Punch (41.1861)

INTRODUCTION

[July to December, 1861

Vol. XLI.l

daughters. He and Mr. Mason had been sent as envoys from
the Confederate States to Europe, Mr. Slidell being bound
for France, and Mr. Mason for England. They came, how-
ever, on board as ordinary passengers at a neutral port, in a
neutral ship.

“ On the 7th of November the Trent sailed for St. Thomas,
and when she reached the Old Bahama Channel she observed
a ship lying stationary. The Trent hoisted her flag, but no
flag was shown by the stranger. As she approached, a shotted
gun was fired by the other vessel across her course, and the
United States flag was displayed at the same moment at her
peak. It turned out to be the United States war-steamer San
Jacinto, commanded by Captain Wilkes. The British flag
was again hoisted by the Trent, and so remained. She con-
tinued her course, and a shell was fired, which burst across
her bows. A boat put off from the San Jacinto, followed by
two other boats full of armed men ; and a lieutenant, in the
uniform of the United States, boarded the Trent, and de-
manded from Captain Moir, the commander, his list of pas-
sengers. This was refused, and Captain Moir formally
protested against any right to visit his ship for such a pur-
pose. The lieutenant of the San Jacinto, announcing his com-
mission, said that two gentlemen, named Slidell and Mason,
were known to be on board, as well as two other gentlemen,
named Eustis and M‘Farland, and that his orders were to
take and carry them on board the San Jacinto. Commander
Williams, R.N., the British Admiralty agent, who was in
charge of the mails of the Trent, protested vehemently against
the act, and denounced it as piratical. We will quote what
follows from the statement drawn up by the four Southern
gentlemen, and delivered by them to Captain Wilkes, to be
transmitted by him to the Government of the United States :—

“ ‘ The lieutenant addressed Mr. Slidell, and afterwards
Mr. Mason, repeating that his orders were to take them,
together with Eustis and M‘Farland, and carry them on
hoard his ship. Messrs. Slidell and Mason, in reply, pro-
tested, in the presence of the Captain of the Trent, his officers,
and passengers, against such threatened violation of their
persons and their rights, and informed the lieutenant that
they would not leave the ship they were in unless compelled
by the employment of actual force greater than they could
resist, and Messrs. Eustis and M'Farland united with them

in expressing a like purpose. That officer stated, that he hoped
he would not be compelled to resort to the use of force, but, if
it would become necessary to employ it, in order to execute
his orders, he was prepared to do so. He was answered by
the undersigned that they would submit to such a force alone.
The lieutenant then went to the gangway, where his boats
were, the undersigned going at the same time to their state
rooms on the deck next below, followed by Captain Moir and
by the other passengers. The lieutenant returned with a party
of his men, a portion of whom were armed with side-arms, and
others (appearing to be a squad of marines) having muskets
and bayonets. Mr. Slidell was in his state-room, imme-
diately by and in full view. The lieutenant then said to
Mr. Mason, that, having his force now present, he hoped to
be relieved from the necessity of calling it into actual use.
That gentleman again answered, that he would only submit to
actual force greater than he could overcome, when the lieute-
nant, and several of his men by his order, took hold of him,
and in a manner and in numbers sufficient to make resistance
fruitless; and, Mr. Slidell joining the group at the same
time, one or more of the armed party took like hold of him,
and those gentlemen at once went into the boat.’ ”

The captured passengers were, however, surrendered on the
peremptory demand of Great Britain, although some delay
occurred, and for some weeks the tone of the American press
was so hostile that the most energetic preparations were made
by the English Government. Troops were dispatched to
Canada with all possible expedition, and that brave and loyal
Colony called out its militia and volunteers to be ready for any
adverse contingency. War was averted happily, as the
Lincoln Cabinet admitted the claims of England to redress,
and the four Confederate envoys who had been closely im-
prisoned, were placed on board a British man-of-war and
afterwards conveyed to England. The French Government
did good service in the cause of peace by urging the Lincoln
Cabinet to yield to the justness of our demands.

Parliament was prorogued by Commission on the 6th of
August, and the Royal Speech made graceful allusion to the
devoted patriotism of Her Majesty’s Volunteers, and the
admiration with which she had observed their rapid progress
in discipline and military proficiency.