Mr. Seward to Mr. Tassara

The undersigned, Secretary of State of the United States, has the honor to acknowledge the receipt of the note of Mr. Tassara, envoy extraordinary and minister plenipotentiary of her Catholic Majesty, of the 17th instant, in which he calls the attention of the undersigned to an official publication in the public prints, (the New York Herald of the 17th ult.,) of the admiral and officers of the squadron blockading the port of Charleston, in reference to the affair which recently occurred in the waters of that port between that squadron and vessels of the insurgents.

In reply, the undersigned has the honor to acquaint Mr. Tassara that he has examined that publication, but has failed to discover that it in any way implicates her Catholic Majesty’s consul. On the contrary, the undersigned well recollects that, at about the date of that publication, Mr. Tassara called here with communications from that gentleman to her Catholic Majesty’s legation, which were considered by the undersigned as quite satisfactory on the subject.

The undersigned avails himself of this occasion to offer to Mr. Tassara a renewed assurance of his very high consideration.

WILLIAM H. SEWARD.

Señor Don G. G. Tassara.