The Trent affair

The Numbers Refer to Pages.

• Adams, Charles Francis, U. S. minister to England, instructed to oppose recognition of Confederacy, 34;
• to oppose neutrality measures, 37;
• refused audience prior to recognition of Confederate belligerency, 36-7;
• conveys assurances of Mr. Seward’s pacific intentions in Trent case to Lord Russell, 275.
• Albert, Prince, revises British demand for surrender of Mason and Slidell, 165-6.
• American doctrine in Trent case, 262-264.
• Atalanta, case of the, cited, 254.
• Austrian government, views of in Trent case, 201-203;
• Mr. Seward’s answer to, 203-204.
• Belligerency, recognition of Confederate, discussed by parliament, 38;
• what is meant by recognition of, 39-41.
• Benjamin, Judah P., advocates secession and resumption of allegiance to British crown, 70.
• Bernard, Montague, defends British neutrality proclamation, 48.
• Black, J. S., secretary of state, sends circular letter to U. S. ministers abroad, 31.
• Blaine, Jas. G., comments on Trent case, 180.
• Blair, Montgomery, denounces capture of Mason and Slidell, 126.
• Boundary disputes, 12.
• Bright, John, opposes position of English government in Trent case, 158-9.
• British demand for surrender of Mason and Slidell, first draft of, 164-5;
• revised by Prince Albert and the Queen, 165-6;
• text of, 167-9;
• comments upon, 169-170;
• presented to Mr. Seward, 172.
• British government, course of in Trent case discussed, 269;
• ultimatum of in Trent case considered, 272-4;
• inconsistency of, 274;
• menaces of war by unnecessary, 274;
• receives through Mr. Adams assurances of Mr. Seward’s pacific intentions, 275;
• treatment of same, 275-6;
• addressed on Trent case by Anti-slavery society, 277.
• Buchanan, James, comments of on British and American relations, 13, 14, 280.
• Canada, troops pushed into by England, 60, 143-6;
• comments upon by Thurlow Weed, 144;
• by the London press, 144-5;
• preparations for war in, 158.
• Caroline, case of the, cited, 254, 279.
• Circular letter to U. S. ministers abroad by Mr. Black, 31;
• by Mr. Seward, 32;
• by Mr. Seward to governors of the northern states, 61-4;
• commented upon by the London and the Canadian press, 65-67.
• Commons, House of, motion to recognize Confederate independence in, 35;
• Mr. Gregory supports same in London Times, 35.
• Derby, Earl of, consulted by British government in Trent case, 143.
• Dispatches of Messrs. Mason and Slidell, 112;
• contraband nature of, 253-6;
• the commissioners considered living dispatches by Capt. Wilkes, 113, 119;
• this doctrine not tenable, 260.
• European powers, real motives of in sustaining England in Trent case, 206-8.
• Everett, Edward, expresses opinion in Trent case, 128.
• Excitement in England over Trent affair, 140;
• reaches U. S., 175.
• Fairfax, Lieut. D. M., receives instructions from Capt. Wilkes, 101-102;
• part taken in seizure of envoys, 103-108;
• discusses Trent case with British Capt. Moir, 109.
• Fauchet, M., French Minister to U. S., attempted seizure of in American waters by a British man-of-war, 278.
• Foreign countries, responses of to Mr. Seward’s circular letter, 33.
• Freeman, Edward A., English historian regards the American Union as at an end, 29.
• Garibaldi, wishes to volunteer in Federal army, 33.
• Gladstone, Wm. E., expresses sympathy with the South, 28;
• charges American people with instability and cowardice, 235-6.
• Grotius cited, 249.
• International law in Trent case, 247-262.
• Irish people, sympathize with U. S. in Trent affair, 148.
• Iverson, Senator, predicts foreign aid for the Confederacy, 70.
• King, T. Butler, see Yancey.
• Lincoln, Abraham, views on capture of Mason and Slidell, 125-6;
• illustrates Trent case by stories, 185-6;
• proposed dispatch of to Great Britain relative to Trent case, 188-190.
• Liverpool, excited public meeting at on account of seizure of Mason and Slidell, 146-7.
• London, press of, comments on seizure of Mason and Slidell, 148-152;
• a dissenting newspaper in, 159-160.
• Lovejoy, Representative, comments of upon surrender of Mason and Slidell, 229-231.
• Lyons, Lord, British minister to U. S., reports secession of southern states to his government, 17;
• expresses no opinion in Trent case, 131;
• conditional order to leave Washington in seven days, 171;
• to give information to British governors, 171;
• to make verbal demand for surrender of Mason and Slidell, 172.
• Lytton, Sir Edward Bulwer, expresses sympathy for the Confederacy, 27.
• Mann, Dudley, see Yancey.
• Mason, James Murray, sketch of, 80.
• Mason and Slidell, nature and objects of their mission abroad, 79, 83, 84;
• Mr. Seward’s letter for thwarting efforts of, 84-8;
• escape from Charleston, 91-2;
• comments of Richmond Examiner upon, 94-6;
• arrival and reception at Havana, 93-4;
• embark upon British steamer Trent, 94;
• seized by Capt. Wilkes, 106-7;
• become prisoners at Fort Warren, Boston, 111;
• protest against seizure, 111;
• dispatches in possession of, 112;
• reception of news of capture of in North, 117-119;
• rejoicing in North at capture of, 124;
• northern newspaper comments on capture of, 124, 127-9;
• attitude of Mr. Lincoln on capture of, 125-6;
• capture of denounced by Mr. Blair, 126;
• comments on capture of, by Confederate press, 131;
• by Jefferson Davis, 131-2;
• by Canadian press, 132-4;
• capture of anticipated in England, 163-4;
• considered by British cabinet, 164-5;
• belief in the North that they would not be surrendered, 176-7;
• surrender of a disappointment to the South, 233;
• opposed by Senator Hale, 177-9;
• by C. L. Vallandigham, 180;
• by people of the North, 226;
• by Northern newspapers, 180-2;
• commented upon by John W. Forney, 164-5;
• by Mr. Wright, of Pa., 228;
• by Mr. Thomas, of Mass., 227-8;
• by Mr. Lovejoy, of Ill., 229-31;
• by the Canadian press, 233-4;
• by English press, 234-5;
• demand for surrender of, significance of, 186-7;
• caused rejoicing at the South, 185;
• surrender of discussed in cabinet meeting, 190-4;
• surrendered to Lord Lyons, 225;
• proceed to Europe, 226;
• sink into insignificance when surrendered, 236;
• comments upon after difficulty is settled, by London Star, 236;
• by London Times, 236-7;
• diplomatic character of, 258-9;
• not “living dispatches,” 260;
• entitled to right of asylum, 261;
• status of in a maritime court, 262.
• McCarthy, Justin, defense of neutrality proclamation by, 47.
• Moir, captain of the Trent, behavior of when his vessel was boarded, 103, 108;
• discusses Trent affair with Lieut. Fairfax, 109.
• Neutrality proclamation, British, issue of, 38;
• discussion of, 42-47;
• defense of by Justin McCarthy, 47;
• by Lord Stanley, 47;
• by Montague Bernard, 48;
• the defenses examined, 48-51;
• not violated by captain of Trent, 257-8.
• Newcastle, Duke of, 153.
• Orozembo, case of the, cited, 251-2.
• Pakington, Sir John, expresses sympathy for the South, 28.
• Palmerston, Lord, British premier, an enemy to the North, 28.
• Paris, declaration of, adopted, 53;
• refused by U. S., 54;
• discussion of by Sir H. S. Maine, 54;
• urged upon the Confederates by Lord Russell and Consul Bunch, 55;
• adopted by the Confederate Congress, 56;
• indorsed by Lord Russell, 57;
• Mr. Bunch’s course, a violation of U. S. law, 57;
• discussion of, 58-9.
• Presidential messages dealing with difficulties between U. S. and Great Britain, 13.
• Prince of Wales visits America, 14;
• the queen thanks people of the U. S. for his reception, 15;
• reply of the president, 16;
• comments of the London press, 16-17.
• Prussia offers opinion in Trent case, 204-206.
• Queen Victoria thanks people of U. S. for Prince of Wales’s reception, 15;
• revises demand for surrender of Mason and Slidell, 165-6.
• Quarterlies, British, encourage secession, 23-26.
• Results of successful secession, 21-2.
• Richmond Examiner, comments of, upon the escape of Mason and Slidell, 94-6.
• Right of search, abandoned by Great Britain, 12;
• England criticised for practicing, 278-9.
• Rost, P. A., see Yancey.
• Russell, Lord John, threatens U. S., 18;
• expresses sympathy for the Confederacy, 27;
• indifferent to the cause of the Union, 33;
• receives first Confederate diplomatic agents, 73;
• views of American position in Trent case, 239-245;
• addresses demand for surrender of Mason and Slidell to Lord Lyons, 167-9;
• addresses private notes at same time to Lord Lyons, 170-2.
• Russia, friendly to U. S., 208;
• sends fleet to America when war with England is probable, 209-10.
• San Jacinto, character of the, 97.
• Scott, Gen. Winfield, writes letter to Paris press on Trent affair, 155-6;
• returns hastily to U. S., 156-7.
• Scott, Sir William, cited, 248, 251-2-3, 255.
• Seward, Wm. H., secretary of state, sends circular letter to U. S. ministers abroad, 32;
• to northern governors, 61-4;
• informs Minister Adams that seizure of Mason and Slidell was unauthorized, 134-5;
• this dispatch promptly communicated to Lord Russell, 275;
• no attention paid to it, 275-7;
• abused by British press, 152;
• accused of insulting the Duke of Newcastle, 153;
• answer of to British demand for Mason and Slidell, 211-220;
• strength of this document, 221-2;
• its weakness, 222-3;
• position in Trent case untenable, 265-6;
• offers passage across Maine to British troops, 238.
• Shrewsbury, Earl of, expresses sympathy for the Confederacy, 28.
• Slavery in America, a source of trouble to Great Britain, 22.
• Slidell, John, sketch of, 81;
• predicts foreign aid for the Confederacy, 70.
• Spence, James, a prominent Englishman, publishes a book to encourage Confederate cause, 25.
• Sumner, Charles, senator from Mass., confers with Mr. Lincoln and cabinet relative to surrender of Mason and Slidell, 125, 190;
• speech in senate on same, 231-2;
• condemns England for practicing “search and seizure,” 278-9.
• Thouvenel, M., offers opinion of French government on seizure of Mason and Slidell, 196-200;
• Mr. Seward replies, 200;
• Mr. Thouvenel’s position examined, 200-201.
• Trent, character of the, 94;
• why she was not seized, 108;
• purser of publishes account of seizure of Mason and Slidell in London Times, 137-9;
• affair of the, creates great excitement in England, 140-1;
• neutral termini of discussed, 255-6-7;
• case of, summary of principles involved in, 264-5.
• Vallandigham, C. L., opposes surrender of Mason and Slidell, 180, 227, 229.
• Vattel cited, by Mr. Seward: discussion of, 248, 249, 250.
• War preparations on account of Trent affair, in Canada, 158;
• in England, 141-142;
• necessary in U. S., discussion of by newspapers, 181-2.
• Weed, Thurlow, letter of in London Times on Trent affair, 153-4;
• reply of Times to same, 154-5;
• notices warlike preparations in England, 144.
• Wilkes, Capt. Charles, character of, 97-8;
• returns from Africa to West Indies, 98;
• learns of the Mason and Slidell mission, 98-9;
• makes preparations to seize the commissioners, 99-100;
• instructions to Lieut. Fairfax, 101-2;
• intercepts the Trent and seizes the commissioners, 102-7;
• proceeds to Fortress Monroe, 109,
• thence to New York, 110,
• and finally to Boston, 109, 111-112;
• reasons for not seizing the Trent, 112-115;
• made a hero of, 117-119;
• thanked by secretary of war, 120-1;
• act of, approved by navy department, 121;
• resolutions of thanks to, by Congress, 122-3;
• had right to stop and search Trent, 260-1.
• Williams, Commander Richard, behavior of while Mason and Slidell were being seized, 104-5;
• makes official report of Trent affair to British admiralty, 140, 164;
• makes ridiculous speech, 157-8.
• Yancey, Rost, Mann, and King, Messrs., first Confederate agents in Europe, 71;
• sketch of these men, 71-72;
• comments of Jefferson Davis concerning their labors, 76;
• received by Lord Russell, 72-3;
• protest against their reception by Mr. Seward, 73-4;
• Mr. Yancey’s speech before Fishmonger’s Society, London, 74;
• Mr. King’s pamphlet for foreign circulation, 75-6.