Mr. Seward to Mr. Fogg.
Sir:Your despatch of the 2d of July, No. 62, has been received. The explanations which you gave to the President of our reasons for declining to make a [Page 388] formal stipulation that our consuls in American States should extend their functions so as to afford protection to citizens of Switzerland were so judicious, that I should not have been dissatisfied if you had placed the responsibility for them on this department. We shall in no proper case decline to give special authority to a consul, or even a diplomatic agent, to render any service to the government of Switzerland that shall be compatible with our obligations to foreign States, under the law of nations. It would, however, be quite a different thing to enter just now into a formal arrangement pledging ourselves to the general exercise of such a comity. Nations not friendly to the United States, although at peace with them, might seize such a circumstance and turn it into a precedent for similar assumptions, which we might find it necessary to disallow. It must be remembered that the European maritime powers appear to have lifted up the insurgents of our country to the condition of lawful belligerents. Most of the lesser states range themselves with these maritime powers in this new and injurious attitude towards the United States. Under these circumstances, many consuls whose functions, legitimately exercised, would tend to the promotion of legitimate foreign commerce, are now practically employed as agents in furthering illegitimate and contraband trade with our domestic enemies. It would be very unwise on our part to do anything which might even indirectly result in increasing. these embarrassments.
I am, sir, your obedient servant,
George G. Fogg, Esq., &c., &c., &c.