Mr. Perry to Mr. Seward

No. 167.]

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,

HORATIO J. PERRY.

Hon. William H. Seward, &c.,&c.,Washington.

No. 1.

[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.

FERNANDEZ.

Sent out at 12h. 40m. p. m., of February 14,

[Page 493]

No. 2.

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.

CRAVEN, Niagara.

Sent out at1h. 20m. p. m., of the 14th February.

No. 3.

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.

PERRY.

No. 4.

The American Minister, Lisbon:

The new-comer is a blockade-runner with men, ammunition, and supplies for the Stonewall.

PERRY.

No. 5.

[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.

PERRY.

No. 6.

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.

PERRY.

No. 7.

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.

PERRY.

No. 8.

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.

FERNANDEZ.
[Page 494]
[Enclosure B.—Despatch No. 167, of February 15.]

Mr. Perry to Mr. Benavides.

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]

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,

HORATIO J. PERRY,

Hon. William H. Seward, Secretary of State.