Trent Affair

an episode of the American Civil War. In 1861 John Slidell and J. M. Mason were sent by the Confederate government as commissioners to France and Great Britain respectively. They ran the blockade successfully to Havana, and took passage for Liverpool on the British merchantman, the Trent. November 8, Captain Wilkes of the United States ship San Jacinta stopped the Trent in the old Bahama channel. He removed Mason and Slidell and took them to Boston as prisoners. The British minister at Washington, though kindly disposed toward the Federal cause, made an immediate and peremptory demand for their release. The Federal government desired to detain these prisoners, but could not afford to risk hostilities with Great Britain. Mason and Slidell were surrendered to the British authorities. Moreover, the removal of the commissioners from the British ship was clearly a violation of international law. Prior to the war of 1812 the British government insisted on searching American ships and in removing British subjects who might be desired for the British navy. The government of the United States protested against the right of search and could not now refuse to live up to a principle of international law on which it had formerly insisted strenuously. The newspapers of the day assailed President Lincoln and his advisors bitterly for yielding to the British demand; but time has shown that the demand was proper, and compliance, however disagreeable, the only thing to do. See Alabama Claims