Hon. William H. Seward,
Secretary of State, Washington, D. C.
[Enclosures.]
1. Mr. Adams to Lord Russell, March 7, 1865.
2. Lord Russell to Mr. Adams, March 10, 1865.
[Page 249]
Mr. Adams to Earl Russell
Legation of the United
States,
London,
March 7,
1865.
My Lord: I am pained to be obliged once
more to call your attention to the proceedings of the vessel
called the steamer Laurel.
This is the vessel concerning which I had the honor to make a
representation, in a note dated the 10th November last, which
appears to have proved, in substance, correct.
Her departure from Liverpool on the 9th October, laden with men
and arms destined to be placed on board of the steamer Sea King,
her meeting with that vessel at Porto Santo, in the Madeira
islands, her subsequent transfer of her freight to that steamer,
which thereupon assumed the name of the Shenandoah, and
proceeded to capture and destroy vessels belonging to the people
of the United States are all facts now established by
incontestable evidence.
It now appears that this steamer Laurel, having accomplished her
object under British colors, instead of immediately returning to
this kingdom, made her way through the blockade to the port of
Charleston, where she changed her register and her name, and
assumed to be a so-called confederate vessel. In this shape she
next made her appearance at the port of Nassau as the
Confederate States. From that place she cleared, not long since,
to go via Madeira to the same port of
Liverpool from whence she had originally started.
It further appears that, notwithstanding the assumption of this
new character, this vessel carried out from Nassau a ship mail,
made up at the post office of that port, and transported the
same to Liverpool. I have the honor to transmit a copy of a
letter from the postmaster of that place establishing that
fact.
Under these circumstances, I have the honor to inform your
lordship that I am instructed by my government to remonstrate
against the receipt and clearance with mails of this vessel from
Nassau, and to request that such measures may be adopted in
regard to her as may prevent her from thus abusing the
neutrality of her Majesty’s territory, for the purpose of
facilitating the operations of the enemies of the United
States.
I pray your lordship to accept the assurances of the highest
consideration with which I have the honor to be, my lord, your
lordship’s most obedient servant,
Right Hon. Earl Russell,&c., &c., &c.
Lord Russell to Mr. Adams
Foreign
Office,
March 10,
1865.
Sir: I have the honor to acknowledge
the receipt of your letter of the 7th instant, in which with
reference to the case of the steamer Confederate States, late
Laurel, you inform me that you are instructed to remonstrate
against the receipt and clearance with mails of that vessel from
Nassau, and to request that such measures may be adopted in
regard to her as may prevent her from thus abusing the
neutrality of her Majesty’s territory, for the purpose of
facilitating the operations of the enemies of the United
States.
I have the honor to state to you, in reply, that the arrival of
that vessel at Nassau, and her departure for Liverpool via Madeira, had already been reported to
her Majesty’s government by the governor of the Bahamas, who
stated that, in consequence of a suspicion entertained at Nassau
that she was about to proceed to Green Cay for the purpose of
taking in the guns and stores supposed to have been left there
for the Mary, he had arranged with the captain of her Majesty’s
ship Fawn, which had just arrived from Jamaica, that that vessel
should proceed by the earliest tide, and as soon as she was
coaled, in pursuit of the confederate States. Before, however,
the Fawn could be despatched, it was ascertained, by inquiry at
the signal station, that the Confederate States had not taken
the channel leading to Green Cay, and the receiver general was
informed by the United States consul that her destination was a
small bay on the southern coast of Long Island.
Considering this uncertainty as to her destination, the distance
of Long Island, the time lost in starting, the difference of
speed between the two vessels, and the inconvenience of
detaching the Fawn from the service upon which she was specially
engaged, although Captain Talbot and General Ashmon, who were on
board of the Fawn, were ready to submit to this, if it had been
necessary, the government agreed with Captain Talbot that it was
useless for him to go in pursuit. And the governor adds, that it
has since been stated that the destination of the Confederate
States was really England.
I have merely to add that the matter in regard to this vessel to
which you have now called my attention shall be inquired
into.
I have the honor to be, sir, your most obedient, humble
servant,
Charles Francis Adams; Esq.,&c., &c., &c.
