Mr. Seward to Mr. Bigelow.
Sir:* * * * * * With the decline of the civil war in the United States the press, as well at home as abroad, finds its news materially abridged. Hence we have incidents, in themselves unimportant, magnified into indications of solemn state purposes, and loosely drawn and conjectured speculations of forthcoming grave events. The affair at Cherbourg belongs to this class of subjects. This government has taken no thought of it, and has not been disposed to invest it with any the least amount of interest, and of course has no wounded sensibility about it. The government of Great Britain still maintains its twenty-four-hour rule in regard to our ships-of-war in British ports, and we have expressed our opinion and announced our course in relation to that discourtesy. France has not announced that she intends to maintain that rule, but has left us to infer the contrary, although British agents represent that her course is identical with that of Great Britain. We have taken no notice of those statements. We intend neither to seek for controversies nor to give voluntary offence to maritime powers, and we therefore are not looking about us for affronts or indications of disrespect.
I am, sir, your obedient servant,
John Bigelow, Esq, &c., &c., &c.