[Translation.]
Viscount Treilhard to Mr. Seward.
Legation of France in the United
States, Washington,
October 6, 1862.
Sir: The manager of the consulate of France at
New Orleans has just informed me of three affairs which interest
Frenchmen in that city, and which I hasten to commend to the kind
attention of the government of the United States.
The first, as appears from the documents herewith annexed, under the
number 1, is in relation to various lots of sugar belonging to Messrs.
Richard Aldigé & Co., and to Messrs. Goodchaux.
The sugars were deposited in the warehouses of the custom-house of New
Orleans at the period of the occupation of that city by the federal
troops, and the collector of customs refused to give them up for
consumption without an order from the Secretary of the Treasury. At the
same time Mr. Dennison, as he has assured our counsel, wrote to
Washington in behalf of the interested parties, but, up to the present
time, has received no answer in this regard. I therefore step forward to
solicit that the necessary orders may be transmitted to New Orleans to
have the goods, which have been temporarily sequestered, restored to
their owners. Longer delay would lead to the deterioration of the
sugars, and would deprive the parties concerned of the legitimate
profits which they are enabled to realize at this time.
[Page 436]
The second affair relates to two lots of printing paper, belonging to Mr.
Charles Harispe, which Major General Butler caused to be seized in the
warehouses of the custom-house to supply the wants of the newspaper, the
Delta. I annex hereto, under the number 2, a copy of Mr. Harispe’s
letter, and I can only submit to your judgment the arbitrary proceeding
of which this Frenchman has been the victim, entreating a prompt
decision on this matter.
Finally, the third affair of which I have spoken to you, sir, is
connected with a series of more than arbitrary acts, which are
represented to have been committed, by orders of federal authorities, on
a plantation belonging to French citizens. I have the honor to send you
herewith, under the number 3, the copy of a letter which, on this
occasion, was addressed to our agent at New Orleans by Mr. Paul Vidal,
in his own behalf, and in behalf of Messrs. G. Levois and L. C. Chauvin,
French subjects. To that letter is annexed a statement of losses which
have been sustained.
I embrace this opportunity, sir, to renew to you the assurances of my
high consideration.
For the minister:
VTE. JULES TREILHARD, First Secretary of the
Legation.
No. 1.
[Translation.]
New Orleans,
August 29, 1862.
Mr.Consul: On the 14th of March last we
bought of Messrs. Roman & Olivier, agents of the St. James sugar
refinery, on account of Mr. L. H. Richard, a French citizen residing
at Paris, forty-one barrels of white sugar. We bought likewise, of
the same house, and on account of the same person, forty-six
barrels, on the 24th of March, and two hundred and one barrels on
the 3d of April following. These two hundred and eighty-eight
barrels were placed on storage in the warehouse of Messrs. Laure
& Le Blanc, Toulouse street, at a price agreed on beforehand for
the said storage.
Having received from Mr. Richards instructions to send him funds, we
endeavored to get rid of the sugars. Great was our astonishment on
learning from Messrs. Laure & Le Blanc that, according to orders
received from the customhouse authorities of the United States in
our city, they could not give up those sugars without a special
permit from the collector of customs. One of our partners went at
different times to Mr. Gray, deputy collector, to inquire of him
what he intended to do with those articles. Mr. Gray always replied
that he was expecting by every steamer an answer from Washington,
and that until then it was impossible to give us a positive
answer.
Mr. Dennison, the collector of the port, on being consulted this week
by this same partner of ours, replied that he expected very soon an
answer from Washington to the letter which he had sent in regard to
these sugars, but that he could not deliver them to us until he had
received permission from his government.
We have taken the liberty, Mr. Consul, of addressing you this letter
with a view of acquainting you with all these facts which concern a
French citizen now out of this country.
The 288 barrels above mentioned represent a value of five thousand
seven hundred and eight dollars and forty-six cents, the amount
expended in the purchase of the sugar. The favor which this article
enjoys in our market commands for it at present a profit of at least
twenty per cent., and it is greatly to
[Page 437]
be feared that Mr. Richard will lose not only
this profit, but even a part of the principal, if this unjust and
illegal seizure, which prevents us from disposing of those sugars,
is kept up a few days longer.
Be pleased to accept, &c.,
[Translation]
Twenty-five hogsheads of sugar, marked “Esperance,” weighing
33,800 pounds, stored in the “Whitehead” warehouse on the 17th
of June, 1862, by Goodchaux Brothers.
We went to the house of Mr. Dennison, the collector of customs in
this city, to obtain the delivery of said sugar, whereupon the
said Mr. Dennison replied that he had written to Washington for
this.
After waiting nearly two months we have not yet obtained the
delivery of the said sugar, as the collector tells us he has not
yet received any answer to his letter.
The sugar is worth at this time ten cents a pound, and we are in
a position to use the proceeds of said sugar very
advantageously. Moreover, if the sugar is kept still longer in
warehouse the price and the weight may diminish.
Now we ask all the advantages of the market from this time until
its delivery, and, also, compensation for all losses which may
occur in consequence of the detention of said sugar
No. 2.
[Translation.]
New Orleans,
September 16, 1862.
Sir: By the Spanish steamboat Cardenas,
which arrived a few days ago from Havana, my mercantile firm,
Castillo & Harispe, received 250 bundles marked [C], containing
500|¼ reams of white printing paper (1) of double
size and American manufacture, purchased at New York and
sent to the mart of Havana, to be thence forwarded here.
This paper was sent, as usual, to the custom-house, and while my
clerk, Mr. Justin Durel, was getting it insured, or secured, he was
accosted by Lieutenant Colonel Brown, of the eighth regiment of
Vermont volunteers, invested with the direction of the newspaper
“The Daily Delta,” who asked him if the paper was for sale. On his
answering in the affirmative, he asked him the price of it. Not
being able to tell him, he referred him to me.
On the next day Mr. Brown came to my counting-room. I told him that I
asked nothing better than to sell him the paper, but that my friends
having failed to transmit certain documents which were necessary in
order that it might be entered for consumption without paying the
customs duties, I could not dispose of it unless, through his
influence, the custom-house would consent to deliver it to me on
condition that I should furnish, as soon as possible, the documents
that were wanting, to which I was quite ready to bind myself. Mr.
Brown made some objections to my proposition, but seemed desirous to
have the paper. Having received by the preceding trip of the steamer
Cardenas another lot of 100 reams of printing paper, and wishing to
oblige Mr. Brown
[Page 438]
I offered
it to him. He answered me that he supposed that that paper was not
in the customs warehouses. I told him that it must be there, and
that I had just sent a clerk to the custom-house to pay the duties
on it. Mr. Brown insisted on having the lot of 500 reams. I
requested him to return on the next day so that I could tell him the
price of each of the lots, because that of 500 reams came included
in an invoice with several other articles of merchandise, and that,
besides the difficulty above mentioned with the custom-house, it was
not easy for me to fix the price right away.
On the next day Mr. Brown returned and asked me if I had ascertained
the net cost of the 500 reams. I answered him that I had not been
able to do so in a satisfactory manner, but that I could sell him
the lot of 100 reams at $5 50 the ream, according to a minute
calculation which I showed him. He answered me, as on the evening
before, that that paper was not in the custom-house, and, changing
his tone, he told me that he wanted the 500 reams, and to tell him a
price. I answered him that, seeing that he insisted so much, I would
sell him the paper at $9 50 the ream, he answering to the
custom-house for the duties. This price was 50 cents a ream lower
than that which he had paid a few days before for a lot of 75 reams,
which one of my friends, Mr. Jules Sazerac, of New York, had sold to
him. Nevertheless he found my price excessive, and seeing that I was
unwilling to make any concession to him, he told me that he could dispose of my paper if he so
wished, I told him that I did not doubt but he could do so,
but that I warned him that I was a foreigner, and that the paper was
also foreign property. He withdrew without saying another word.
Two days afterwards I learned that the 500 reams of paper had been
taken from the custom-house by Lieutenant Colonel Brown in virtue of
an order from Major General Butler, of which a copy has been handed
to me by the collector of customs.
Desirous of settling this affair without making it the subject of a
reclamation, I presented to Lieutenant Colonel Brown, conformably to
what is directed in the order of seizure of General Butler as
regards payment, the invoice of the 500 reams, at the rate of $9 50
the ream, taken at the custom-house, the
price at which I had offered to sell them to him before the seizure.
He refused to pay it, under the pretext that he could not do so
without a special order from General Butler.
I had been to see General Butler, who, contrary to the condition made
by himself, has signified to me that my paper will not be paid for
until I shall furnish a certificate showing that it is an American
production, so that it can be imported for consumption free of
duties, since, otherwise, its price would be much too high. The
general added, that meanwhile my paper was as safe in the possession
of the department of the Gulf as in the customs warehouses.
The said invoice amounted to $4,752 37—the value on the 13th instant
when the paper was seized.
Having in vain exhausted the means in my power to recover this sum, I
proceed to protest before you against the proper parties, and to
request you immediately to give to this affair such results as you
may deem suitable for duly indemnifying my firm for the injustice of
which it has been the victim.
I have the honor to be, Mr. Consul, &c,
[Here follows General Butler’s order and Collector Dennison’s
certificate, both in English.]
[Page 439]
[Untitled]
New Orleans,
September 18, 1862.
Sir: We have possessed for 19 years a sugar
plantation known by the name of the “Star Plantation,” situated
about 33 miles above this city, on the right bank of the
Mississippi.
We were in the peaceable and unequivocal enjoyment of this
plantation, when lately, as you will see below, by arbitrary acts of
the federal authorities at New Orleans, we have sustained
considerable losses.
Some particulars of what has taken place will show you the losses
which we have experienced, and will give you a glance at the nature
of the acts committed by the officers of the United States, acting
in virtue of orders emanating from the headquarters of the
department of the Gulf.
At two different periods General Butler has sent detachments of
cavalry and infantry of the army of the United States, under the
command of Col. Thomas, to various points above New Orleans.
The first of these expeditions dates back to the 29th of August last,
when Lieutenant Perkins was detached by Colonel Thomas with a picket
of federal soldiers, and came to make a search on our plantation.
The only excuse which he invoked to justify this violation of
domicil was that the United States had the most pressing need of
animals and of various articles that could be found on the
plantation. In spite of the energetic protestations of our manager,
they took possession of a great number of animals and of various
articles, of which an inventory is herewith annexed under the letter
A. The whole were sent to New Orleans.
A few days afterwards, on the 8th and 9th of the present month, a
detachment of troops of the United States committed a similar
violation of domicil, and again carried away animals and various
articles. This detachment, moreover, committed numerous
depredations. The losses to which this second expedition subjected
us are enumerated in the memorandum B. Besides this, the soldiers of
the United States induced our slaves to escape by promising them the
protection of the federal authorities. Encouraged by the support
which was promised them, they left our plantation, and took refuge
in the federal camps. An inventory of said slaves is annexed, and is
designated by the letter C.
Our manager has been unable to obtain any receipt for the articles
carried off in the name of the government. It has been in vain that
on our part we have implored General Butler. We have to abandon now
the idea of making a direct claim on the representative of the
federal government at New Orleans; but we have recourse to you, Mr.
Consul, persuaded, as we are, that you will take the necessary steps
to obtain from the government of the United States what we have been
unable to obtain in a friendly manner from its representative
here.
We reserve to ourselves, moreover, the right to claim hereafter such
sums as may be due us for the loss which will be sustained by our
standing crop, which is seriously jeopardized in consequence of the
taking away the stock, which is necessary to its cultivation.
We have the honor, &c., &c.,
The Consul of France
at New Orleans.
[Page 440]
[Translation.]
Document A.
| One stallion, of pure blood, named Black Eagle |
$1,500 |
| Two mares, of pure blood |
1,600 |
| One carriage horse |
500 |
| Four young horses, of pure blood |
1,200 |
| Twenty work mules, at $225 |
4,500 |
| Twenty-five Merino sheep |
300 |
| Fourteen cows, of pure blood, |
} |
| One bull, |
| Sixteen heifers and calves, |
|
3,000 |
| Saddles, bridles, and harness |
200 |
|
12,800 |
Twelve thousand eight hundred dollars.
[Translation.]
Document B.
| Fifteen work mules, at $225 |
$3,375 00 |
| Three carts and harness for nine mules |
400 00 |
| One cart, broken on place |
100 00 |
| One saddle horse and one cabriolet |
500 00 |
| One hogshead of sugar weighing 1,200 pounds, at 10
cents |
120 00 |
| Ten barrels of flour |
120 00 |
| Six barrels of mess pork |
132 00 |
| One tierce of shoulders |
88 00 |
| Two barrels of lamp oil, 41 gallons, at $2 50 |
92 25 |
| Fifteen gallons of lard oil |
41 25 |
| Taken a chest carpenter’s tools |
175 00 |
| Injuries to steam-engine |
1,000 00 |
| Wines, liquors, groceries, crockery were,
&c |
500 00 |
| Clothes and shoes for the negroes |
600 00 |
| Six hogs and vault the back yard |
150 00 |
| Fifty barrels of Indian corn |
50
00 |
|
7,443
50 |
Seven thousand four hundred and forty-three dollars and fifty
cents.
[Translation.]
Document C.
Sixty-six negroes, worth sixty-six thousand dollars.
[Page 441]
[Translation.]
Recapitulation.
| Document A |
$12,800 00 |
| Document B |
7,443 50 |
| Document C |
66,000
00 |
|
86,243
50 |
Eighty-six thousand two hundred and forty-three dollars and fifty
cents.
