Late last month, James Mason and John Slidell, two rebel diplomats sailed on the British mail steamer The Trent in an atempt to travel to France and England to try to get their support for the Confederacy. The envoys were prepared to convince the countries, who had already declared their neutrality, that the Confederate States were a separate country rather that a loose confederation of rebellious states.
The Trent carried the two envoys first to Havana, Cuba and then prepared for sailing across the ocean. The union sloop San Jacinto intercepted The Trent on November 8 and captured the two men. Mason and Slidell were sent to New York where they were incarcerated at Fort Lafayette.
The British complained about the seizure. Mr. Lincoln consulted with Edward Bates, the Attorney General. Bates assured the president that the seizure of the Confedereate diplomats was legal.
Mr. Lincoln worried that the incident would bring the two foreign powers into the war, something he feared. He could not afford an international incident.
While the Queen continued to insure him of Britain's neutrality, the president had gotten reports from his staff that there was considerable evidence that Britain was desperate to get cotton from the South. It was believed that Britain was willing to run the blockade for the cotton, bringing guns and other supplies into rebal ports for an exchange of items that the rebels were desperate to receive.
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