Mr. Hunter to Mr. Tassara
The -undersigned, Acting Secretary of State of the United States, has received the note of Mr. Tassara, envoy extraordinary and minister plenipotentiary of her Catholic Majesty, of the 18tE instant, with reference to the insurgent ram Stonewall, which, pursuant to the latest intelligence, was harbored at Havana, in the island of Cuba.
While making due allowance for the consideration of the rapidity with which important events have succeeded each other, as Mr. Tassara has so judiciously remarked, adverse to the parties in whose behalf the Stonewall has gone forth to ravage the commerce of the United States, nevertheless the undersigned cannot refrain from expressing regret that her Catholic Majesty’s government, after having, as is believed, as long ago as the 18th of April last, been made acquainted with the views of the government of the United States with reference to the shelter, repairs, and supplies which were furnished to that vessel at Ferrol, should not have appreciated the sensibility of this government enough to have taken measures towards thwarting her, at least, in seeking similar hospitality in other Spanish ports. If, as is believed, her Catholic Majesty’s government was well informed of the course of events in this quarter, that information would, even while the Stonewall was at Ferrol, have not only justified, but, in the opinion of the undersigned, might have incited that government to give signal proof of the sincerity of its regard to the United States by requiring its authorities in other quarters to refuse to receive or to entertain that vessel. Contrary, however, to this just expectation, the Stonewall subsequently proceeded to Teneriffe, where also she was hospitably received, and afterwards went to Havana, her last known place of refuge.
Under these circumstances, and in view of the facts that the persons calling themselves president, vice-president, and president of the senate of the so-called Confederate States, are now held as prisoners by this government, and that thereby, in connexion with other recent well known occurrences, all pretence of belligerent rights has been swept away from the authority which they claim to represent, the undersigned is directed to announce to her Catholic Majesty’s government, as well as to all other parties concerned, that if after this communication may be delivered, and shall have reached the government of Spain, or of any of her dependencies, the Stonewall or any other war vessel flaunting the flag of the insurgents of this country shall be received or allowed to remain in Spanish ports or waters, with the knowledge or consent of the authorities of those ports, henceforth no naval vessel of Spain will be received in any port of the United States, and this government will deem itself warranted in taking all the measures which the peace and safety of the United States demand, by ordering the destruction of the insurgent vessels aforesaid, as the nature of the occasion and its exigencies might require.
Always desiring to preserve peace with Spain, this government cannot but foresee that the toleration extended and conferred towards pirates may result in deplorable differences and collisions.
Mr. Tassara, however, as well as her Catholic Majesty’s government are requested to understand that the determination of this government now herein announced does not imply or import any hostility, or even any unfriendliness, towards Spain. On the contrary, the course which it is thus announced will hereafter be adopted and pursued in relation to Spain will also be adopted in regard to any maritime power that, under the circumstances indicated, shall at [Page 572] any time hereafter afford shelter, harbor, or protection to piratical vessels engaged in destroying the commerce of the United States.
The undersigned avails himself of this occasion to offer to Mr. Tassara a renewed assurance of his very high consideration.
Señor Don Gabriel Garcia y Tassara, &c., &c., Washington, D. C.