Mr. Adams to Mr.
Seward.
No. 686]
Legation of the United States.
London,
May 12, 1864.
Sir: Lord Russell has answered my note of the
2d instant, referred to in my despatch of last week. No. 678, by two
successive replies, which indicate an extraordinary degree of interest
in the subject. Copies of these three papers are now transmitted.
I have the honor to be, sir, your obedient servant,
Hon. William H. Seward, Secretary of State, Washington, D. C.
Mr. Adams to Earl Russell.
Legation of the United
States.
London,
May 2, 1864.
My Lord: I have been directed to lay before
you, for the information of her Majesty’s government, a copy of a
communication made by the members of the mixed commission at
Freetown, West Africa, to the Secretary of State at Washington,
respecting the prevalence of the slave trade in that country.
I pray your lordship to accept the assurance of the highest
consideration, with which I have the honor to be, my lord, your most
obedient servant,
The right Hon. Earl Russell,
&c., &c., &c.
Earl Russell to Mr. Adams.
Foreign Office
May 9, 1864.
Sir: I have the honor to acknowledge the
receipt of your note of the 2d instant, enclosing a copy of the
report of the American commissioners of the mixed commission court
at Sierra Leone upon the slave trade on the west coast of Africa,
and I have to request that you will convey to the government of the
United States the thanks of her Majesty’s government for this
communication.
[Page 734]
I have the honor to be, with the highest consideration, sir, your
most obedient, humble servant,
Charles Francis Adams, Esq., &c., &c., &c.
Earl Russell to Mr. Adams.
Foreign Office,
May 11, 1864.
Sir: Now that the governments of Great
Britain and the United States are happily agreed in their
determination to use every legitimate effort to put down the slave
trade, I wish you would suggest to Mr. Seward that her Majesty’s
government thinks it would be very useful if the two governments
would mutually communicate to each other every incident of
importance which may occur, and every measure that may seem to
either of the two governments to tend to the suppression of this
detestable traffic.
I have read with great interest the report of the United States
commissioner and judge at Sierra Leone, and shall be happy to
consider how the measures therein pointed out can best be carried
into effect.
I have the honor to be, with the highest consideration, sir, your
most obedient, humble servant,
Charles Francis Adams, Esq., &c., &c., &c.
