Papers Relating to Foreign Affairs, Accompanying the Annual Message of the President to the First Session Thirty-ninth Congress, Part I
Mr. Seward to Mr. Adams
Sir: I transmit herewith for your information a copy of a despatch of the 30th of September last, No. 26, and of its enclosures, received by this department from the United States commercial agent at Antigua, relative to the proceedings of the British government in regard to the Shenandoah.
I am, sir, your obedient servant,
Charles Francis Adams, Esq., &c.,&c.,&c.
Mr. Galody to Mr. Seward.
Sir: I beg to enclose for your information a copy of a letter of the 16th of August, from the British foreign to the colonial office, London, suggesting that the Shenandoah ought to be stopped. I also enclose a circular dated September 7, 1865, from Mr. Cardwell to the governor of this island, ordering her detention in case of her arrival, and to enforce obedience by force if necessary. The letters referred to in both documents I had the honor to transmit to you with my despatch No. 20, of August 3.
I have the honor to be, sir, your most obedient servant,
Hon. William H. Seward, Secretary of State, Washington, D. C.
Letter of Mr. James Murray, undersecretary of British foreign office, to the undersecretary of state of the colonial office, London.
Sir: I am directed by Earl Russell to state to you, for the information of Mr. Secretary Cardwell, that reports have reached her Majesty’s government, from Washington, that the Shenandoah has continued her depredations, although informed that General Lee has surrendered, [Page 657] and the war was virtually over. In these circumstances Lord Russell wishes to suggest to Mr. Cardwell whether it would not be right to refuse the Shenandoah the facilities for disarming, notified in my letter of June 2, which were not strictly conformable to international law, but considered due to the honor and good faith of her Majesty’s government. In such case, if Mr. Cardwell concurs, it will be proper to direct the governors of our Australian colonies, the Cape of Good Hope, &c., to detain the Shenandoah in any British port, in order to await the result of any claim or demand which may be made in due course of law.
I am, &c.,
The Under-Secretary of State, Colonial Office.
Circular from British colonial office to all colonial authorities,
Sir: With reference to my circular instructions of the 3d of June last, accompanied by a letter from the foreign office dated the 2d of June, relative to the treatment of confederate cruisers, I have the honor to transmit to you a further letter from the foreign office.
It is the desire of her Majesty’s government that the Shenandoah should be detained in any British port she may enter. If she should arrive in a port of your colony, you will notify to her commander that it is incumbent on him to deliver up the vessel and her armament to the colonial authorities, in order to be dealt with as may be ordered by her Majesty’s government. You will detain the vessel by force if necessary, supposing that you have on the spot a sufficient force to command obedience; and, at all events, you will prohibit any supplies of any description to the vessel, so as to give her no facilities whatever for going to sea. You will of course convey to the commander of the Shenandoah the letter sent to you for that purpose in my circular despatch of the 12th of July.
I have, &c.,
Governor Hill, C. B., &c., Antigua.
[Papers above referred to.]
Mr. Bullock to the Commander of the Shenandoah
Sir: On the 9th day of April last General Lee was forced to evacuate the lines of Petersburg and Richmond, after three days of continuous and sanguinary battle, and on the 14th of the same month, being surrounded by overwhelming numbers, he surrendered the remnant of his army to General Grant, only, however, when its last ration had been consumed, and its military supplies were entirely exhausted. This event has been followed consecutively by the surrender of Generals Johnston and Taylor, commanding all the Confederate States troops east of the Mississippi, and of General Kirby Smith, the commander-in-chief of the trans-Mississippi department.
President Davis, Vice President Stephens, and several members of the confederate cabinet, have been arrested, and are now held as close prisoners by the United States government. President Johnson has formally declared the war to be at an end, and has removed all restrictions on foreign commerce by reopening the southern ports to general trade. Furthermore, the European powers have withdrawn the recognition of belligerent rights accorded by them to the Confederate States in 1861, and have forbidden the entry of vessels bearing tne Confederate States flag into their ports for any purpose of repair or supply.
I have discussed the above circumstances folly with the Hon. James M. Mason, the diplomatic representative of the Confederate States in England, and, in accordance with his opinion and advice, I hereby direct you to desist from any further destruction of United States property upon the high seas, and from all offensive operations against the citizens of that country. Ignorance of the present condition of the Shenandoah, and of the point at which this letter may reach you, renders it impossible to give specific instructions in regard to the disposal of the ship; but you can refer to à letter in your possession, dated October, 1864, for [Page 658] advice on that point. Your first duty will be to take care of the personnel of your command, and to pay off and discharge the crew, with due regard to their safety and the facilities for returning to their respective homes.
The orders issued by the maritime powers with regard to the treatment of Confederate States ships hereafter, indicate that you will be allowed to enter any port for the bona fide purpose of disarming and dismantling the Shenandoah, and that, under such circumstances, you would enjoy the protection of the laws—so far, at least, as the individual safety of yourself and the officers and men of your command are concerned.
If you have sufficient money to pay off your crew in full, direct the paymaster to take receipts from each man, which shall expressly waive all further claim against yourself, or any representative of the Confederate States, or other emolument. If you have not money enough to pay off in full, and cannot negotiate a bill on England, pay to the extent of your funds, and give each man an order on yourself, payable at Liverpool, for the balance due to him, and come here to settle your accounts.
The terms of a proclamation lately issued by the President of the United States are such as to exclude most of the officers of your command from the privilege of returning at once to their original homes, and I would advise all of you to come to Europe, or to await elsewhere the further development of events in the United States, before venturing to go to any part of that country, or the Confederate States.
Circumstances you will readily understand, and the force of which you will appreciate, compel me to be brief and general in these instructions, and you will therefore exercise your discretion in arranging all details.
I shall remain in Liverpool for an indefinite time, and you can communicate with me at my usual address.
I am, &c., &c., &c.,
Lieut. Com’g James J. Waddell, Confederate States Ship Shenandoah,
[274.]
Mr. Mason to Earl Russell
MY Lord: It being considered important and right in the present condition of the Confederate States of America to arrest further proceedings at sea in the war against the United States, those having authority to do so in Europe desire as speedily as practicable to communicate with the Shenandoah, the only remaining confederate ship in commission, in order to terminate her cruise.
Having no means of doing this in the distant seas where that ship is presumed now to be, I venture to inquire of your lordship whether it will be agreeable to the government of her Majesty to allow this to be done through the British consuls at ports where the ship may be expected.
I have the honor to enclose herewith a copy of the order it is proposed to transmit, and will be obliged if your lordship will cause me to be informed whether, upon sending such orders unsealed to the foreign office, they can be sent through the proper channels to the consuls or other representatives of her Majesty at the points indicated, to be by them transmitted, when opportunity admits, to the officer in command of the Shenandoah. These points are Nagasaki in Japan, Shanghai, and the Sandwich islands.
I trust that your lordship will, from the exigency of the occasion, pardon the liberty I have ventured to take, and will oblige me by having the enclosed copy returned to me.
I am, &c.,
Earl Russell, K. G., &c.,&c.
Mr. Hammond to Mr. Mason
Sir: I am directed by Earl Russell to acknowledge the receipt of your letter of the 20th instant, enclosing a copy of a letter which you are desirous of having forwarded to the commander of the Shenandoah through her Majesty’s representatives and consuls at the Sandwich islands, Nagasaki and Shanghai; and I am to state to you in reply, that his lordship [Page 659] has no objection to sending this letter to the places mentioned, and also to her Majesty’s colonial and naval authorities, it being always distinctly understood that the Shenandoah will be dealt with in the courts if claimed, according to law.
I am, &c.,
J. M. Mason, Esq.
Mr. Cardwell’s circular to all British colonial authorities
Sir: I have the honor to transmit to you a copy of a letter to the commander of the cruiser Shenandoah. I also enclose a copy of a letter in which Mr. Mason requested Earl Russell’s permission to forward the above-mentioned communication to the care of the British authorities at any place where the Shenandoah was likely to call, together with the copy of the answer returned to Mr. Mason by Earl Russell’s direction.
If the Shenandoah should happen to appear within the limits of your government, you will communicate to her commander a copy of the enclosed papers. A spare copy is sent to you for the purpose.
I have the honor &c.,
To Governor.————