Mr. Seward to Mr.
Adams
No. 1820.]
Department of State, Washington,
July 30, 1866
Sir: I transmit herewith, for your information,
a copy of the President message to the House of Representatives,
together with copies of the documents which accompanied it, in answer to
two resolutions of the House of the 23d instant, in regard to the
disposition of the Fenian prisoners.
I am, sir, your obedient servant,
WILLIAM H. SEWARD
Charles Francis Adams, Esq., &c., &c., &c.
[Page 167]
To the House of Representatives:
In answer to two resolutions of the House of Representatives of the 23d
instant, in the following words:
“Resolved, That the House of Representatives
respectfully request the President of the United States to urge upon the
Canadian authorities, and also the British government, the release of
the Fenian prisoners recently captured in Canada.
“Resolved, That this House respectfully request
the President to cause the prosecutions instituted in the United States
courts against the Fenians to be discontinued, if compatible with the
public interests”—
I transmit a report of the Secretary of State upon the subject, together
with the document which accompanied it.
ANDREW JOHNSON.
Washington,
July 26, 1866.
[Untitled]
Department of State, Washington,
July 26, 1866.
The Secretary of State, to whom were referred two resolutions of the
House of Representatives passed on the 23d of July instant, in the
following words, respectively:
“Resolved, That the House of Representatives
respectfully request the President of the United States to urge upon
the Canadian authorities, and also the British government, the
release of the Fenian prisoners recently captured in Canada.
“Resolved, That this House respectfully
request the President to cause the prosecutions instituted in the
United States courts against the Fenians to be discontinued, if
compatible with the public interests”—
has the honor to report, in regard to the first resolution, that the
government of the United States holds no correspondence directly
upon any subject with the Canadian authorities, mentioned in the
said resolution, or with the authorities of any colony, province, or
dependency of any other sovereign state; and that on the contrary,
all its correspondence concerning questions which arise in, or
affect or relate to, such colonies, provinces, or dependencies, is
always conducted exclusively with such sovereign government.
On the 11th of June last a note was addressed by this department to
the honorable Sir Frederick W. A. Bruce, her Majesty’s minister
plenipotentiary residing in the United States, of which a copy is
hereunto annexed.*
It is proper to say, in relation to that note, first, that the
reports mentioned therein to the effect that prisoners had been
taken on the soil of the United States and conveyed to Canada, and
threatened by Canadian agents with immediate execution without legal
trial, were found on examination to be untrue, and without
foundation in fact.
It is due to the British government to say in the second place, that
the representations made in the said note have been received and
taken into consideration by the British government and by the
Canadian authorities in a friendly manner.
The resolution of the House of Representatives first recited,
harmonizing as it does with the spirit of the aforesaid note, will
be brought to the attention of her Majesty’s government, and of the
Canadian authorities, with the expression of a belief, on the part
of the President, that affairs upon the frontier have happily come
into a condition in which the clemency requested by Congress may be
extended without danger to the public peace, and with advantage to
the interests of peace and harmony between the two nations.
I have already received your directions that the second of the said
resolutions be taken into consideration by the proper departments of
the government, with a desire that it may be sound practicable to
reconcile the humane policy recommended with the maintenance of law
and order, the safety of the public peace, and the good faith and
honor of the United States.
The President.
