Mr. Seward to Mr. Pruyn.
Sir: Your despatch No. 58, dated October 29th, 1862, was duly received.
The letter of the Japanese ministers for foreign affairs, of which you enclose a translation, requesting you to have constructed for them, in the United States, two steam sloops of war and one steam gunboat, with heavy guns, small-arms, nautical instruments, &c., complete, and their verbal request that you would procure for them a rifling machine and a field battery of six guns, afford gratifying evidence of the high estimation in which the skill of our mechanics is held by the Japanese government, as well as of the confidence reposed in you by those who administer its foreign affairs.
While commending, however, the motives which induced you to accept the trust thus confided to you by their excellencies, I have deemed it proper to submit the matter, for consideration, to the Secretaries of War and of the Navy, with a view to ascertain whether, if the wishes of the Japanese government were to be carried into effect, it would occasion any injurious interference with similar work which might be in progress here for war purposes. From the reply of the Secretary of War, of which I annex a transcript, it will be seen that the necessities of our own service will, for the present, forbid a compliance with the request of the Japanese government so far as the armament of the vessels is concerned. There would appear to be no objection, however, to the building of the vessels themselves.
In making the necessary explanations to the Japanese government of your inability to have their wishes in regard to the construction of the vessels referred to fully carried out, you will be careful to impress it upon them that your services in this behalf are of an entirely unofficial character.
I am, sir, your obedient servant,
Robert H. Pruyn, Esq., &c., &c., &c.