Mr. Adams to Mr. Seward.
Sir: The statements referred to in your despatch, No. 1130, of the 19th of October, as to the enlistment of an army of Poles in the cause of the rebels, have been running the rounds of the newspapers in this country so far as to have attracted my attention some time ago. The fact that an adventurer has come forward to offer his services for such a work, in view of an adequate remuneration to himself for the attempt, whether it succeed or fail, is likely enough. Since I have been here I have had similar overtures made to me, and that by persons in a much better position to undertake the effort with success. But I must confess myself to have been thoroughly skeptical as to any valuable issue of such a scheme. It would involve an outlay of money, and difficulties of equipment and transportation which no individual could assume, and to which the state of the rebel finances at this moment could scarcely be expected to respond. It is not unlikely that a few insurgent Poles, who have been driven from their country by the failure of the late insurrection, may be tempted individually to try their chance in America by the offer of a free passage and subsequent employment. But I think they would much more cheerfully enlist on those terms under the standard of the United States than with the rebels. Indeed, applications of that kind have been continually made to me from that class of persons, to which I have given the uniform answer, that I had no authority to make any such contract. Possibly a few of these may have gone to the rebel agents, who have few scruples, and incur little responsibility in violating the law, and have succeeded, so far as that word may be applied, to engaging in a course founded in fraud and sustained by all manner of wrongdoing. In my opinion, that resource is not worth counting as an item in their resisting power.
I have the honor to be, sir, your obedient servant,
Hon. William H. Seward, Secretary of State, Wasliington, D. C.