Mr. Seward to Mr. Merrier.
Sir: I have the honor to acknowledge the receipt of your note of the 7th instant, and to say, in reply, that this government readily accedes to the suggestion you have made in regard to the removal of French citizens from New Orleans to their native country. Any French ship-of-war that you may designate will be at liberty to proceed to the bar of the Mississippi and take on board a convenient number of French subjects, who shall be delegates of the French subjects residing there, and convey them to Havana, where they may charter, engage, and equip vessels of any nation friendly to the United States, and return with them to the bar of the Mississippi, and there receive and convey thence to France any French subjects, with their families, of the same class, and their private personal effects, the equipment, engagement, and charter of such vessels, and the embarkation and departure of such vessels with the returning emigrants to be conducted under the supervision of the officer of the French ship-of-war; it being understood that he will take care that this proceeding shall not be made in any way a means for commercial transactions of any kind, or for the conveyance of any political despatches or correspondence affecting this country, and [Page 407] especially any such correspondence or despatches favorable to the existing insurrection and hostile or injurious to the government of the United States.
When you shall have informed me of the naval vessel selected, and her commander, instructions will be given to the blockading squadron to facilitate his operations.
I avail myself of this opportunity to renew to you, sir, the assurance of my high consideration.
Mr. Henry Mercier, &c., &c., &c.