Mr. Harvey to Mr. Seward.
Sir: I transmit herewith translations of various correspondence between the authorities of the island of Madeira, the commander of the rebel cruiser Florida, and the United States vice-consul, in reference to the supplies which, in my opinion, were improperly furnished to the Florida at Funchal in February last.
The existence of this correspondence came to my knowledge quite accidentally, as it was never referred to by either the commander of the United States steamer St. Louis or by the acting consul. Upon being made aware of the fact, I immediately called for the papers, which the vice-consul communicated by the last packet, as they appeared in the official journal of the island, O’Districto do Funchal, of the 5th of March.
It appears from this correspondence, that while the governor of the island fully and fairly comprehended his duties at the outset of the affair, he allowed himself subsequently to be persuaded to sanction proceedings for which there was no proper justification, according to his original showing. The Florida entered the bay of Funchal, and had probably made her voyage, without steam. She was not disabled or damaged, and therefore had no claim to ask coal, upon the basis of the privilege of “force majeure” reserved by the royal proclamation of July 29, 1861. No investigation was made, or sought to be instituted by the authorities of the island, either of their own accord or at the instance of our naval commander or vice-consul, as should have been required, to ascertain whether the claim put forward for supplies was well founded or false. I have reason to suppose that it was a fraudulent pretence, and that the cruiser had a stock of coal in her bunkers at that very time. Moreover, no precautions were taken to prevent a larger supply from being furnished than was prescribed by the governor’s order, and the belief is general now that it was much exceeded.
[Page 307]In view of all the facts of the case, I have not been able to concur with the strong and unnecessary expression of thanks which the commander of the St. Louis “requested” the United States vice-consul to convey to the governor, and by which his conduct throughout is not only commended, but which estops any effective representation from being made here.
When his Majesty’s government recently issued unusual and stringent orders to all the authorities of the mid-ocean islands, and sent their best steam vessel-of-war to assist if necessary in enforcing their execution, a great step was taken in the right direction to prevent the depredations to which our commerce has been heretofore exposed. And when the Florida presented herself, soon afterwards, at Madeira, there was an excellent opportunity to settle, once for all, the pretended right of entry and supplies claimed by such piratical cruisers. It should have been decided in our favor, and I regret that the opportunity was not improved by positive and unhesitating action. Much work will now have to be done over again, for if our naval commander publicly and officially thanks a governor for conduct which we are obliged to condemn, he thereby recognizes a precedent that it will be found difficult to combat hereafter. This whole proceeding of offering “thanks” was gratuitous, and hardly in the line of professional duty.
The first intelligence in regard to the correspondence now communicated reached me when the St. Louis was here in port. Consequently I addressed a note to her commander, making the necessary inquiries, and asking for an investigation on board the St. Louis, which, for reasons satisfactory to himself, he did not see fit to direct, but which I believed then, and still believe, would have resulted in fuller information on this subject than has yet been obtained. My note and his reply are transmitted without comment, though I am compelled to observe a discrepancy between the language of the vice-consul in his letter to the governor, dated the 29th of February, when professedly speaking in the name of the commander, and of that of the commander, speaking for himself, in his answer to me.
I have the honor to be, sir, your obedient servant,
Hon. William H. Seward, Secretary of State.