Charles Francis Adams, Esq., &c., &c., &c.
Mr. Hunter to Mr. Tassara
Department of State,
Washington,
May 22, 1865.
The undersigned, Acting Secretary of State of the United States, has
received the note of Mr. Tassara, envoy extraordinary and minister
plenipotentiary of her Catholic Majesty, of the 18th instant, with
reference to the insurgent ram Stonewall, which, pursuant to the
latest intelligence, was harbored at Havana, in the island of
Cuba.
While making due allowance for the consideration of the rapidity with
which important events have succeeded each other, as Mr. Tassara has
so judicially remarked, adverse to the parties in whose behalf the
Stonewall has gone forth to ravage the commerce of the United
States, nevertheless, the undersigned cannot refrain from expressing
regret that her Catholic Majesty’s government, after having, as is
believed, so long ago as the 18th of April last, been made
acquainted with the views of the government of the United States
with reference to the shelter, repairs, and supplies which were
furnished to that vessel at Ferrol, should not have appreciated the
sensibility of this government enough to have taken measures towards
thwarting her, at least, in seeking similar hospitality in other
Spanish ports. If, as is believed, her Catholic Majesty’s government
was well informed of the course of events in this quarter, that
information would, even while the Stonewall was at Ferrol, have not
only justified, but, in the opinion of the undersigned, might have
incited that government to give signal proof of the sincerity of its
regard to the United States by requiring its authorities in other
quarters to refuse to receive or to entertain that vessel. Contrary,
however, to this just expectation, the Stonewall subsequently
proceeded to Teneriffe, where also she was hospitably received, and
afterwards went to Havana, her last known place of refuge.
Under these circumstances, and in view of the fact that the persons
calling themselves president, vice-president, and president of the
senate of the so-called Confederate States are now held as prisoners
by this government, and that thereby, in connexion with other recent
well-known occurrences, all pretence of belligerent rights has been
swept away from the authority which they claim to represent, the
undersigned is directed to announce to her Catholic Majesty’s
government, as well as to all other parties concerned, that if,
after this communication may be delivered and shall have reached the
government of Spain, or of any of her dependencies, the Stonewall,
or any other war vessel flaunting the flag of the insurgents in this
country, shall be received or allowed to remain in Spanish ports or
waters with the knowledge or consent of the authorities of those
ports, henceforth no naval vessel of Spain will be received in a
port of the United States, and this government will deem itself
warranted in taking all the measures which the peace and safety of
the United States demand, by ordering the destruction of the
insurgent vessels aforesaid, as the nature of the occasion and its
exigencies might require.
Always desiring to preserve peace with Spain, this government cannot
but foresee that the toleration extended and conferred towards
pirates may result in deplorable differences and collisions.
Mr. Tassara, however, as well as her Catholic Majesty’s government,
are requested to understand that the determination of this
government now herein announced does not imply or import any
hostility, or even any unfriendliness, towards Spain. On the
contrary, the course which it is thus announced will hereafter be
adopted and pursued in relation to Spain, will also be adopted in
regard to any maritime power that, under the circumstances
indicated, shall at any time hereafter afford shelter, harbor, or
protection to piratical vessels engaged in destroying the commerce
of the United States.
The undersigned avails himself of this occasion to offer to Mr.
Tassara a renewed assurance of his very high consideration.
Señor Don Gabriel y Garcia Tassara,
&c., &c., &c.
