Mr. Perry to Mr.
Seward
No. 167.]
Legation of the United States,
Madrid,
February 15, 1865.
Sir: I have the honor to enclose two telegrams,
received from Consular Agent Fernandez at Ferrol, and Captain Craven,
aboard the Niagara, at Corunna, received at 2 o’clock yesterday.
They inform me of the appearance of a consort of the Stonewall at
Ferrol—a steamer under the English flag, with men, ammunition, and other
supplies destined for the iron-clad.
I enclose, also, a copy of the note I immediately addressed to Mr.
Benavides, and sent it with orders to deliver only into his hands, or
those of the assistant secretary.
I then sought Mr. Benavides personally, and found him in the Cortes. We
had a short conference in one of the committee-rooms, and the minister
started immediately for his department to have the orders I solicited
sent off to Ferrol without delay. This was done promptly and resolutely
before my note had yet reached Mr. Benavides, who found it afterwards at
his. department.
I had also seen the assistant secretary of state and Sir John Crampton,
to whom I showed the telegrams, and said I should expect his support, if
any were necessary, to prevent the operations attempted by this English
steamer. No such aid, however, was required.
At night I sent off the telegrams Nos. 6 and 7 to Mr. Fernandez and
Captain Craven, and this morning received from Mr. Fernandez telegram
No. 8, which informs me that the Niagara had moved over to Ferrol and
laid herself alongside the Stonewall; that the latter would be complete
in the work permitted her to-day; that my telegram had been received,
and that it was all right.
I also sent again to Mr. Harvey the enclosed telegrams, urging the
Sacramento to get off for Corunna, and one to Mr. Bigelow, informing him
of this new feature in the situation of things at Ferrol.
With the highest respect, sir, your obedient servant,
Hon. William H. Seward, &c.,&c.,Washington.
No. 1.
[Enclosure A, despatch No. 167,
February
18.]
[Telegram.—Translation.]
Ferrol, 14th February, 11h. 35m. a. m.—Received Madrid, 14th
February, 12b. 34m. p. m.
To the Chargé d’Affaires of the United
States:
Stonewall will be ready to-day. English steamer came in called Louisa
Anna Fanny. Very suspicious; we watch her.
Sent out at 12h. 40m. p. m., of February 14,
[Page 493]
No. 2.
[Telegram.—Corunna, February
14.]
Perry, American Chargé d’Affaires:
I have this moment information of the arrival at Ferrol of an English
blockade runner, named Louisa Anna Fanny, with men, ammunition, and
other supplies for the Stonewall.
Sent out at1h. 20m. p. m., of the 14th February.
No. 3.
[Telegram.—Madrid, February 14—1
o’clock p. m.]
To American Minister at Lisbon;
For God’s sake get the Sacramento off immediately. The Stonewall will
be ready to sail tomorrow. A second steamer under English flag has
just entered Ferrol. Very suspicious. Supposed consort of the
Stonewall. The Niagara watches both.
No. 4.
[Telegram.—Madrid, February 14—3
o’clock p. m.]
The American Minister, Lisbon:
The new-comer is a blockade-runner with men, ammunition, and supplies
for the Stonewall.
No. 5.
[Telegram.—Madrid, February 14—3
1/2 o’clock p. m,]
[Official service.]
To the Chargé d’Affaires of the United States,
Paris:
A blockade-runner steamer under English flag has entered Ferrol with
men, ammunition, and supplies for the Stonewall. This ship will be
ready to sail to-day. The Niagara is vigilant. The Sacramento is
still at Lisbon, in spite of all my efforts.
No. 6.
[Telegram.—Translation.—Madrid,
February
14—night.]
To the Consular Agent of the United States,
Ferrol:
Orders have been given not to permit the transshipment of men,
ammunition, and supplies from the Louisa Anna Fanny to the
Stonewall, and that the latter should not better her condition in
these things whilst she is in Spanish waters. Watch over their
execution.
No. 7.
[Telegram.—Madrid, February
14—night.]
Captain Craven, on board Niagara, Corunna:
Peremptory orders have been sent to prevent the Stonewall from taking
any men, ammunition, or supplies from the Louisa Anna Fanny, or from
any other quarter, while in Spanish jurisdiction.
No. 8.
[Telegram.—Translation.—Ferrol,
February
15—9 o’clock a. m.]
To the Chargé d’Affaires of the United States,
Madrid:
The Niagara is in this port. The Stonewall, it is now said, will be
ready to-day in her works, I received your telegram; am advised all
right.
[Page 494]
[Enclosure B.—Despatch No. 167, of February 15.]
Mr. Perry to Mr. Benavides.
Legation of the United States at
Madrid,
February 14, 1865—21/2 o’clock p.
m.
Sir: I am this moment informed of the
arrival at Ferrol of an English steamer with men, ammunition, and
other supplies for the Stonewall.
Your excellency will see the impossibility of permitting these men,
ammunition, and supplies to be put on board the Stonewall in the
jurisdictional waters of Spain without the gravest breach of that
neutrality proclaimed in the first article of the royal decree of
June 17, 1861.
Your excellency will perceive that this is a new question, entirely
distinct and apart from the question of repairs, in which I regret
that I have not been able to agree with your excellency, and have
thought it necessary to reserve the rights of my government. But I
am confident that in this new question there can be no disagreement
between your excellency’s manner of interpreting the neutral
obligations of her Majesty’s government under the royal decree and
my own, and I beg that orders may be promptly sent to the proper
authorities at Ferrol, to prevent the transshipment of men and
warlike stores from the recently arrived steamer to the Stonewall;
and if this has already been effected in whole or in part, to compel
these things to be returned to the state in which they were before
these two ships met.
I have the honor to enclose a copy of the first and third articles of
the royal decree of June 17, 1861, and take advantage of the
occasion to renew to your excellency the assurance of my most
distinguished consideration.
HORATIO J. PERRY.
To his Excellency the Minister of State of H. C.
M.
[Translation, royal decree of 17th June, 1861.]
Article 1. It is prohibited in all the
ports of the monarchy to fit out, provision, or equip any privateer
vessel, whatever may be the flag she wears.
Article 3. It is prohibited to the
vessels-of-war or privateers with prize to enter or remain for more
than twenty-four hours in the ports of the monarchy unless it be in
case that they cannot keep the seas. Whenever this case occurs the
authorities will watch the vessel and oblige her to get to sea as
soon as possible, without permitting her to supply herself with more
than what is necessary for the moment, but in no case with arms nor
munitions of war.
[Untitled]
Legation of the United States of
America, Madrid,
February 19, 1865.
Dear Sir: The failure of this government to
perform what they had agreed personally with me to do in the matter
of repairs to the Stonewall was brought about, as stated, by the
fear of the O’Donnell opposition, and the counsel of the
representatives of France and England. Mr. Mercier said to me that,
in his opinion, his own government had gone too far in the case of
the Rappahannock. But I feel called upon to say, in addition, that
this government would not have failed me, notwithstanding these
motives, if it bad not been for another circumstance.
You cannot get it out of the beads of these European governments that
ah ambassador or a minister is an officer with whom they must guard
much more consideration than with a secretary of legation,
accidentally chargé d’affaires.
In all cases of persuasion merely an officer of the lower grade will
do; but whenever it comes at all to an appreciation not merely of
the weight of the arguments adduced, but also to the weight of the
authority at the back of the person who uses them, the secretary of
legation is at an immense disadvantage. This consideration has been
the turning point in the present case. I am informed, in a manner
which leaves no room for doubt, that when the state department was
pressed to fall back from the decision of no repairs, as already
stated, and the difficulty arose that this decision had already been
announced to me, it was answered by the reflection that Perry was
only a secretary of legation acting ad
interim, and that they would immediately send all the
papers
[Page 495]
to Mr. Tassata, who
would arrange it with Mr. Seward, and get my action disapproved.
In short, they were not bound nor could they be expected to pay the
same attention to a chargé acting ad interim
as to a minister regularly accredited, and who must be taken to
speak with the whole authority of his government. And this argument
turned the scale, and the course referred to was adopted.
Faithfully, your obedient servant,
Hon. William H. Seward, Secretary of State.
