Mr. Fogg to Mr. Seward
Sir: Your despatch, dated July 28, No. 54, in response to mine of July 13 indorsing my correspondence with the federal council in reply to the demand of the authorities of the canton of St. Gall that one John Zweifel, alleged to be a naturalized pauper citizen of the United States, be supported in St. Gall or transported to New York, by the authorities of the United States, has been received, and I thank you for the approval you have been pleased to accord to the views contained in my share of that correspondence. Although you did not expressly authorize me to do so, I deemed the importance of the question a sufficient warrant for transmitting a copy of your despatch to the federal council. And this, indeed, courtesy seemed to require, inasmuch as in my last note, a copy of which I enclosed to you, I informed the federal council that I should send the entire correspondence to the State Department and await your instructions.
The entire question is so plainly and exhaustively treated by you that I do not anticipate a response; much less a renewal of the pending or of a similar demand. Indeed, 1 apprehend the question was never seriously considered in connexion with the treaty by the federal council, but that they found it convenient to forward the demand of the authorities of St. Gall, without troubling themselves to consider carefully the soundness of the principle involved.
Should, however, contrary to my expectation, any response be made requiring to be noticed, I shall lose no time in forwarding the same to the department.
With the highest respect, your obedient servant,
Hon. William H. Seward, Secretary of State of the United States of America.