her successful destruction of American commerce roused public opinion to fever heat.

American sentiment was well expressed in Lowell's Jonathan to John:

"We own the ocean, tu, John:

You mus' n' take it hard,
Ef we can't think with you, John.
It's jest your own back-yard.
Ole Uncle S. sez he, 'I guess,
Ef thet's his claim,' sez he,
The fencin'-stuff'll cost enough
To bust up friend J. B.,
Ez wal ez you an' me!'

"Why talk so dreffle big, John,
Of honor when it meant
You did n't care a fig, John,

But jest for ten per cent. ?

Ole Uncle S. sez he, 'I guess

He's like the rest,' sez he:

'When all is done, it's number one
Thet's nearest to J. B.,

Ez wal ez t' you an' me!'"

Of the numerous other commerce destroyers flying the Confederate flag for whose existence the United States held Great Britain answerable, two, the Georgia and the Shenandoah, gained a good deal of notoriety. The former sailed before notice of her destination was addressed to the British Government, but ample warning was given of the intended shipping of her armament to her off the French coast for the British

She re

Government to have stopped the shipment. After destroying many American ships, the Georgia returned to Liverpool.10 Thomas Baring, in a speech in Parliament on May 13th, 1864, thus described her career:"1 "At the time of her departure the Georgia was registered as the property of a Liverpool merchant, a partner of the firm which shipped the crew. mained the property of this person until the 23d of June, when the register was cancelled, he notifying the Collector of her sale to foreign owners. During this period, namely, from the 1st of April to the 23d of June, the Georgia being still registered in the name of a Liverpool merchant, and thus his property, was carrying on war against the United States, with whom we were in alliance. It was while still a British vessel that she captured and burned the Dictator, and captured and released, under bond, the Griswold, the same vessel which had brought corn to the Lancashire sufferers. The crew of the Georgia were paid through

10 Papers relating to the Treaty of Washington. Volume I. Geneva Arbitration. Washington: Government Printing Office, 1872, page 156. The National and Private "Alabama Claims' and their "final and amicable settlement," by Charles C. Beaman, Jr. Printed by W. H. Moore, Washington, D. C., 1871, pages 101-106.

"Papers relating to the Treaty of Washington. Volume I. Geneva Arbitration. Washington: Government Printing Office, 1872, page 160.

the same Liverpool firm. A copy of an advance note used is to be found in the Diplomatic Correspondence. The same firm continued to act in this capacity throughout the cruise of the Georgia. After cruising in the Atlantic, and burning and bonding a number of vessels, the Georgia made for Cherbourg, where she arrived on the 28th of October. There was, at the time, much discontent among the crew; many deserted, leave of absence was given to others, and their wages were paid all along by the same Liverpool firm. In order to get the Georgia to sea again, the Liverpool firm enlisted in Liverpool some twenty seamen, and sent them to Brest. The Georgia left Cherbourg on a second cruise, but having no success she returned to that port, and thence to Liverpool, where her crew have been paid off without any concealment, and the vessel is now laid up. Here, then, is the case of a vessel, clandestinely built, fraudulently leaving the port of her construction, taking Englishmen on board as her crew, and waging war against the United States, an ally of ours, without once having entered a port of the power the commission of which she bears, but being, for some time, the property of an English subject. She has now returned to Liverpool—and has returned, I am told, with a British crew on board, who, having enlisted in war against an ally of ours, have committed a misdemeanor in the sight of the law."

The Shenandoah12 was originally the Sea King. On September 20th, 1864, she was sold to the father-inlaw of the managing partner of Fraser, Trenholm and Company, and the transfer was registered the same day. In October she cleared from London for Bombay. About the same time a smaller steamer, carrying her armament, sailed from Liverpool. They met at Madeira where the Sea King, from that time known as the Shenandoah, took on board her equipment. She then cruised in the Atlantic and the Pacific for ninety days, destroying many ships, when she arrived at Melbourne. The news of her escape from England had preceded her to Australia; but, nevertheless, in spite of the protests of the American Consul, she was allowed to make repairs, recruit her crew, and replenish her supply of coal. Then the authorities permitted the Shenandoah to sail to still further harass and destroy American commerce.18 After destroying a number of whaling vessels-some, owing

12Papers relating to the Treaty of Washington. Volume I. Geneva Arbitration. Washington: Government Printing Office, 1872, page 165. The National and Private "Alabama Claims" and their "final and amicable settlement," by Charles C. Beaman, Jr. Printed by W. H. Moore, Washington, D. C., 1871, pages

107-149.

13

18 Papers relating to the Treaty of Washington. Volume I. Geneva Arbitration. Washington: Government Printing Office, 1872, page 165 et seq. Letter of Mr. Adams to Earl Russell,

to her captain's ignorance of the cessation of hostilities, after the close of the war-she finally made her way back to Liverpool, where her commander gave her up to the British Government, by whom she was transferred to the United States Consul.

The havoc and terror wrought by these vessels ruined the mercantile commerce of the United States.14 After Charles Francis Adams, who represented the United States at the Court of St. James with ability and dignity, had done everything possible to prevent the escape of the Oreto and the Alabama, he summarized with great vigor in a letter to Earl Russell written on October 23d, 1863, the case for the United States at that time against Great Britain. That letter was as follows:

"LEGATION OF THE UNITED STATES.

(Received October 23.)

"LONDON, October 23, 1863.

"MY LORD:-It may be within your recollection that in the note of the 17th of September which I had the

April 7th, 1865; Papers relating to Foreign Affairs, accompanying the Annual Message of the President to the First Session Thirty-ninth Congress. Part I. Washington: Gov

ernment Printing Office, 1866, page 578.

14 Speech of Richard Cobden delivered in the House of Commons, May 13th, 1864.