Mr. Dayton to Mr. Seward
Sir: I have the honor to acknowledge the receipt of your despatch No. 425; and so likewise your despatch enclosing me a copy of the communication from the government of France to that of the United States, on the subject of equipping, victualling, or receiving Russian privateers into our ports, was duly received; but, as you will already have learned by my despatches, which you have doubtless received since yours was written, it was unnecessary. Having found copies of that despatch from the French government in the British parliamentary papers, as well as in the 6th edition of Wheaton’s International Law, I had fully anticipated your wishes, by communicating the same to Mr. Drouyn de l’Huys, accompanied by a communication, dated November 6, anticipating all the suggestions made by you.
A copy of this communication to Mr. Drouyn de l’Huys I enclosed to you in my despatch No. 372,* to which I beg to refer you. I have only to add that no answer has been received to my communication from Mr. Drouyn de l’Huys. It is proper to say, however, that I believe he has been much engaged recently upon pending European questions, and at present he is not in Paris, but with the Emperor at Compiegne, where he will yet remain for some days.
The Emperor’s speech at the opening of the Corps Legislatif, and his subsequent letter to the different governments of Europe, inviting them to a congress at Paris, continue to attract much attention. Questions connected with this subject, I am inclined to think, occupy principally the attention of the cabinet here.
I am anxious to see Mr. Drouyn de l’Huys upon a number of pending questions, but there is no chance of doing so until his return.
I am, sir, your obedient servant,
Hon. William H. Seward, Secretary of State, &c., &c., &c.
- [38th Congress, 1st session, House Ex. Doc. No. 1, page 803.]↩