Mr. Seward to Mr. Tassara
The undersigned, Secretary of State of the United States, has the honor to acknowledge the receipt of a note which was addressed to him on the 14th instant by Mr. Tassara, minister plenipotentiary of the Queen of Spain. In that note Mr. Tassara informed the undersigned that her Catholic Majesty has ordered that the armed steam vessel called the Stonewall, which has been the subject of previous correspondence between the two countries, shall be delivered up to the government of the United States, and that this decision has been made with a waiver of discussion upon the question whether the demand of the United States could be maintained upon strict principles of international law. Mr. Tassara has been pleased, also, to assure the undersigned that the surrender has been ordered on the ground of the mutual good will which has happily prevailed between the two countries during the period of the insurrection which has heretofore so greatly disturbed the relations of the United States with many of the foreign powers. The undersigned is still further informed that while Spain will receive from the United States, as they have heretofore offered to pay, an indemnity of sixteen thousand dollars, the amount of the expenses which the captain general of Cuba incurred in obtaining possession of the Stonewall, yet that the surrender is tendered without making it dependent upon such reimbursement as a condition.
Mr. Tassara’s communication has been submitted to the President of the United States, and the undersigned has now the pleasure to inform Mr. Tassara that orders will be promptly given for the bringing away of the Stonewall from Havana, and for the reimbursement of the sum of sixteen thousand dollars to the Spanish government. It only remains to be added that this government appreciates equally the promptness, the liberality, and the courtesy which have marked the proceedings of her Catholic Majesty’s government on this interesting subject, and that these proceedings will have a strong tendency to confirm and perpetuate the ancient and traditional friendship of the two nations.
The undersigned avails himself of this occasion to offer Mr. Tassara renewed assurances of his highest consideration.
Señor Don Gabriel Garcia y Tassara, &c., &c., Washington.