Mr. Burnley to Mr. Seward
Sir: On the 19th instant you did me the honor to forward to me certain intercepted correspondence from persons hostile to the United States residing in Canada, and which I communicated without delay to his excellency the governor general of Canada.
His excellency now requests me to state to you that it appears both to himself and to the legal advisers of the Crown in Canada that this correspondence might be made the ground of an indictment against the persons implicated in it if the clue afforded in some of the letters to their identification could be followed
Whatever information can be procured on the subject will be gladly received by the governor general, who will lose no time in putting in operation the necessary means for the detention and punishment of persons who have been plotting on Canadian soil against the neutrality of her Majesty’s dominions should it be found possible to reach them by legal process.
I have the honor to be, with the highest consideration, sir, your most obedient, humble servant,
Hon. William H. Seward, &c., &c., &c.