POPULARITY
Send us a textThe Trent Affair With (Chris Lean)In this episode of the American Civil War & UK History podcast, host Daz was joined by fellow reenactor Chris Lean to discuss the Trent Affair.The Trent Affair(1861) was a diplomatic crisis during the American Civil War between the United States and Great Britain. A U.S. Navy ship, the USS San Jacinto, stopped the British mail steamer RMS Trent and captured two Confederate envoys, James Mason and John Slidell, who were on their way to Europe to seek support for the Confederacy. Britain, viewing this as a violation of its neutrality and an affront to its flag, protested angrily and demanded the release of the diplomats. War between the U.S. and Britain seemed possible, but the crisis was defused when President **Abraham Lincoln** released Mason and Slidell, stating that the Union could not afford to fight two wars at once.ACW & UK History's Website.https://darrenscivilwarpag8.wixsite.com/acwandukhistoryACW & UK History's Pages.https://linktr.ee/ACWandUKHISTORYSupport the show
On this day in legal history, the “Trent Affair” occurred during the U.S. Civil War. The USS San Jacinto stopped the British mail ship Trent and arrested two Confederate envoys onboard–leading to a diplomatic crisis between the UK and the United States. On the 8th of November, 1861, a diplomatic incident with potential major ramifications for the U.S. unfolded as Captain Charles Wilkes of the U.S. Navy seized two Confederate diplomats from the British vessel, the Trent. This bold action by Wilkes was not sanctioned by the U.S. government and rapidly escalated into an international crisis, with Great Britain deeming the seizure a blatant infringement on its neutrality. The Confederacy had hoped that the envoys, James Mason and John Slidell, would secure recognition and support from Britain and France, but their capture threatened to pivot the two powers from neutrality to active opposition against the Union.The Trent Affair tested the diplomatic resolve of the Lincoln administration, which was simultaneously engaged in the Civil War. The British government's response was swift and stern, demanding the release of the envoys and an apology, while reinforcing its military presence near U.S. borders. The U.S. faced the predicament of managing foreign relations without provoking war with Britain. Through careful negotiation, the U.S. conceded to British demands, releasing the envoys and thus diffusing a situation that could have dramatically altered the course of the Civil War. Lincoln was reported to have quipped that he should like to fight “one war at a time.” The resolution of the Trent Affair highlighted the Union's commitment to maintaining international peace during its internal strife, while also confirming Britain's staunch defense of its declared neutrality.On Britain's side, the diplomatic crisis was occuring at the same time as a scandal in the royal family and before a terminally ill Prince Albert, consort to Queen Victoria. In the tense days leading up to Prince Albert's death, he played a pivotal role in steering the British response to the Trent Affair. His influence led to the critical offer to the United States: that an apology would suffice, coupled with the release of the detained Confederate envoys, to prevent hostilities. President Lincoln, aware of the perils of dual conflicts, agreed to these terms. As Britain mourned Prince Albert, Lincoln expressed his condolences to Queen Victoria, underscoring the amicable relations between the nations. This gesture of diplomacy and shared sorrow laid the groundwork for a reciprocal display of sympathy from Queen Victoria when she later reached out to Mary Lincoln upon President Lincoln's assassination, highlighting a personal bond formed amidst national crises.Milbank LLP has initiated the bonus season in the legal industry by increasing associate salaries by $10,000 and announcing annual bonuses. The salary range for associates at the firm now stands between $225,000 and $425,000, with bonuses reaching up to $115,000. The firm's chairman, Scott Edelman, attributes this to the firm's sustained high activity levels and anticipates this trend to continue. This move may influence other major law firms to adjust their salary structures to stay competitive. Despite a quieter transactions market, the legal industry is expected to maintain the current bonus scale. The announcement is part of a broader trend where law firms announce year-end bonuses towards the end of the year, often leading to a series of matching bonuses across firms.Milbank Raises Associate Salaries And Announces Year-End Bonuses! - Above the LawMilbank Raises Associate Salaries, Kicks Off Bonus SeasonCravath, Swaine & Moore has introduced a salaried partner tier, reflecting a shift among elite Wall Street law firms to adapt their compensation structures in the face of new market pressures. This move aims to retain key talent and maintain competitiveness, offering salaries to partners rather than shares in firm profits. The firm, known for its high-profile client work and traditional business model, has also relaxed its seniority-based pay system. These changes come as the firm expands, opening a Washington office and entering the UK legal market, all while ensuring that salaried partners still have the opportunity to become equity partners, according to Cravath's presiding partner, Faiza Saeed.Cravath Adds Salaried Partner Tier in Latest Wall Street Shift (1)Ivanka Trump is scheduled to testify in a civil fraud trial involving her father Donald Trump's business practices. This trial, initiated by New York Attorney General Letitia James, alleges that the Trump family business inflated asset values. Judge Arthur Engoron has found evidence of fraud and is contemplating penalties. Donald Trump, along with his sons Donald Jr. and Eric, have denied any wrongdoing, attributing inaccuracies in property valuations to errors irrelevant to financial institutions. Ivanka was not deeply involved in the Trump Organization's operations during Trump's presidency and was dismissed from the case by an appeals court. The lawsuit seeks substantial fines and business restrictions against the Trumps, amid other legal challenges the former president faces.Ivanka Trump to testify in father's New York civil fraud trial | ReutersWeWork is making its first appearance in U.S. bankruptcy court, seeking approval for a restructuring plan that would reduce its debt by $3 billion and decrease its real estate footprint. The office-sharing firm, supported by Softbank, filed for bankruptcy to manage over $4 billion in debt and high rent costs after a rapid expansion and a downturn in demand due to the pandemic. Despite renegotiating hundreds of leases, WeWork is looking to exit 69 more, including 41 in New York. U.S. bankruptcy law may give WeWork the leverage needed to reject these leases. The company, with $164 million in cash, is asking the court to allow the continuation of employee and critical vendor payments during the restructuring process.WeWork seeks permission to begin canceling leases in bankruptcy | ReutersAmazon's legal team, led by David Zapolsky, has sketched out their defense against the FTC's antitrust accusations in a private company meeting. Zapolsky called the company's actions "absolutely defensible behavior" and quoted Taylor Swift to underscore the company's stance against criticism. The FTC's lawsuit claims that Amazon has created an illegal monopoly by restricting sellers on its platform from offering lower prices on competing platforms. Amazon refutes these allegations, arguing that showcasing higher-priced products would undermine customer trust. The company, which has been under investigation for four years, may be forced to divest assets if the lawsuit succeeds. Zapolsky also addressed the FTC's criticism of Amazon's logistics services, emphasizing that their use is optional for sellers. He reassured employees that Amazon is familiar with such legal challenges and is prepared to defend its practices in court.Exclusive: Amazon.com previews FTC defense at companywide meeting -transcript | ReutersMy column this week is on the importance of the federal estate tax as a mechanism for combatting wealth inequality.The federal estate tax, designed to prevent wealth accumulation across generations, is exemplified by the case of George Steinbrenner, who passed away in 2010—a year when the estate tax was not in effect. Steinbrenner's estate benefited significantly, avoiding a tax that would have been imposed at a rate of 45% the previous year or 55% the following year. This absence of tax exemplifies how fortunes can be preserved and potentially grown through investment, influencing the wealth of future generations. The history of the estate tax in the United States dates back before the Revenue Act of 1916, which formally introduced variable rates based on estate value. These rates have changed over time, peaking at 77% during World War I to fund national efforts and declining thereafter, including a scheduled repeal in 2010.The impact of such a suspension is profound, with the Steinbrenner family's potential to grow their inheritance considerably through investments. For instance, if the tax savings were invested in an index fund or in a company like Apple Inc., the returns could have been substantial. The Tax Cuts and Jobs Act of 2017 further altered the estate tax landscape by doubling the exemption amounts, resulting in significant revenue loss for the government. This legislative change is temporary, however, set to expire in 2025. The Penn Wharton Budget Model suggests that without these cuts, the revenue generated could have been nine times greater, illustrating the substantial role of the estate tax in federal revenue generation.As wealth inequality continues to rise, the estate tax serves as a crucial tool in the pursuit of economic equity. Its effectiveness has waned over the decades due to increasing exemptions and decreasing rates. The upcoming expiration of the TCJA's provisions is an opportunity to reassess and restructure the estate tax to better align with its original intent. Reducing the exemption threshold and increasing rates could serve as a step toward mitigating wealth disparity, emphasizing the tax's role in promoting a more balanced economic landscape.Steinbrenner's Legacy Shows Importance of Federal Estate Tax Get full access to Minimum Competence - Daily Legal News Podcast at www.minimumcomp.com/subscribe
Last time we spoke the horrifying trade of Poison and Pigs. The “Poison” referring to the still thriving opium trade and “pig” being the kidnapping of Chinese coolies. We also briefly talked about the rise of the Taiping rebels under Hong Xiuquan, the self proclaimed brother of Jesus Christ. The Taiping rebellion alongside the trade of Poison and Pigs was wreaking havoc upon the Qing dynasty and then to ignite the powder keg came a rather small event. The Arrow incident set into motion Ye Mingchen to butt heads with Harry Parkes and John Bowring and all 3 of these men would begin a duel that set into motion the kindling for another opium war. Soon things got completely out of hand and Rear Admiral Seymour was brought into the mix leading to him ordering the first official shots of what will become the second opium war. #19 This episode is Part 1 of the Second Opium War: Seymour's onslaught Welcome to the Fall and Rise of China Podcast, I am your dutiful host Craig Watson. But, before we start I want to also remind you this podcast is only made possible through the efforts of Kings and Generals over at Youtube. Perhaps you want to learn more about the history of Asia? Kings and Generals have an assortment of episodes on history of asia and much more so go give them a look over on Youtube. So please subscribe to Kings and Generals over at Youtube and to continue helping us produce this content please check out www.patreon.com/kingsandgenerals. If you are still hungry for some more history related content, over on my channel, the Pacific War Channel where I cover the history of China and Japan from the 19th century until the end of the Pacific War. Ye Mingchen upon learning of the threat immediately called upon Canton's militia, but their response was not exactly enthusiastic. Unlike the previous Lin Zexu, a noble and very charismatic figure, Ye lacked public support and the rank and file soldiers often disregarded him. A large reason for this was because of the brutality he unleashed on the Taiping Rebels in the two provinces he ran. Ye's two hundred warships while numerous, in the face of the British state of the art gunboats and steamers, were basically childs toys. Parkes sent Ye another demand: to grant British residents the right to live and work outside the factories. Ye refused the demand and on October 28th, the British sent the steamer Encounter to shell the rooftop of the vice regal residence. This action did drive some popularity for Ye as many began to say the viceroy was fearless and had remained in his courtyard reading a book as the shells missed him. Ye then upted the anty by placing a price on British heads from 30 to 100 dollars. Ye also placed a whopping 30,000 dollars for Parkes head. When Seymour came to Canton he found the Encounter moored off the city near the factories. He sent the Sampson and Barracouta to seize the Blenheim and Macao forts meeting no resistance. One of the British sailors named William Kennedy described the city “The river was alive with every kind of craft, from the little sampan, propelled by a single oar in the stern, to the heavy trading junk with her single iron-wood mast and mat sails. Numerous flower-boats belonging to wealthy mandarins were moored off the town, conspicuous by their gaudy paint, and crowded with laughing girls, who kept up an incessant chatter as they peeped out at the foreign devils!” The next day, Seymour seized the Bird's nest fort and then the two Shameen forts guarding the passage. All of the guns they found in the forts were rendered unserviceable. When the bombardment of Canton had begun, a hole was made in Canton's walls and this allowed a detachment of Royal Marines to land and get into the factory sector to protect the inhabitants. Chinese guns on the walls did not fire upon the invaders who all entered the city to an eerie silence. Some Chinese matchlocks did fire upon them but it seems many were antiquated and did no damage. W.t Bates, the captain of the HMS Actaeon planted the Union Jack atop Canton's wall, and he was joined by an American envoy to Hong Kong, James Keenan who likewise was waving the Stars and Stripes. Now this is an interesting bit, because the US remained neutral during the conflict between China and Britain. James Keenan apparently was shit faced when he did this haha. The British began to move a large cannon through the wall breach and used it to further shell Ye's residence.. The royal marines and sailors formed posts and barricades with field gun support around certain streets to guard against counter attacks. On October 25th the Chinese forces attacked the British pickets, but were easily repulsed, resulting in 14 casualties for them. On October 27th, the Encounter opened fire on Ye's poor residence as the Barracouta and Sulphur Creek shelled Chinese positions along the hills in the back of Canton. The British forces warned the Chinese civilians to evacuate themselves and their property. On october 28th, the British attacked again, this time from the Dutch Folly where they placed 2 large guns. The shelling of Cantons walls set fires within the city and the next morning the British began firing upon Chinese counter artillery being mounted on the opposite side of the Dutch Folly. Seymour then led a 400 man party personally to capture Ye's residence, but they found it to be abandoned. Seymour reported “the Chinese troops offered little resistance beyond a scattered fire from the streets and houses”, two British were killed with 12 wounded. Seymour did not have nearly enough men to hold Canton, so he soon pulled back to a safer encampment outside the walls, but not before sending Ye a threat “The lives and property of the entire city are at my mercy, and could be destroyed by me at any moment,”. Ye sent an emissary to Parks with a truce offer, but Parkes rebuffed it by making vague threats about allying with the Taiping rebels. It was most likely a bluff, because Bowring personally loathed what he called “the Jacobin like God worshippers”. It seems even Ye knew this to be a bluff as well. Seymour continued his siege of Canton and managed to gain control of all the seagoing traffic in the gulf of Canton by chasing off all the Chinese war junks that came near. Seymour estimated it would take at least 5000 men to hold the city. Meanwhile Ye began to really saber rattle, making a proclamation to the residents of Canton to “preserve quiet minds, guard your property, but do not give way to alarm”. It should be noted Ye said this from a very safe hiding place. Well the Chinese and European residents gradually began to desert Canton as Seymour's bombardment grew more intense and many had to flee for their lives. Snipers inside the city returned fire on the British using antiquated matchlocks, but it amounted to nothing. By the end of October, Ye finally agreed to parley with the British, but still refused to meet them in person, instead sending subordinates, which was most likely also a face saving insult to the British. Bowring demanded in person negotiations and sent Seymour a letter to toss at Ye “In the administration of all matters in China the rule adhered to is that which heaven shows is the right one to pursue: the chief consideration is the people. It is said in The Book of History, ‘Heaven sees as my people see; Heaven hears as my people hear.' Is this not an additional reason why I should be unable to constrain the people? I must add that as it is the habit of Your Excellency's nation to adore the spirit of Heaven, it behooves you in my opinion so much the more to conform in your actions to the principle given us by heaven. Let Your Excellency maturely consider this. “ On November the 6th the British seized the French Folly fort along the pearl river near Canton. Enroute to it they ran into a armada of 23 Chinese war junks, but easily sent them into a rout, but at the cost of 1 death and 4 wounded sailors. The battle lasted no more than an hour and Parkes described the defenders as “putting up a very hot resistance, the battle was exceeding creditable to the bravery of not just our men, but of the Chinese also”. Just before november the 12th, Seymour sent word to the Qing commanders garrisoning the bogue forts “The British Admiral wishes to spare life, and is not at war with the Chinese; and as it is necessary for him to hold possession of the Bogue Forts, until the conduct of the Viceroy Yeh can be referred to the Emperor of Pekin, one hour will be given for the purpose of clearing out; if this offer is at once accepted, boats will be permitted to pass to and from the main land and the Wantungs. In this case, the forts will remain uninjured, ready to be returned in the same state to the Chinese when these differences are over; and the rebels will neither be allowed to pass the Bogue Forts, nor to enter them whilst in our possession” Seymour waited an hour but received no answer. In truth the Qing commander of the forts could not give an answer, if he did he would be beheaded. On November 12th, a British squadron of 6 ships opened fire on the two Wangtong island forts which were both fully manned, holding over 200 guns. The Qing defenders tossed stink pots at the first Royal marines to enter the forts. The Chinese fired upon the invaders, but as soon as enough British had entered the forts the defenders fled to prepared escape boats. As Seymour described it “the battle was a considerable, though ill-directed resistance of about an hour or so”. The British had one death and 5 wounded aboard the HMS Nankin. The next day the British attacked and captured the Anunghoy forts, each holding 200 guns whereupon Seymour chided “there was some resistance”, there were no casualties. The Americans also got to have a go at the Qing at this time. The USS Portsmouth and USS Levant were sailing off the Chinese coast when they received news of the war. The two sloops of war were tasked with protecting American lives and to land 150 marines at Canton to do so. They made a peaceful landing and began to occupy the city. Commodore James Armstrong and Captain Henry Bell came aboard the USS Jacinto, landing additional forces in Canton. On November the 15th the American force withdrew from the city. As they were withdrawing, Commander Andrew Foote of the Portsmouth was rowing to his ship, but as he did so a Chinese garrison fired on his small boat a few times, nearly hitting him. The next day the US marines decided to retaliate against the Qing for what had occurred. The Steam frigate USS San Jacinto alongside the two slopes of war made their way up the Pearl River and launched an attack on Canton's coastal forts, also known as the barrier forts. The USS Portsmouth was the first to fire upon the nearest fort on November 16th. For 2 hours the American bombardment harassed the forts until the forts stopped firing back. Before sending the marines to attack though, the Qing commander and American officials attempted diplomacy, but it failed to reach any result by November 20th. Commodore Armstrong ordered his ships to continue firing upon the forts. During the mayhem the USS Levant received 22 cannonball hits to her sail and hull. Under the cover of their naval bombardment, 287 American troops led by COmmander Andrew Foote landed unopposed. 50 marines led by Captain John Simms spearheaded the attack and they quickly captured the nearest fort and proceeded to unleash its 53 guns to attack the second nearest fort. When the Qing saw the fort was shooting at them they launched a counterattack of 3000 soldiers from Canton. The melee lasted until november 24th, until the combined efforts of the Americans on land and their naval squadron managed to push back the Qing army killing and wounding dozens. The Americans then seized 2 more of the forts and spiked 176 of their guns. It is alleged the Qing had around 250-500 casualties while the Americans suffered 22. The USS Levant lost a man and had 6 wounded during the cannon exchange. Afterwards Armstrong tried diplomacy again and signed an agreement of neutrality between the US and the Qing for the duration of the war. America would respect the agreement until another incident in 1859. In the meantime with the siege going on at Canton trade fell apart. Howqua and the other Cohong merchants faced ruin. On november 12th, the Cohong merchants pleaded with Parkes. Howqua explained their impossible position. He said they agreed the British should be allowed to live in Canton outside the factories, but they currently lacked enough firepower to enforce this. Parkes said of the Cohong groveling “Their weight as a class both with [the] authorities and people is far less than we suppose. The people, particularly the rural population, were opposed to our admission.” Nonetheless the Canton stalemate continued till november 17th, when Bowring left for Hong Kong. Bowring reported to the foreign minister lord Clarendon “I have exhausted all the means with which I could influence either the hopes or fears of this incarnation of ancient Chinese pride, ignorance and unteachableness.” The Taiping Rebels heard about the situation and offered military assistance to the British, but the British distrusted them. Towards the end of november a armada of rebel ships with 1500 men showed up to Canton hoping to coordinate an attack on the Qing. Instead the Taiping were met by a British fleet commanded by Captain Keith Stewart. But Parkes did use the Taiping offer to intimidate Ye, telling one of his assistants “partisans of the revolutionary factions had intimated their wish to cooperate in an attack on the city, but that the Admiral had declined all connection with their proceedings.” Parkes added to this that the British decision could change depending on Ye's actions. Ye was making a mistake during all of this, he assumed because of the lack of British manpower that they also lacked resolve. So on November 28th Ye made another proclamation “The English barbarians have attacked the provincial city, and wounded and injured our soldiers and people. Wherefore I herewith distinctly command you to join together to exterminate them, killing them whenever you meet them, whether on shore or in their ships.”. By mid december Ye felt emboldened enough to order the destruction of the foreign factories, but also officially denied any involvement in it. At around midnight of December 14th, some Chinese bearing torches burnt the factories to the ground. The British tried to fight the fires, but were unable to extinguish them. All that remained of the foreign buildings were the British chapel and boathouse in the end. Parkes was in Hong Kong that night, but a member of his staff, Henry Lane died in the fire. Ye's bounties prompted some atrocities to take place on december 29th. The chinese crew of the steamship Thistle, carrying mail from Hong Kong to Canton, mutinied en route and beheaded all 11 european passengers, aided by some other Chinese who had snuck aboard disguised as passengers. The Thistle was set on fire and found drifting into Canton harbor with the headless victims. The heads were brought for reward, at that point its alleged Ye was paying 100$ a head. The Chinese figured out a primitive but effective way of fighting the British. In January of 1857, the Qing launched a flotilla of fire ships containing over 8000 pounds of gunpowder against Seymour's ships at harbor. The attack failed, but it certainly unnerved Seymor who never expected such retaliation. Seymour sailed out of Canton harbor with 2 ships, the Encounter and Niger and made way for the relative safety of Macao. Before making it to Macao, on January the 4th, Seymour took 9 ships to attack and capture the Macao Fort which was located on an islet around 3 miles south of Canton. The Qing threw 70 War junks at the force incorporating an array of strategies such as fire boats, regular naval cannon warfare and using smaller row boats to toss stink pots at the British vessels. The Qing were soon overwhelmed and had to give up on the naval battle, allowing Seymour to claim the fort. On January 15th, 400 residents in Hong Kong got extremely ill after eating bread from the local bakery. The doctors at the scene said it was arsenic poisoning, but the culprit had either not wanted the British to die or was too incompetent to know how to poison properly. Turns out he put so much arsenic in the dough that it forced the victims to throw up the poison and thus led to no fatalities. Bowring's wife and children were some of the victims and Lady Bowring almost died. This led Bowring to write to the Colonial secretary Labouchere “I beg to apologize if anything should have been forgotten at this last moment. I am shaken by the effects of poison, every member of my family being at this moment suffering from this new attempt upon our lives”. The owner of the bakery went on trial despite the fact his own family was poisoned as well, luckily he was acquitted. Yet the British public demanded justice and they pointing their fingers at Ye Mingchen. Ye Mingchen at the time was hosting Napoleon III's representative, the Comte de Courcy and said this to the man about the incident “Doubtless there are many Chinese whose hatred against the English has been much increased, but to poison people in this underhand manner is an act worthy of detestation. Whoever he is, the author of this poisoning is an abominable creature, but since he is in [Britishcontrolled] Hong Kong, I find it difficult to proceed against him.” Well the British police in Hong Kong arrested 52 of the Bakery's employees as Bowring prevented a mob from lynching them. The arrested were jammed into a single room only 15 feet square for 19 days, the jailers simply did not have the space. The prison doctor eventually demanded they be moved to better quarters fearing an outbreak of plague might occur. The public went into a mass hysteria because of the poisoning event and a witch hunt began. It became almost comical, almost 500 arrests were made and some of the charges were simply “the man looked suspicious”. The native population of Hong Kong began to freak out and nearly half of them would leave to immigrate to Australia and California. The Arrow incident and Thistle massacre had provided Bowring a justification to increase hostilities. On January the 10th Bowring sent a letter to the Governor General of India, Lord Canning asking for reinforcements, because he thought Seymour's expeditions in the Gulf of Canton were not providing results. What Bowring really wanted was to seize Canton, in his words “The gate of China is Canton, and unless we can force an entrance there, I believe the difficulties of obtaining any improved position in China will be almost invincible. The valor of H.M. naval forces [is] not able to take the city.” Bowring also stated he had spoken with Seymour and that both men agreed on the necessity for military aid in the form of at least 5000 men with a small amount of artillery. Back home in Britain, parliament anticipated Bowrings requests and on January 31st, before learning of the request Bowring had sent to Canning, ordered Canning to dispatch a regiment and artillery to Canton. On February 9th, the foreign minister ordered Seymour to seize the entrance to the Grand Canal which would effectively cut off the capital's rice supply. Beijing could be starved into submission since Seymour's countless capturing of Forts and victories on the sea had not produced any real response from the Emperor. Bowring was given new orders to obtain new concessions, now Britain wanted; a permanent British ambassadorial presence at Beijing, even more ports and rivers open and the right for British commercial and missionary access to China's interior. However back in Britain there was great concern for the cost of conflict with China. The Times estimated that a war with China may cost up to 10 million pounds in lost trade and tax revenues. Eventually the leader of the Tories brought a motion of no confidence against the Whig government and in particular against Palmerstons management of the conflict in China. On February 24th, the Tories denounced Bowring and Palmerstons as a quote “bald faced and illegal land grab and the usurpation of an independent nations sovereign powers”. The Torries leader, Earl of Derby said this “I am an advocate for the feeble defenselessness of China against the overpowering might of Great Britain. I am an advocate for weakness against power, for perplexed and bewildered barbarism against the arrogant demands of over-weaning self-styled civilization. The Arrow issue is the most despicable cause of war that has ever occured”. You know its kind of a meme today to mock Britain for being this evil empire for most of history, but instances like this that often go unheard that there were people trying to stop conflict. The more you know as they say. Derby called upon the conscience of the bishops in the House of Lords and his secular colleagues “to declare that they will not sanction the usurpation of the most awful prerogative of the Crown, the declaring of war; that they will not tolerate the destruction of the forts of a friendly country; that they will not tolerate the bombardment and the shelling of a commercial and open city”. Derby was met with a standing ovation for his speech. Palmerston managed to influence Lord Shaftebury, a philanthropist and notorious critique of the opium trade, to join his side of the argument. Turns out the prime minister had bribed him by giving him control of the appointments of bishops, such appointments brought with them a cathedral, extensive lands and a salary from rent that allowed many Bishops to live like lords. Yet Shaftesburys conscious was troubled by the situation and he wrote in his diary “A sad result. Right or wrong, the government must be supported to bring these matters to a satisfactory close. Hope and believe that God, having employed [the Prime Minister] as an instrument of good, would maintain him. But his ways are inscrutable. Opium and Christianity could not enter China together.” Now Lord Clarendon had quite a battle on his hands with his opposition, Mr. Derby. Clarendon stood up to give a speech after Derby, but the standing ovation and cheers for Derby persisted heavily. The foreign secretary argued the Arrow was indeed a British vessel and decried the Emperor for not living up to the terms of the Treaty of Nanjing. Clarendon then made a case for military action “I fear that we must come to the conclusion that in dealing with a nation like the Chinese, if we intend to preserve any amicable or useful relations with them, we must make them sensible of the law of force, and must appeal to them in the manner which they alone can appreciate.” Some responses began to pour out such as the tory member, Lord Malmesbury who began to denounce Bowringer as a warmonger who was lying to both Seymour and Ye Mingchen. Lord Ellenborough a former governor general of India tossed at Bowring “that he had disregarded the instructions of four successive secretaries of state, supported, as I supposed he is by an influence with the government which I cannot comprehend”. Ellenborough began to condemn Britain's activities in China on the basis of economic loss. After two days of debate, Derby's motion was put to a vote. It was 146 against 110, in favor of the current government. On the same day the Whigs won out in the house of lords, the commons took up the Arrow registration debate and Bowrings requests for reinforcements to invade Canton. Richard Cobden, a MP from Manchester and a adamant pacifist brought the issue to a motion of no confidence. Cobden argued the seizure of the Arrow was justified and a legitimate exercise of Chinese sovereignty while condemning Bowring's and Seymou'rs actions. He addressed his colleagues stating Bowrings military actions threatened Britain's commerce in Canton. He ended his speech with this “Is not so venerable an empire as that deserving of some sympathy—at least of some justice—at the hands of conservative England?” The issue of the opium trade was brought up by other MP's such as Gladstone and Samuel Gregson. Gladstone said “Your greatest and most valuable trade in China is in opium. It is a smuggling trade. It is in the worst, the most pernicious, demoralizing and destructive of all the contraband trades that are carried upon the surface of the globe.” Gladstone and some other MP's called for negotiations and treaties rather than blockades and bombardments. The Whig rebuttal to the Torries came in the form of a speech from the Prime Minister. He argued that when the Qing forces seized the Arrow, they had pulled down the Union Jack. This seems to have enraged more people in the house of commons than the seizure of the Chinese crew, don't be touching the Union Jack. Palmerston then made a speech rambled about how the opium trade had nothing to do with the situation at hand. But then went on to contradict himself by saying this “The existing restrictions on our commerce are one cause of that trade in opium to which [Cobden and Derby et al.] so dexterously alluded to…We can pay for our purchases only partly in goods, the rest we must pay in opium and silver.” The vote was made, and it came to 263 vs 247 to censure. Queen Victoria then 38 years old and pregnant with her 8th child, confided in her husband Prince Albert “I am grieved at the success of evil party motives, spit and the total lack of patriotism”. And so Palmerston dissolved Parliament and decried “there will be no change, and there can be no change, in the policy of the government with respect to China”. Palmerston continue to argue the Arrow was a British ship and that Ye Mingchen was a quote “An insolent barbarian wielding authority at Canton has violated the British flag, broken the engagements of treaties, offered rewards for the heads of British subjects in that part of China, and planned their destruction by murder, assassination and poisons. He is one of the most savage barbarians that ever disgraced a nation. Ye had been guilty of every crime which can degrade and debase human nature.” Kind of overkill don't you think Palmerston? Palmerston then pointing fingers at the Torries saying their moral high ground was simply an act to force the Whig ministry to fall and not in fact to save China from Britain's war upon her. He then alleged there would be a massacre of all European residents in Canton if the house did not back the war. I would like to take this time to remind you all that this podcast is only made possible through the efforts of Kings and Generals over at Youtube. Please go subscribe to Kings and Generals over at Youtube and to continue helping us produce this content please check out www.patreon.com/kingsandgenerals. If you are still hungry after that, give my personal channel a look over at The Pacific War Channel at Youtube, it would mean a lot to me. Rear Admiral Seymour led an onslaught against the city of Canton and multiple Qing forts along their riverways. The British politicians were racking their heads trying to figure out how to proceed, but in the end it seems war will be back on the menu.
S.O.S. (Stories of Service) - Ordinary people who do extraordinary work
My next guest is at the front lines of making our Navy better by speaking up and speaking out about hard issues, such as how sleep impacts readiness and how important diversity and inclusion are even when people try to mistakingly pit these efforts against warfighting readiness. Nope! They go hand in hand, and John will explain why. He addresses the current "woke' narrative and how that is a misguided attempt to distract from the bigger issues. He has written numerous articles for the Naval Institute Press. I'm lucky to call him a friend in the fight to make the Navy better and more accountable. He is currently the principal advisor to the Commander, Naval Surface Forces Atlantic for Human Factors and Human Systems Integration (HFE/HSI) matters.He is a subject matter expert in crew endurance, Surface Ship Safety, and the use of Circadian Watch Rotations to improve operational performance. He was recognized with the 2019 American Society of Naval Engineers “Solberg Award” for Naval Research Impact. He was recognized as USNI Proceedings Author of the Year and Surface Navy Literary Award In 2018. He displayed unparalleled leadership and technical experience including Chief of Staff for COMNAVSURFLANT, two tours in Command of Navy AEGIS Warships, and two New Construction Nuclear Aircraft Carriers. He was awarded the 2010 Navy League John Paul Jones Award for Inspirational Leadership and BUMED Epictetus Award for his Innovative 3/9 watch bill - endorsed by Navy Safety Center - while in Major Command of USS SAN JACINTO. Additionally, he was recognized with Surface Navy Association Literary Award for 2013 for an article co-authored with Dr. Nita Shattuck "A Sea Change in Standing Watch" Lastly, he received the Admiral Bulkeley Leadership Award for Excellence in Command of USS OSCAR AUSTIN.You can reach Mr, Cordle here - https://www.linkedin.com/in/cordlejp/
Co-hosts Doug Sweeney and Kristen Padilla begin a three week series on chaplaincy, talking with three different alumni who serve as chaplains about their respective ministries. This week on the show is Lieutenant Commander Kaelan Clay, who serves as a chaplain in the U.S. Navy. He is currently deployed aboard the USS San Jacinto.
Co-hosts Doug Sweeney and Kristen Padilla begin a three week series on chaplaincy, talking with three different alumni who serve as chaplains about their respective ministries. This week on the show is Lieutenant Commander Kaelan Clay, who serves as a chaplain in the U.S. Navy. He is currently deployed aboard the USS San Jacinto.
Dr. Corsi has begun a research project to expose the truth behind the run up to World War II, specifically, the events leading to the December 7, 1941 attack on Pearly Harbor by the military forces of Imperial Japan. He immediately encountered a major obstacle: critical and irreplaceable primary source material gathered by Robert Stinnett is the property of the Hoover Institute on the campus of Stanford University in Palo Alto, California. Gaining access to that material is proving to be a major challenge. Dr. Corsi recorded the first in a series of broadcasts on October 7,2020, laying the predicate for this work, and sharing details regarding the resistance he experienced as he began his research. Robert B. Stinnett was a Research Fellow at the Independent Institute and author of Day of Deceit: The Truth about FDR and Pearl Harbor. Stinnett served on the light aircraft carrier USS San Jacinto with George H. W. Bush during World War II. Following the war, Stinnett became deeply interested in the events that culminated in the attack on Pearl Harbor, and dedicated two decades to its research. Stinnett learned that United States President Franklyn D. Roosevelt, not only knew in advance the attack was coming, but may have even allowed it to take place. Dr. Corsi is committed to uncovering the truth and sharing the facts with the American public. Even though Stinnett's research was donated to the Hoover Institution, survivors of the Pearl Harbor attack and their families deserve to know the truth, and key components of that truth are contained within those 90 storage boxes, tucked away in off-site storage in Palo Alto, gathering dust. Visit https://www.corsination.com where passionate patriots gather to learn and share the truth. Livestream Monday - Friday 11:00am Eastern CloutHub https://app.clouthub.com/channels (Channel #119) YouTube https://www.youtube.com/user/jrlcorsi Facebook https://www.facebook.com/drjeromecorsi Periscope.tv https://www.periscope.tv/w/1OwxWLqVpjwKQ?q=jerome+corsi
Dr. Corsi begins a series of broadcasts exposing the truth behind the attack on Pearl Harbor by the Imperial Japanese Navy on December 7, 1941. In this episode, Dr. Corsi shares his experiences as he began his research only to encounter a major roadblock preventing the truth to be told. Robert B. Stinnett was a Research Fellow at the Independent Institute and author of Day of Deceit: The Truth about FDR and Pearl Harbor. Stinnett served on the light aircraft carrier USS San Jacinto with George H.W. Bush during World War II. Following the war, Stinnett became deeply interested in the events that culminated in the attack on Pearl Harbor, and dedicated two decades to its research. Stinnett learned that United States President Franklyn D. Roosevelt, not only knew in advance the attack was coming, but may have even allowed it to take place. Dr. Corsi is committed to uncovering the truth and sharing the facts with the American public. As he started his investigation, he learned that Stinnett's research was donated to the Hoover Institution affiliated with Stanford University in Palo Alto, California. Dr. Corsi shares how that research project is progressing, and the obstacles he is facing but will overcome. Visit https://www.corsination.com where passionate patriots gather to learn and share the truth. Livestream Monday - Friday 11:00am Eastern CloutHub https://app.clouthub.com/channels (Channel #119) YouTube https://www.youtube.com/user/jrlcorsi Facebook https://www.facebook.com/drjeromecorsi Periscope.tv https://www.periscope.tv/w/1OwxWLqVpjwKQ?q=jerome+corsi
How do you measure a man? In America in 1942, the measurement certainly started at joining the service. George Herbert Walker Bush was a very young man in December 1941 when the Japanese surprise attack on Pearl Harbor thrust America into World War II. He was just 18 years old, and still in his Senior year at Phillips Academy in the Northeast US. That very young Man opted to put his college plans on hold immediately and without hesitation to join the United States War effort as soon as he graduated Phillips Academy in that spring of 1942. It would be very fair to say that he was a privileged young man, and with college plans already in place, he surely could have continued with his path and probably avoided the war altogether. But that was not the Man that George Bush was. He joined the Navy and immediately signed up to be a pilot. After a 10 month training program aboard the USS Sable He was Commissioned Ensign Bush on June 9, 1943. His commission in June came 3 days BEFORE his 19th birthday, making him the youngest Naval Aviator in the US Navy at the time. Ensign Bush flew Grumman TBM Avengers from the USS San Jacinto in the Pacific Theatre, earning a promotion to Lieutenant Junior Grade. During an attack of the Japanese strongholds at Bonin Islands Lieutenant Bush's plane was struck by enemy flak, but he still delivered his bombs and torpedoes on target. He was forced to ditch the Aircraft in the sea. Lieutenant Bush parachuted safely to the sea, but his copilot was killed when his chute failed to open. Bush waited in a life raft until he was rescued by the Submarine USS Finback. He lived and worked on the Finback for a whole month, participating in the rescue of other downed airmen before returning to the San Jacinto. Lieutenant Bush took the loss of his fellow airmen to heart. He often wondered why he was saved, when others were not. He wondered if God had a plan for him all along. And he vowed to never forget those brave men. Before leaving the Navy Bush married his sweetheart Barbara Pierce in 1945. The marriage produced 6 children, although a tragic illness took their daughter Robin before she had a chance at life. After his discharge from the Navy, Bush enrolled at Yale where he earned a degree in economics. He became president of his fraternity and even played on the Yale baseball team in the first 2 College World Series ever. After college George moved his family to Texas and entered the Oil business. With much success in that venture, George Bush turned his attention to politics. He won his first public office in 1966, and after a long and diverse political Career he became the Vice President of the United States in 1980. In 1988, after 2 terms as VP, He was elected to the office of President of The United States where he served from 1989 to 1993. George Herbert Walker Bush was the first Incumbent Vice President to be elected to President in 152 years. His marriage to Barbara lasted until her death in 2018, making them the longest married presidential couple in the history of the nation at 73 years of marriage. The next longest pair was John and Abigail Adams at 54 years. On November 30, 2018, One Year ago this week, Former President George Herbert Walker Bush passed away at the age of 94. If we ask again how to measure a man, we must look at the lifetime of service from George H.W. Bush as the highest marks on that rule, along with the lifetime of commitment to his family and his nation.
Navy to Christen Amphibious Assault Ship Tripoli, USS Abraham Lincoln and USS San Jacinto depart Florida coast
USS Iwo Jima, USS New York, USS San Jacinto Poised to Support Irma Relief Efforts, Communication Key During an Evacuation
Under andra världskriget var president George HW Bush SR stridsflygare. Han var stationerad på hangarfartyget USS San Jacinto i Stilla havet. Han flög TBM Avengers och gjorde 126 landningar på hangarfartyg och har över 1200 flygtimmar. Den 2 september 1944 flög han sitt 58:e uppdrag, men sköts ner över Chi Chi Jima. Han var den ende överlevande i sin besättning. Bush belönades för sina insatser i kriget med tre Air Medals och en Disinguished Flying Cross.
Framework for Success: Naval Future Force S&T Expo, Ike Arrives in Halifax for Canada 150
Today, we return to a show from four years ago with author Stephen Phillips.Steve is a 1992 graduate of the U.S. Naval Academy. He began his naval career as a surface warfare officer on board USS Harlan County and USS San Jacinto. He then applied and was accepted into the Navy’s Special Operations community. He subsequently served as an Explosive Ordnance Disposal (EOD) Technician at EOD Mobile Units Six, Eight, and Ten.Steve is the author of the awarding-winning debut novel, Proximity, describes life as a Navy EOD Technician in the war on terrorism. His second novel, The Recipient’s Son, is a coming of age story that takes place at the U.S. Naval Academy in the late 80’s early 90’s.