Mr. Seward to Mr. Dayton
Sir: Your despatch of the 15th of July, No. 512, has been received, and its contents have been communicated to the Secretary of the Navy. The weight of information which has been received here favors a belief that the insurgent agents in Europe have become convinced of their failure to build or buy and set up in Europe a navy to break our blockade and revolutionize this government. A few weeks, if not days, will verify this conclusion, if it is correct, and in the mean time our forces now in European waters will, if properly displayed, save us from any unlooked for naval accident there.
I am, sir, your obedient servant,
William L. Dayton, Esq., &c., &c., &c.