Hon. William H. Seward, Secretary of State, Washington, D. C.
Mr. Adams to Earl Russell.
Legation of the United
States,
London, November 10, 1864.
My Lord: In regard to the note of the 26th
of September last, which your lordship did me the honor to address
me, I now ask permission to make only two observations, preliminary
to communicating to you the final instructions of my government.
Your lordship is pleased to remark that her Majesty’s government
consider the act of the commander of the Deerhound in interposing to
save from drowning Captain Semmes and other officers and men of the
Alabama as a praiseworthy act of humanity; and further, that any
proposal to restore them to the hands of the victors in the struggle
after they had reached the limits of this kingdom as a refuge, could
be viewed only as involving a violation of the duties of hospitality
of which that government would not be guilty.
I beg leave to recall your lordship’s attention to the original
allegation in my note, which was to the effect that Captain Semmes
and his companions, after being saved from drowning by the
intervention of a British subject, did not reach the limits of this
kingdom as a refugee claiming the right of hospitality, so much as
in the position of a belligerent determined to make his escape from
capture or death to a neutral territory useful to himself and his
cause by initiating further hostile proceedings against his enemy in
the very place where he claimed hospitality. I have, the strongest
reasons for believing that the time which has passed whilst I have
had the honor to conduct this correspondence with your lordship has
been spent by the enemies of the United States, British and
native-born, in fitting out another vessel from this kingdom to do
the same sort of
[Page 352]
piratical
work which the Alabama did until she was sent to the bottom, which
vessel has sailed from here to an agreed place on the ocean, where
the same sort of equipment and armament which was placed on the
Alabama has been placed on board of her by another British vessel
sent from this kingdom for the purpose, and where were transferred
Captain Semmes and his companions, the persons saved by the alleged
humanity of Mr. Lancaster, for the ultimate object of continuing a
war of destruction of life and property against the people of the
United States. Whether I am correct or not in these statements, as
yet founded only on information of a private character, time will
not be long in establishing; should it prove to be so, your lordship
will perhaps pardon me if I persist in maintaining the opinion that
neither was the act of Mr. Lancaster in saving Captain Semmes from
capture humane, nor is the act of her Majesty’s government in
protecting him to be viewed as wholly within the limits of that sort
of hospitality which it would value in any other nation if practiced
towards the people of Great Britain.
Your lordship is pleased further to observe towards the close of your
note that her Majesty’s government have been far more successful in
preventing breaches of neutrality with regard to the fitting out of
cruisers in this war, than the government of the United States were
in preventing the fitting out of ships to aid the South American
republics in their revolt against Spain.
Were it expedient at this late day to enter upon an examination of
the relative merit of the two governments in the two very widely
different stages of their condition in acquitting themselves of
their obligations of neutrality under circumstances of difficulty, I
am not aware that any result which might be arrived at would have an
effect in materially varying the views that should be taken of the
shortcomings of either. Very fortunately, I am saved the necessity
of further discussion of it by pointing out to your lordship a
circumstance which seems to have entirely escaped your attention.
Whatever may have been the deficiencies of the United States in the
instance alluded to, compensation therefor has been made to Spain,
and her full and free release has been given under the sanction of
her hand to a solemn treaty. Whenever her Majesty’s government shall
acknowledge itself prepared to perfect the parallel instance, the
example may be cited against the United States, but not until
then.
I have now the honor to inform your lordship that, after a careful
consideration of your note of the 26th of September, my government
thinks itself entitled to adhere to the several positions it has
heretofore assumed in regard to the painful transaction in question,
as these have been made known through me to her Majesty’s
government. I am further directed to express to you the President’s
concern at the failure, thus far, of the efforts that have been made
to avert a misunderstanding between the two countries upon a point
which the American people have cause to regard as seriously
affecting their national honor and dignity.
Praying your lordship to accept the assurances of my highest
consideration, I have the honor to be, my lord, your lordship’s most
obedient servant,
Right Hon. Earl Russell,
&c., &c., &c.
