tain England in her demand. 1t was
suggested at Washington that Fed
eral responsibility could be avoided
by declaring that Captain Wilkes
acted in his individual capacity and
lnno sense as a government agent.
Had Lord Lyons made his demand as
he might had there been on his part
the slightest evil intent, making the
seven days limit conspicuous and in
the. nature Of an offensive threat, or
had the President attempted to
avoid the imputation of allowing our
national dignity and prestige to be
lowered and entered into a discus
sion of the case, our cause would
have been lost. But Lord Lyons in
terprcted the time limit as personal
direction to him and made no men,
ton of it in his demand and Presi-
dent Lincoln at \once declared to
Secretary Seward eve cannot aban-
don one Of our own principles. We
must give these men up and apologize
for what we have done" By diplo-
macy on both sides more wise and
just than the public could compre-
bend, this critical issue was fortu-
nately passed and not till it was all
over was it known that troops were
already embarked for Canada to be-
gin hostilities had the question re-
NAMED unsettled.
1t was impossible for the public to
understand the magnitude of our
foreign relations or the skill and
wisdom required to keep them in
peaceful operation during the years
of the Civil War. 1t was quite
natural to censure President Lincoln
and Secretary Seward and other off
Gals at Washington. 1t seemed to
the public that they delayed in some
matters much longer than was nee
essary and that in others their action
detracted from the nations honor
and placed us in bad light before
the world. Even the Mason Slidell
affair was referred to by some of the
Northern newspapers as most hui