Mr. Sanford to Mr. Seward
Sir: The diplomatic corps, which had expressed the desire to offer its congratulations to the King on his recovery, was received by his Majesty to-day, at the palace.
In the short conversation which the King had with me on this occasion he referred to the war in terms of regret, as dividing so fine a race of men, and desolating so fine a country, as he expressed himself, and added the hope that some means would be found to bring about an early termination of a contest whose effects were wide-spread and were sensibly felt here. I replied that it was thought, with the additional forces now being brought to bear upon the southern States, that the insurgents would be restored to their allegiance to the government, (the only possible means to secure peace;) that the disastrous consequences of the war, to which he had referred, and in which we shared heavily, were a source of regret. We appreciated the distress caused by a conflict which had been forced upon the government in defence of its authority, and saw but one way of relieving it—the success of our arms.
I availed myself of the occasion to congratulate his Majesty on his restoration to health, and to add the assurance that these congratulations would be most heartily shared by the government and the people of the United States, as I had occasion, on a recent visit to my country, to have personal cognizance of the warm and wide-spread interest and concern which his illness had excited. He thanked me, and said that he had indeed reason to be convinced of that regard in the numerous and high evidences of consideration he had received from the United States during a long reign, which had been marked with the most pleasant relations. He had known personally, he added, some of our most prominent citizens, and felt real interest in the progress and prosperity of the country.
Mr. Goodrich, the secretary of this legation, accompanied me to this reception, and was presented by me to his Majesty.
I have had the honor to receive your despatch No. 64, and your circular despatch of the 22d ultimo, communicating a copy of the proclamation of the President of that date. I read the circular to M. Rogier yesterday. He said the proclamation was an act of great gravity, and inquired what the probable result would be upon the war. I replied that I could not anticipate events. It was to be hoped that, with the further increase of our forces on land and sea, the insurgents would soon perceive the uselessness of further resistance, and come back to their allegiance while it was still time to avert the additional calamities impending over them. He expressed his fears that it would tend to prolong and add exasperation to the war, the results of which were weighing so heavily upon this country. I rejoined that the peace and traffic he so much desired could only be obtained by the submission of the insurgents; that the “arrangement” so much desired in Europe, and which meant disunion, was simply impossible.
[Page 1166]I would remark, in connexion with this great cause of solicitude in a country so dependent as is Belgium for its prosperity upon foreign markets, that trade has revived very considerably with the United States within the past few months; and it is a source of remark and astonishment, as indicative of wealth and prosperity, instead of exhaustion, that, notwithstanding the heavy increase of duties on imports and the high rates of exchange, the northern States are, in these times of war, so largely increasing over the previous year their importations of European manufactures.
I have the honor to be, with great respect, your most obedient servant,
Hon. William H. Seward, Secretary of State, &c., &c., &c.