Papers Relating to Foreign Affairs, Accompanying the Annual Message of the President to the Third Session of the Fortieth Congress

Mr. Clay to Mr. Seward

No. 183.]

Legation of the United States, St. Petersburg, March 20, 1868.

Sir: To-day I received from Prince Gortchacow a note of this date, in reference to the affairs of the Java, in the Sea of Okhotsk. I inclose you a translation of the same from the French.

I am, sir, your obedient servant,

C. M. CLAY.

Hon. William H. Seward, Secretary of State, Washington, D. C.

[Translation from the French.]

By his note of March 4–16 instant, Mr. Clay, envoy extraordinary and minister plenipotentiary of the United States of America, has transmitted to the imperial ministry a copy of a dispatch from Mr. Seward, accompanied with documents relative to the complaint of Señor Enos, captain of an American whaler, upon the subject of measures of rigor (“de measures de rigeur”) of which he had been the object on the part of a vessel of the imperial marine in the waters of the Sea of Okhotsk. In response to that communication, the undersigned, chancellor of the empire, has the honor to inform Mr. Clay that the imperial ministry has not received, up to this time, the information which, from the reception of his first note of the 18th of January, it hastened to demand of the competent authorities relative to that affair.

As soon as the reports of those authorities shall reach him, the undersigned will lose no time (s’empressera) in communicating them to Mr. Clay.

He seizes, in the mean time, this occasion to renew to him the assurance of his very distinguished consideration.

GORTCHACOW.

St. Petersburg, March 8, 1868.