Mr. De Long to Mr. Seward.
Consulate of the United States,
Tangier,
March 20, 1862.
Sir: I have the honor to enclose a copy of a
telegram and two letters, addressed by Horatio J. Perry, United States
charge d’affaires at Madrid, to Captain Craven, of the United States
ship-of-war Tuscarora, in relation to the arrest of Myers and Tunstall,
which have been transmitted to me by said legation, accompanied with a
letter of congratulation upon the subject, which I also enclose.
[Page 870]
In making the arrest I acted with a full knowledge of what I believed to
be the law, and with a view of restraining these men from committing
further depredations upon our commerce.
I pursued the whole thing step by step, using the utmost caution to avoid
leading my government into trouble, although on the 26th of February my
life was in the greatest possible danger, brought about by Captain
Semmes, of the pirate Sumter, through the interference of the governor
of Gibraltar, as well as nearly the entire European population of
Gibraltar and this place, where money was offered freely to the mob if
they would secure the release of the prisoners.
I believe I was the only man in the place on the day of the mob that was
not excited. Even Prince Muley Abbas, who is residing here at present,
and who is said to be a very intelligent, mild, innocent sort of a man,
when he heard of the mob, made the remark—“what the devil have the
Christians to do with the American consul’s prisoners.”
During the short time I have been here my whole time and attention has
been devoted to the interest of my government, and what is my reward!
Last evening three letters came to this place addressed to different
parties, from Brown, my late predecessor, informing them “that the
Senate had not confirmed my appointment, and that the President had
appointed a Mr. McMath, of Ohio, in my place, and that he would be here
shortly.”
This information came at a very inopportune moment, as it will be freely
circulated throughout Europe that I have been recalled for my arrest of
Myers and Tunstall, and besides, what effect this news may have upon the
minds of the Moorish authorities is yet to be revealed.
On the 10th instant the United States steamer Kearsarge paid a visit to
this place, to inquire after the safety of the United States consulate,
pursuant to the event of the 26th of February, which interview was very
interesting. Assurances of the protection of the United States
consulate, as well as the kindly relations between the United States
government and this country, were entertained by the Moorish minister at
the time. Arrangements were also made about exchanging a salute, which
took place shortly after.
The Kearsarge remained here until the next day, and then returned to
Algeciras.
I have the honor to be, sir, your most obedient servant,
Hon. William H. Seward,
Secretary of State.
[Telegram.]
No. 1.]
Madrid,
February 26, 1862.
Pray take the Tangier prisoners in custody aboard your ship if it can
be done without losing sight of the Sumter.
HORATIO J. PERRY, Charge d’
Affaires.
Captain Craven,
Abordo vapor Tuscarora, Algeciras.
[Untitled]
No. 2.]
Legation of the United
States,
Madrid,
February 26, 1862.
Captain: After welcoming you to this coast,
where the presence of the privateer Sumter has long called for the
attention of our navy, I beg to say that Mr. Sprague, United States
consul at Gibraltar and consular agent for Algeciras, [Page 871] has reported to me the
arrest by United States Consul De Long, at Tangier, of a person
calling himself a lieutenant of the Sumter, in company with Mr.
Tunstall, late United States consul at Cadiz, who was deprived of
his consulate for alleged infidelity to the government he was
serving.
In reference to this case I feel it my duty to inform you that I do
not regard the proceeding alluded to in the way it seems to have
struck Mr. Sprague, according to his communication to you of the
19th instant.
The rules of neutrality vary in different states, and especially the
rules which obtain among civilized nations are not applicable to the
Mahomedan or semi-barbarous powers. Consuls enjoy, in Morocco, an
almost absolute jurisdiction over the persons of their fellow
citizens or subjects, to the exclusion of the local jurisdiction of
the town, or that of the Emperor.
Mr. De Long, therefore, infringes no rule of public law in arresting
a citizen of the United States within his jurisdiction, for the
crime of treason or for robbery on the high seas, any more than if
the arrest were for any other crime, and I beg you, if you can
manage it without losing sight of the Sumter herself, to attend to
Mr. De Long’s request, and to receive the persons he has arrested
aboard your ship as prisoners, to be taken home to the United States
for trial under our laws.
A telegram to the same effect has been sent you to-day, of which
please find copy enclosed.
Respectfully your obedient servant,
HORATIO J. PERRY, United States Charge d’
Affaires.
Captain Craven,
Commanding United States steam corvette
Tuscarora, at Algeciras.
[Untitled]
No. 3.]
Legation of the United
States,
Madrid,
March 3, 1862.
Captain: A telegraphic despatch last
evening tells me of the arrival of the Kearsarge at Cadiz.
Information has already reached me by mail that our consul, Mr. De
Long, was in some trouble at Tangier on account of the arrest of
Messrs. Myers and Tunstall, referred to in my letter of February 26.
But as I have subsequent notice that these persons were safely
embarked aboard the Ino and had arrived in
her at Algeciras, it is to be hoped that all difficulty has ceased
at Tangier. If, unfortunately, this should not be the case, you will
allow me to express my opinion that the just and patriotic action of
our consul ought to be sustained at all hazards, and the honor and
authority of our consulate general at Tangier must be maintained.
From my information it seems that the Moorish authorities have, from
the first, been well disposed and their action unobjectionable; the
whole difficulty is supposed to have arisen from the intrigues of
other foreigner at Tangier, to which, perhaps, the authorities of
Gibraltar are not wholly strangers. But neither the government of
Great Britain nor that of any other Christian power can ever have
authorized, nor will it sanction, such proceedings. The act of Mr.
De Long was perfectly legal and proper, and was performed in the
legitimate exercise of precisely the same kind of authority claimed
and exercised by all the consuls of the Christian powers over the
subjects of their respective governments found within their
jurisdiction.
It is not probable in any case that the secession sympathies of a few
of the subordinate authorities of Great Britain will be powerful
enough to lead that government into the mistake of attempting, in
any way, to diminish the consular authority and jurisdiction of the
Christian powers in the Mahomedan states, or [Page 872] authority and jurisdiction which England, more
than all others, is interested to maintain.
Whilst, therefore, I would recommend much and careful consideration
to be manifested towards the Moorish authorities at Tangier, if the
position of our consul is at all compromised at that place by recent
events, I hope you will sustain him with all the force you may have
available for the purpose, exacting from those authorities all the
respect and defence and protection which it is their duty to give
him.
A prompt and energetic demonstration by you before Tangier, with even
a very small force, would probably tell better for the interests of
our government in its moral effects upon the Moors than a much
larger expedition later, when disputes may have intensified the
evil, and delay rendered the position of our consul worse. I repeat
it is to be hoped that all troubles will have ceased with the
withdrawal of the prisoners. You are upon the spot and will be
better able to judge of the state of things than I can; it is my
purpose to speak only of the diplomatic and political bearings of
the supposed difficulty at Tangier, and of such action as it might
become your duty to take in view of certain circumstances of which
you will have better knowledge than I have, but it might be well at
any rate, whenever the exigencies of your blockade of the Sumter
will permit, to visit the anchorage of Tangier in a friendly way, as
it is some time since the Moors have seen our flag displayed by a
man-of-war at that port.
I write to you as senior officer of the little squadron now present
near the Straits of Gibraltar and, as I suppose, in command of all
the ships. If I am in error please pass this communication to the
flag-officer, whoever he may be, and believe me, sir, with much
respect, your most obedient servant,
Captain T. Augustus Craven,
Commanding United States War Steamer
Tuscarora, at Algeciras.
[Untitled]
Legation of the United States of
America.
Madrid,
March 5, 1862.
Sir: Your spirited and patriotic action in
arresting, within your consular jurisdiction, Messrs. Myers and
Tunstall, was reported to me by Mr. Sprague, of Gibraltar, in the
course of his official duty as consular agent for Algeciras.
Allow me to offer you my personal compliments for that proceeding,
which will certainly be appreciated by the President and commended
by our people.
Mr. Sprague seems to have been a little fearful at first that you
might have exceeded the strict limits of your authority in that
proceeding. He is an experienced and able officer, but, perhaps, in
this instance has been led involuntarily to measure the extent of
your consular duties in some degree of the rules which would govern
his own. Your position, however, is entirely distinct from that of
any consul in a Christian state, and I did not therefore hesitate,
as soon as the affair was known to me, to request Captain Craven, of
the Tuscarora, to aid and sustain you in every respect. From
subsequent accounts I suppose that this was, in fact, done
spontaneously on his part or on that of the Captain of the Ino before my communication could have
reached him. I have no doubt it was well done.
As Mr. Sprague has informed me since that there was Or had been some
disturbance in Tangier, and that you might still be molested on this
account, I have again written to Captain Craven giving him my idea
of some of the political considerations connected with the affair,
and the opinion that you ought to be sustained at all hazards.
Enclosed you will find press copies of these communications, [Page 873] and I beg you to command
my aid and service in any way that may be useful to you or to the
good service of our country.
Very respectfully, sir, your obedient servant,
James De Long, Esq., United States Consul, Tangier.
