Papers Relating to Foreign Affairs, Accompanying the Annual Message of the President to the First Session Thirty-ninth Congress
Mr. Perry to Mr. Seward
Sir: I have the honor to enclose copies of an interesting correspondence with Commodore Craven, which will afford you a better idea of the situation of things at Ferrol than any I could give otherwise.
My telegram of this morning refers of course to the gallant commodore’s temptation, as related in his letter.
The consular telegram from Ferrol, and the commodore’s from Corunna, bring the accounts down to the date of —My telegram just forwarded to you through our consul at Queenstown, to be put aboard the Cunard steamer of to-day from that port.
A copy goes enclosed; and 1 have the honor to remain, with the highest respect, sir, your obedient servant,
Hon. William H. Seward, Secretary of State, Washington.
[A No. 1, enclosed with despatch No. 170.]
Dear Sir: The press of business in this legation has prevented me from addressing you in Writing till to-dày. Yon will have received various telegrams, however, and I have to ac knowledge receipt of several from you.
It is proper to-day for me to give you some information of what has been done in the matter of the steam ram Stonewall now under your supervision at Ferrol; and as there is certainly a moment of quiet, if not a definitive legal detention of that ship, I hasten to trace briefly the history of the case and its present condition. I was informed on the evening of the 3d instant of the arrival of the rebel ship at Corunna.
Before daylight on the 4th telegrams were sent to London, Paris, Ferrol, Corunna, Lisbon, Cadiz, and Gibraltar—one of which, I suppose, was the means of your getting notice, and another sent off the Sacramento from Cadiz.
On the 4th I saw the Spanish minister, and claimed that no repairs should be allowed to the corsair; a formal note was also addressed to the Spanish government to the same effect. The consuls had been ordered to protest before the local authorities at Corunna and Ferrol, and this delayed the repairs till the resolution of this government should be taken.
After this first action you will find the history of the case in press copy of my despatch No. 164 of February 8, addressed to Mr. Seward at Washington.
That situation continued until the evening of the 9th, when the Spanish government, under the influence of the counsel they had taken from the representatives of France and England, and in fear of the very powerful opposition of the O’Donnellite party in the chambers, which party had published the royal decree of June 17, 1861, and made a precedent under it in the case of the Sumter at Cadiz in June, 1862, fell back from their verbal arrangement with me not to allow any repairs, and ordered such repairs to be made as were indispensable for the security of the crew of the Stonewall at sea, and that ship to be then ordered to immediately leave the port.
My despatches Nos. 165 and 166 to Mr. Seward would give you the details of all this, but the only unregistered copies I bare are now in the hands of Mr. Bigelow at Paris for his information.
I enclose, however, a copy of my protest delivered to the Spanish government on the evening of the 9th, which again had the effect to bring them up, and limited the repairs which they had decided to permit to so insigniticant an amount in point of fact, compared with what the ram really needed to be done, that I trust what was done will prove to be useless.
I send also copy of the official letter I wrote on the 8th instant to Mr. Bigelow, at Paris, in order to strengthen his hands with Mr. Drouyn de Lhuys, and see if that government would not aid us to stop the Stonewall.
Meantime all this had had the effect to gain time, and the Stonewall was not able to commence her limited repairs till after your welcome arrival at Corunna.
I had been greatly chagrined and disappointed at the failure of the Sacramento to appear [Page 510] when she was needed, but your own most opportune arrival secured in fact the practical success of this little diplomatic campaign, and effectually stopped the career oí the most formidable pirate the rebels have been able to hoist their flag over outside their own military lines.
It will be interesting to you, however, to know the subsequent course of events here and in Paris.
The enclosed letter from Mr. Bigelow of even date with mine to him will show how little dependence can be placed on that government to do any thing in our favor until they are obliged to.
My despatch No. 168, of 20th instant, will tell you the rest of the story, and show the precise situation of the Stonewall at present in a legal and diplomatic point of view. You will know her condition in point of material impediments to her departure much better than I, and I beg you to let me have your opinion as to her capability of going to sea in her present condition, and whether the means at your command are sufficient to control her. You will, of course, know what to do about the 24 hours rule without any advice from me. I have only to say that if that rule should be infringed, I will undertake to fight out the diplomatic battle which would ensue in such a way that the service of the United States shall not be prejudiced.
You will notice in my No. 164 to Mr. Seward that I have been officially informed by the Spanish government that Spain has not power enough at Ferrol to detain the iron-clad if she chooses to go, What right has Spain, then, to pretend to detain you for 24 hours after the departure of the Stonewall, if she has not, according to her own confession, power enough to detain the Stonewall for 24 hours after the departure of your wooden ships? If she cannot give you the security that your poor little wooden ships will not be followed and devoured by this iron monster as soon as you leave port, how can she pretend that the monster shall not be followed by you in case you should take a fancy to bite his heels even at the risk of your own total destruction? This is a point loose in the network of their diplomacy which I do not propose to mention till it is needed, but which you have a right to know for your own use in the way which may seem most proper to yourself.
I have to say also that the government at Washington must have received my telegram, copy of which goes enclosed on or before the 15th instant. I have advice from our consul at Queenstown that it arrived in time to be put aboard the Asia same day, and that he had ordered it to be telegraphed on from Halifax by the consul at that port. It is very probable, therefore, that you may see your squadron promptly re-enforced by ships sent out from America.
Pray do me the favor to return the press copies of documents which accompany this after perusal.
I am, sir, with great respect, your obedient servant,
Commodore Thos. T. Craven, Aboard Flag-ship Niagara, at Corunna,
A No. 2.
Dear Sir: I had the honor of receiving yesterday your despatch of the 23d instant, with accompanying copies of your several despatches to our Secretary of State at Washington and to our charge d’affaires at Paris, giving full and very interesting information of what has been done in the matter of the pirate ram Stonewall. You ask my opinion as to her capability of going to sea in her present condition. I can only answer this by stating thus: from the information I received on my arrival here, and from what I have been able to see of that vessel, and learn from our agent and the authorities at Ferrol, providing that the information can be relied on, she is not, at this time, in a seaworthy condition. The leak has been but imperfectly stopped and might at any time break out and become as inconvenient as ever.
Notwithstanding the pledges given you by the Spanish minister, that strict orders had been issued to the commandant at Ferrol not to allow any repairs, except such as were indispensable for the security of the crew of the Stonewall at sea, to be put upon her; notwithstanding the assurances of the naval commandant at Ferrol that those orders had been strictly obeyed, and notwithstanding I place implicit confidence in the honesty of purpose, and of these assurances, I cannot help feeling that, in spite of their care and watchfulness to prevent it, the pirates have had the opportunity and have clandestinely improved their time, and have done much more than they have proposed to do towards not only the repairs, but to the fitting out of their vessel in the bay of Ferrol. Besides other occupations they were busily engaged for one or two days after my arrival at that port in filling up their shells and otherwise preparing their battery for work. The Stonewall is a very formidable vessel, about 175 feet long, brig rigged, and completely clothed in iron plates of five inches in thickness. Under her top-gallant forecastle is her casemated Armstrong 300-pounder rifled gun; in a turret abaft her mainmast are two 120-pounder rifled guns, and she has two smaller guns mounted in broadside. If as fast as reputed to be in smooth water, she ought to be more than a match for three such ships as the Niagara. Should we be so fortunate, however, as to [Page 511] catch her out in rough weather, we might possibly be able to put an end to her career. Our main chance now depends upon the possibility of detaining her where she is until the government sees fit to send out proper re-enforcements. In the mean time, and in any event, I shall strive to do my duty.
As the Spanish authorities have acknowledged their inability to prevent the egress of the Stonewall from Ferrol, why have I not the right, “in self-defence,” to seize upon the opportunity to run her down in that harbor? I feel sorely tempted to try it, and were she in a French port, with the same good reason holding, I should not long hesitate to hazard the die.
In order that you may understand fully the part that I have taken in this matter, I enclose herewith a copy of part of a letter which I addressed to Mr. Bigelow, on the 20th instant. I wished to send you the entire copy of that despatch, but it has not been copied in my letter-book, and I cannot now lay my hands on the missing finishing clause, which was, however, merely introducing a gentleman who kindly volunteered to bear my despatches to Paris, and is of no importance.
Thanking you, sir, for your very kind consideration in loaning me those press copies of your correspondence, (which are herewith enclosed,) and with heartfelt thanks for the bold stand you have taken, and my warmest congratulations upon the very able and felicitous manner in which you have handled this case of the Stonewall,
I am, with great respect, your obedient servant,
Hon. Horatio J. Perry, American Chargé d’Affaires, &c., &c., Madrid,
A No. 3.
To Commodore Craven, aboard war-frigate Niagara, Corunna:
I have your letter. Thanks. My impression is clear that you had better not.
B No. 2.
Hon. H. J. Perry, American Chargé d’Affaires:
Thanks for your glorious news. Hurrah! Shall salute on Monday.
B.
To the Chargé d’Affaires of the United States:
Stonewall continues in the same state. Her commander expected back from Paris.
B No. 1.
Commodore Craves aboard frigate Niagara, Corunna:
Sherman has beaten Beauregard; has occupied Columbia, Branchville, and Charleston. Fortifications all entire, with 200 magnificent cannon, have fallen into our hands. Gold 195.
B.
[Official service.—To Secretary of State of United States, Washington.]
To Consul of United States, Queenstown, Cork:
The Stonewall remains in the same condition. The Niagara and Sacramento are vigilant but insufficient