and title of the
North it must be granted _prima facie_, but on examination it is
subject to a good deal of doubt, and I think it seems to have been
the intention of the framers of the constitution not to lay down a
rule for the solution of a great question of this kind, but to
leave it open. And if so, I think they were wise; for such a
question could only arise for any practical purpose at a time when
the foundations of the great social deep are broken up, and when
the forces brought into unrestrained play are by far too gigantic
to be controlled by paper conventions.

So much for his view of the case in its general aspect.

II

At one dangerous moment in the conflict it seemed possible that Great
Britain might be forced to take a part. The commander of an American
man-of-war boarded the _Trent_ (Nov. 8, 1861), a British mail-boat, seized
two emissaries from the Southern confederacy on their way to Europe, and
carried them off to his own ship, whence they were afterwards landed and
thrown into prison. This act was in direct violation of those rights of
neutrals of which the United States hitherto had been the strictest
champion against Great Britain; and nothing was to be gained by it, for
the presence of the two commissioners was not in the least likely to
effect any change in the policy of either England or France. Violent
explosions of public feeling broke out on both sides of the Atlantic; of
anger in England, of exultation in America. Mr. Gladstone's movements at
this critical hour are interesting. On Nov. 27, says Phillimore,
"Gladstones dined here. Gladstone, with the account in his pocket from the
evening papers of the capture of the Southern envoys out of the English
mail-ship." The next two nights he was at court.

_Nov. 28._--Off at 6.30 to Windsor. The Queen and Prince spoke much
of the American news.

_Nov. 29_ (Friday).--Came up to town for the cabinet on American
news. Returned to Windsor for dinner, and reported to Queen and
Prince.

Of this important cabinet, Mr. Gladstone wrote an account to the Duke of
Argyll, then absent from London:--

_Dec. 3, '61._--The cabinet determined on Friday to ask reparation,
and on Saturday they agreed to two despatches to Lord Lyons of
which the one recited the facts, stated we could not but suppose
the American government would of itself be desirous to afford us
reparati