Mr. Clayton, Secretary of State, to Don A. Calderon de la Barca.
Washington, May 18, 1850.
[661] Sir: I hasten to acknowledge the receipt of the two notes which you addressed to me on the 16th instant. They commanded my prompt and earnest attention, and I have now the honor to place in your hands a copy of the instructions which I caused to be sent to the district attorney of the United States for the southern district of New York, upon the matters to *which those notes relate. These instructions were accompanied by a copy of your notes. You are not ignorant of the nature and scope of the instructions which that officer, and others of his class, exercising similar functions within other districts of the United States, have from time to time received from their Government. You are fully aware, indeed, that this Government has faithfully used its best exertions to arrest and put down former attempted disturbances, as well as to obtain, with the same object, information concerning the arming and equipping of the expedition said to have recently sailed to Cuba.
In immediate reply to your notes, now before me, I have to say that, although no official intelligence has reached the Department upon this ‘subject, the President is well satisfied from other sources of information that certain foreigners within our limits have abused the hospitality of this country; and also that a considerable number of American citizens have really embarked with them, upon some clandestine expedition, in violation of the laws and treaties of the United States. It is true that, within the last three months, an unusual number of passports have been sought and obtained at this office by individuals alleging that they were about to proceed to California and Oregon. No means existed of detecting their real purpose, except through the United States officers at the various ports of embarkation, and these officers having unfortunately failed to furnish any *information on the subject, it is proper that inquiries should be instituted into the conduct of such of them as might be supposed to be cognizant of the intended invasion, and yet failed to give notice of it to their own Government. [662]
It is not possible for us to ascertain the number of persons engaged in the expedition, nor the place of their certain destination. No individual, however, enjoying the confidence in any degree of this Governments is-either known or believed to be engaged in it. It is represented that [Page 690] most of those conjectured to be so concerned, have quitted the country from different ports of the United States in the capacity of private citizens, proceeding ostensibly, as has been before remarked, to California and Oregon; and this without any demonstration on their part of arms and munitions of war, or any other evidences by means of which their presumed ulterior purposes could have been discovered. It is, however, quite superfluous for me to repeat to you, sir, who have so ably and perseveringly co-operated with me in efforts to detect and suppress real or suspected expeditions of this character, that those who may have embarked in them have no sympathy or countenance whatever from this Government, and that the principles of the proclamation which the President issued last summer, on a similar occasion, are still adhered to by him with inflexible integrity. But it is important that I should now impart to you certain information, which will, I trust, tend to *relieve the natural anxiety of your mind, caused by my verbal communication to you of that which I had learned unofficially of the sailing of the expedition now in question. In anticipation of such a possible emergency as might require their presence on the coast of Cuba, three American vessels of war from the squadron on the West India station must have made their appearance in the ports and harbors of that island, between the 7th and 12th instant, as we believe. They have full instructions authorizing them to prevent the landing of any of their countrymen who may be proceeding under the American flag to the invasion of Cuba. Further, two other war ships of great force and speed, one of which is the fine steam-frigate Saranac, were ordered for the same purpose to the coast of Cuba—the Saranac a few hours after credible evidence had been submitted to the President in reference to the intended invasion. [663]
I avail myself of this occasion to reiterate to you the assurances of my distinguished consideration.
Don A. Calderon de la Bauga, &c., &c., &c.