I have the honor to be, with high consideration, sir, your obedient
servant,
Hon. William Stuart,
&c., &c., &c.
[Extract.]
Mr. Reverdy Johnson to Mr. Seward.
Washington,
August 19, 1862.
The sugars seized by order of Major General Butler, and claimed by
certain Greek, British, and other foreign merchants—
I. The largest quantity is claimed by Messrs. Covass &
Negroponte, Greek merchants, residents of New Orleans.
[Page 283]
The fact of their purchase of the sugars is not only fully proved,
but was not contested. Their right to them, therefore, in the
absence of other evidence, cannot be questioned. The seizure was
made on the ground that the purpose of the claimants was, in some
way or other, to assist the rebel government. Of this, however,
there was no proof. The purchase of each parcel was shown to have
been made in the customary mode, and to have been paid for in the
customary mode. The bills drawn on Europe by the claimants, as was
their uniform practice, placed in the hands of their bill brokers
for sale—the price only being fixed by the house—were by the brokers
sold, proceeds at first deposited in bank to their own credit, and
the net amount of sales, less commission, paid to the claimants by
the broker’s check.
It does not appear that in this instance, or in any other, the
claimants knew who were the purchasers of their bill, or with what
purpose they were purchased. The suspicion that there existed, after
the rebellion, as was suggested to me, “an association of Greek
merchants residing in New Orleans, London, and Havana, or elsewhere,
formed for the purpose of or actually carrying on the enterprise of
selling foreign exchange for confederate money, with the view of
transferring abroad the credit of the Confederate States to be
converted into bullion for the purchase of arms and munitions of
war,” is wholly without support. And as to these claimants there is
proof as positive and demonstrative as there could be in such a case
that the fact was otherwise. They sold their bills and invested
proceeds, from time to time, in the produce of the country, for sale
here or shipment abroad. There is not a scintilla of evidence that
they ever belonged to such an association, if there was one, (of
which, however, there is no proof,) but, on the contrary, their
conduct in negotiating their bills, as exhibited in the many
depositions annexed, is absolutely inconsistent with such a
connexion. The seizure by the major general was evidently made under
a misapprehension. His conduct in this particular, as in those of
the $800,000 and $716,196, is to be referred to the patriotic zeal
which governs him, to the circumstances encircling his command at
the time so well calculated to awaken suspicion, and to an ardent
desire to punish, to the extent of his supposed power, all who had
contributed, or were contributing, to the aid of a rebellion the
most unjustifiable and wicked that insane or bad men were ever
engaged in.
I am, therefore, clearly in the opinion that the sugars should be
released. They have already lost much in quantity by leakage, and
the sooner the return is made, the better, I beg to suggest, will it
be for the cause of individual justice and the honor of the
government.
* * * * * *
I have the honor to be, with high regard, your obedient servant,
