Mr. Perry to Mr. Seward
Sir: On the evening of the 21st instant I had the pleasure to meet the new minister of state, who took possession of his portfolio on that day, and spoke to him of the urgency of the affair of the Stonewall at the Havana.
On the 25th instant I met him again by appointment, at his department, when, after reviewing the facts of her surrender to the Cuban authorities, without any other condition except the advance of sixteen thousand dollars, understood to have been appropriated to paying off her crew and furnishing them transportation out of the Spanish dominions and to their several homes, the minister then informed me that it was the decision of her Majesty’s government that the Stonewall should be immediately delivered to the authorities of the United States, our government refunding to the captain general of (Juba the sixteen thousand dollars advanced by him upon the security of this ship. Upon the question whether that was satisfactory to my government, I said, of course that was a question which the government must decide for itself; but, without going into the question of right at all, I considered that if, in point of fact, the sixteen thousand dollars was understood to be the price which it had cost the Cuban authorities to break up this organization of pirates, get possession of their ship, and free her Majesty’s dominions of their presence by giving to every man the means of transportation to his own country, so that they should not become a charge upon the authorities of Cuba, and should thus be afforded an opportunity to undertake some honest way of living for the future, I did not doubt the government of the United States would refund that money on taking possession of the ship surrendered to her Majesty’s authorities under those conditions by the pirates who had her in charge.
I was then authorized to communicate to you that orders would be sent immediately to the captain general of Cuba to deliver the Stonewall to the authorities of the United States, which I did by telegram to Queenstown the same evening. Copies of official notes on this subject will be forwarded.
Your obedient servant,
Hon. William H. Seward, Secretary of State, Washington.