seriously stated but amusing proposition that, the future king of the North American States should be selected from the royal families of Europe'! I am able to remember nothing in the history of the royal families of Europe which should give them precedence for political elevation over the Washingtons, Jeffersons, etc., of America. Three-quarters of a century of American experience proves there are good and great men to be found in that country, available to make kings when a kingdom must be erected there. "3. Slavery: The title to slaves in America is of British origin. You observe that while the South is honest in doing the wrong thing, the North is dishonest in doing the right thing.' I differ with you. You advise the North to violate the fundamental law of its own political existence in order to gratify a fanaticism, without reason, and to enable it to destroy the rights of the South, secured by the same fundamental law. You are mistaken when you assert that, unless slavery be abolished the African slave trade must continue. I am sure not five hundred Africans have been imported into the Southern States in the last several years, of the alleged revival of that trade; and these were introduced more for political effect than for any purpose of restoring the trade. The Constitution of the Confederate States forbids the trade." - An event now took place which not only delayed for some months the departure of Mr. Yancey from Europe, but which, for several weeks, held out strong promises that the labors of the Commissioners would be turned to practical ends. On November 1, 1861, Messrs. James M. Mason and John Slidell, Commissioners of the Confederate States - Mr. Slidell accompanied by his family with their Secretaries, Messrs. McFarlane and Eustis, embarked at Havana for Southampton, on board the British mail packet, Trent. The day following, off the Pandora Grande light house, in the narrowest part of the Bahama passage, a war ship lay across the course of the steamer. When the Trent had approached within half a mile of the war ship the latter ran up the colors of the United States and immediately. fired a round shot across the bows of the Trent, following this instantly with a shell, which exploded within an hundred yards of the British vessel. The Trent ran up the British colors and, having reached easy hailing distance, demanded an explanation. The reply came that, the offending ship wanted to send a boat alongside. The Trent brought to, and an officer, with a boat's crew armed, pushed off and in person came aboard of the Trent. He announced his rank and name, Lieutenant Fairfax, with orders from the commander of the United States armed ship, San Jacinto, to arrest Messrs. Mason, Slidell and their Secretaries, and to deliver them, with their baggage, and papers and effects, on board the San Jacinto. The passengers had now all gathered around. Messrs. Mason and Slidell announced their presence, claiming the protection of the British flag. To the Captain of the Trent, Lieutenant Fairfax said he had been instructed to lay that ship alongside his The Captain of the Trent remarked, in reply, that he would repair to his quarter deck, and could be found there. Lieutenant Fairfax, thereupon, announced that he would take possession of the Trent, unless the. Confederate Commissioners surrendered, immediately. There was no offer of surrender, and seeing this, the United States officer, at the point of the weapons of his men, placed the Commissioners in his boat and delivered them to his superior officer on board the San Jacinto. The Commissioners had taken the precaution, at a timely moment, to deliver their papers to Mr. Haskel, of Charleston, a passenger on the Trent, by whom they were delivered to Messrs. Yancey and associates upon the arrival of the Trent at her destination.* The gravity of the offense was increased when it became known to the English that it was the premeditated act of the government of the United States. Precaution had been taken by orders from Washington, looking to the capture of the Commissioners on the high seas, toward the end of their voyage, should they escape the arrangements made to that purpose at the beginning of it. The United States armed steamer, James Adger, having been allowed to coal and repair in a British port, put to sea, but remained near, hovering along the coast. On demand of an officer of the admiralty for an explanation of her conduct, the reply came that she *I have taken the account of the affair described from the MS. dispatch of Messrs. Yancey and associates to their government. waited the arrival of the British mail steamer from Havana, with the intention of taking from her the Confederate Commissioners expected to be aboard. The British officer rejoined that the act, if perpetrated, would be accepted as an insult to the flag of his country. A highly excited public feeling prevailed in London and over all England when the news of the deliberate preparations of the United States to insult the British flag was made known. Lord John Russell's original draft of his government's dispatch to Mr. Seward was unequivocal and resentful. The tone of it was reflected by every daily newspaper in England, save the Star, the organ of Messrs. Bright and Cobden, and, also, the organ of the United States minister in the pending unsettled relation of the government toward the Confederate States. The dispatch of Lord John was tantamount to a menace of war. According to custom, it was submitted to the Queen before being sent. The Prince Consort, holding fast to his sympathies with the United States, in the "war against slavery," eliminated the insulting paragraphs and reduced the demand to one for apology and the restoration of the captives to the protection of the British flag. The instant the capture of Messrs. Mason and Slidell was made known to the Commissioners, they renewed, with urgency, their demand for the recognition of their government. They had received, through Mr. Haskel, information, long withheld from them, of great value the number of vessels which had passed through the blockade, in safety, with their names. It was shown that, up to August 20, more than four hundred ships had entered and passed out of the Confederate ports, entirely unmolested. Messrs. Mason and Slidell arrived at London and Mr. Yancey immediately sought an opportunity to take passage to the Confederate States. His salary had not been remitted and he found it necessary to borrow the funds required to pay his expenses back. In February he arrived at New Orleans. A public address was required of him. He spoke resolutely of the future of the Confederacy, but hopelessly of foreign recognition. His disease had taken deeper root and his bodily infirmity was painfully apparent. He sought repose in the bosom of his family at Montgomery. In his absence, the Legislature had elected him, by unanimous vote, to the Confederate States Senate, to take his seat with the organization of the Permanent Government, February 22, 1862. James R. Powell, Benjamin H. Micou and others, his neighbors, bought a beautiful black horse, sending him fully equipped with bridle and saddle, to Mr. Yancey's door, with a touching letter of presentation, in the vain hope of contributing to the restoration of his health by offering the opportunity of indulgence in his favorite exercise. CHAPTER 26. The Perplexed People. 1861-1862. The aristocratic society of the South, organized upon the simplicity of Democratic theories, was ever distinguished by a sentiment of respect for authority. In no modern civilization were the civil, military or ecclesiastical functionaries held in more deferential regard than here. The pursuits and education of the people, together with the great physical force of the inferior race, were the potentialities which created this sentiment. Hundreds of thousands of men, of all divisions of society, organized in the Southern armies, taken from a state of freedom as perfect as the birds of the air, submitted instantly to discipline, the most exacting, when imposed by the wisdom of their leaders. No troops made longer marches with greater ease, or were more faithful on the scout, or received the charge, standing more steady. The history of wars presents no record of devotion of rank and file to worthy Captains, surpassing the devotion of the Confederate soldiers. Absorbed in an individual consecration to the cause of the Confederacy the arms bearing population in the field, the women spinning and weaving their clothing and caring for their children - the whole people were enthused by the victory of Manassas; upon the glory of which sat the crown of the President's conduct—the first President of Americans who had ever been seen riding, erect and gallant, into the smoke of the field, upon the heels of a routed foe, dismounting |