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immediately given to regulate the action of naval commanders of the United States accordingly.

I pray your lordship to accept the assurances of the highest consideration with which I have the honor to be, my lord, your most obedient servant,

CHARLES FRANCIS ADAMS.

Right Hon. EARL RUSSELL, &c., &c., &c.

Mr. Seward to Mr. Adams.

No. 331.]

DEPARTMENT OF STATE,

Washington, August 25, 1862.

SIR: Your despatch of the 7th of August, No. 205, has been received. Before its arrival the correspondence of Earl Russell with the Liverpool merchants, which accompanied the despatch, had reached us through the foreign press, and has been published here.

The position taken in it by her Majesty's government, when it is considered in connexion with antecedent events, is regarded by the President with much satisfaction.

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SIR: Since the date of my last, I have received from the department despatches Nos. 319 and 320.

The most interesting events of the week are connected with the movements of Garibaldi in southern Italy. It is obvious thus far that the popular sympathy is entirely with him, and that it affects even the military and naval forces directed by the government against him. The effect of this state of things upon the relations of France and Great Britain is so much apprehended as to give rise to uneasiness on both sides of the channel. The first indication of it here is the sudden return of Lord Russell to London. This may, however, be likewise connected with the fact of the approaching departure of the Queen to the continent. I do not as yet apprehend any immediate consequences to the peace of Europe. There are so many reasons operating upon all the Powers to deter them from active measures that every means will be resorted to for the purpose of escaping the difficulty. At the same time it is not to be disguised that the position of the French Emperor is becoming more and more critical every day, both at home and abroad. Any attempt to take the settlement of the Italian embroglio into his own hands will be likely to involve him in embarrassments far more ruinous than he has ever encountered before. On the other hand, the overthrow of the present arrangement is almost equally dangerous. The rapid march of events will so soon dispose of this matter as to render mere speculation upon it superfluous. The temporary effect on the interests of the United States is rather one of relief, as the public attention is diverted from our affairs. The idea of intervention seemes rather to lose than gain strength

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with the progress of events. And, although the spirit in England cannot be said to be in any degree changed, it seems rather to waste itself in abstract lamentation on the existence of a remote evil, than to gather force for any particular mode of dealing with it.

I am glad to learn that the desired addition of volunteers will soon be in the hands of the government. The spirit with which the country has met the great trials of this struggle is admirable. Severe as has been the disappointment in the issue of what was reasonably expected to be the termination of the contest, I cannot perceive that its conditions have, as yet, been materially modified by that event. In the end it may perhaps be fortunate that the whole of it should be concentrated at a single point, and that point the seat of the rebel authority. With unity of direction and concert in execution it may be hoped that the operations of our superior forces will command ultimate success. Uncertain as is proverbially the fortune of war, it seldom fails to crown the efforts of a persevering people willing to learn wisdom from experience.

I have the honor to be, sir, your obedient servant,

Hon. WILLIAM H. SEWARD,

Secretary of State, Washington, D. C.

CHARLES FRANCIS ADAMS.

Mr. Adams to Mr. Seward.

No. 214.]

LEGATION OF THE UNITED STATES,
London, September 4, 1862.

SIR: Since the date of my last despatches from the department have been received, numbering from 321 to 327, both inclusive, and likewise printed circulars Nos. 18 and 19, of the 8th of August, relating to passports and emigrants.

Lord Russell came to town a few days ago, and sent me a note requesting to see me. I went, accordingly, on Saturday last. He said he wanted to

make some observations to me in connexion with the case of the steamer Adela, the capture of which had given rise to some questions at Washington. These related to three points, the appeal to any list of suspected vessels that might be in the hands of the officers as ground of capture, the propriety of making a prior examination, and the securing the contents of mail bags. On all of them he admitted that you had already agreed to a plan to remedy the difficulties for the future, which was perfectly satisfactory. He then remarked that in the accounts given of the capture, the commander was reported to have quoted me as justifying his course on the ground that Lord Palmerston had told me we might catch such vessels if we could. He then read from a note of his lordship's in his hands a request to call my attention to this statement and a disclaimer of any such language, and a very calm and reasonable statement of what he recollected to have said on the only occasion when he had conversed with me on the subject. I immediately replied by disavowing ever having attributed to his lordship any such words. far as I could remember the facts at this distance of time, the conversation referred to had grown out of the arrival of the James Adger, about the objects of which he desired to ask me. After mentioning the Nashville, I had alluded to the Gladiator, a steamer then about to sail from London with contraband of war for rebel ports, and said that in my interview with the captain of the Adger I had advised him on his way home to look out for the latter vessel and catch her if he could. To this course I presumed his lord

ship would have no objection. To this remark Lord Palmerston had replied substantially as explained in his note just read. It was now so long since the conference that this was all I could recall of it at the moment, but I had a copy of my despatch on the subject home, which would give the facts more. certainly. The only thing which surprised me about the matter was how the commander of the vessel came to quote me at all, for I had no communication with him, nor indeed with any one else, on that subject, excepting through the regular official channel, as I had already mentioned it. Here the conversation dropped, and no other topic was started by his lordship. I seized the opportunity, however, briefly to give the substance of your despatch (No. 306) of the 24th of July, touching the restrictions imposed at New York upon the trade with Nassau, and to offer to furnish his lordship copies of the correspondence attached to it. His lordship observed that some of the articles referred to in the letter of the collector seemed to be contraband of war, thereby apparently distinguishing these from the general restriction. He said he should be glad to receive the copies. I have since transmitted them, together with others on the same subject, received the next day with your despatch (No. 326) of the 15th of August, in a note of the 1st of September, a copy of which is sent herewith.

Mr. Milner Gibson was present throughout the interview. This was owing to the fact the new commercial treaty with Belgium, in which both were empowered to take part, was just in the process of receiving the sig

natures.

His lordship, who seemed quite amiable, remarked to me that he presumed I was now quite at ease in regard to any idea of joint action of the European powers in our affairs. I laughed, and said that I was in hopes that they all had quite too much to occupy their minds in the present condition of southern Europe to think of troubling themselves with matters on the other side of the Atlantic. This was in allusion to the affair of Garibaldi, which is known to have much stirred the governments on both sides of the channel.

His lordship then notified me of his departure for Germany for a few weeks, in attendance upon the Queen, during which time Mr. Layard would be ready to attend to any business I might desire to present.

I have the honor to be, sir, your obedient servant,

Hon. WILLIAM H. SEWARD,

CHARLES FRANCIS ADAMS.

Secretary of State, Washington, D. C.

Mr. Adams to Earl Russell.

LEGATION OF THE UNITED STATES,
London, September 1, 1862.

MY LORD: I have the honor to transmit copies of papers explaining the measures taken at the New York custom-house to regulate the exportation of merchandise to Nassau, to which I referred in our conference of Saturday last. Since that time I have received a later despatch from my government, covering other papers relating to the same subject. Copies of these I like-wise submit.

Renewing the assurances of my highest consideration, I have the honor to be, my lord, your most obedient servant, CHARLES FRANCIS ADAMS.

Right Hon. EARL RUSSELL, &c., &c., &c.

No. 216.]

Mr. Adams to Mr. Seward.

LEGATION OF THE UNITED STATES,
London, September 4, 1862.

SIR: I have the honor to transmit a copy of a note received from Earl Russell, dated the 28th of August, in acknowledgment of the prompt action of the government in response to his suggestion for the more perfect execution of the late treaty on the slave trade.

I have the honor to be, sir, your obedient servant,

Hon. WILLIAM H. SEWARD,

Secretary of State, Washington, D. C.

CHARLES FRANCIS ADAMS

Earl Russell to Mr. Adams.

FOREIGN OFFICE, August 28, 1862.

SIR: I beg leave to acknowledge the receipt of your letter of the 22d instant, informing me that the government of the United States acquiesce in the suggestions which I had the honor to make to you in my letter of the 17th of July last, in reference to the issuing of passports or safe conducts to vessels legally employed on the African coast; and I have, in reply, to request that you will express to Mr. Seward the acknowledgments of her Majesty's government for the prompt compliance on the part of the United States government with the suggestions of her Majesty's government in this matter.

I have the honor to be, with the highest consideration, sir, your most obedient humble servant,

CHARLES FRANCIS ADAMS, Esq., &c., &c., &c.

RUSSELL

Mr. Adams to Mr. Seward.

No. 219.]

LEGATION OF THE UNITED STATES,
London, September 5, 1862..

SIR: I have the honor to transmit the copy of a note addressed to me by Lord Russell, touching the case of the steamer Oreto at Nassau, with the accompanying papers. It is a little remarkable that, with the exception of a single sentence, not an intimation is given in them by the respective parties of a consciousness of the real destination of that vessel. I have sent to Mr. Dudley, at Liverpool, to know if more decisive evidence might not. be obtained in other quarters.

I presume that Mr. Dudley keeps the government fully informed of the change of the chrysalis 290 into the butterfly Alabama, on a piratical cruise against American shipping. It turned out, as I expected, that she did not go to Nassau. Her difficulty will be to keep supplied with coals.

I have the honor to be, sir, your obedient servant,

Hon. WILLIAM H. SEWARD,

CHARLES FRANCIS ADAMS.

Secretary of State, Washington, D. C.

Earl Russell to Mr. Adams.

FOREIGN OFFICE, August 29, 1862. SIR: With reference to the case of the steamer Oreto, which you are probably aware has been seized at Nassau and is to be tried before the admiralty court of the Bahamas for a breach of the foreign enlistment act, I have the honor to enclose for your information copies of a report and its enclosures from the commissioners of customs with reference to a suggestion I had made to the treasury, that a competent officer should be sent to Nassau to give evidence as to what occurred at Liverpool in the case of that vessel. I have the honor to be, with the highest consideration, sir, your most obedient, humble servant,

CHARLES FRANCIS ADAMS, Esq., &c., &c., &c.

RUSSELL.

No. 439.]

CUSTOM-HOUSE, August 25, 1862.

To the lords commissioners of her Majesty's treasury:

Your lords having, by Mr. Hamilton's letters of 20th instant, transmitted to us, with reference to previous correspondence on the subject of the gunboat Oreto, which was fitted out at Liverpool and has since been captured by her Majesty's steamer Greyhound at Nassau for an alleged violation of the foreign enlistment act, copy of a letter from the foreign office and of its enclosure on the subject of the proceeding to be adopted in the matter, and requested that he would take the necessary steps for sending to Nassau some gentleman connected with the department competent to afford the information required in the case, we beg to transmit, for the information of your lords, copies of the report of our collector at Liverpool, with whom we have been in communication on the subject, together with copies of the statements of Mr. Morgan, the surveyor, and Mr. Lloyd, the examining officer, who visited and kept watch on the Öreto from the time that suspicions were first entertained of her being fitted for the so-called Confederate States until she sailed from the port, together with copy of the statement on oath of Mr. Parry, the pilot who had charge of the ship from the time she left the Toxteth dock until she left the Mersey; and, as from these papers the pilot would appear to be the most fitting person to give evidence in the case, we beg to be favored with your lords' further instructions as to the person who should be directed to proceed to Nassau.

F. GOULBURN.
R. H. GREY.

Report of the collector at Liverpool, August 23, 1862.

HONORABLE SIRS: It will be seen from the annexed statement of Mr. Morgan, surveyor, that he will be able to state the fact of the vessel being built by Messrs. Miller & Sons, and of the absence of all warlike stores on board when she left the docks, while the evidence of Mr. Lloyd, the examining officer, fully supports the statement of the pilot, Mr. Parry, which, from its importance, I have taken on oath, as it appears to me he would be the most fitting person to give evidence of the absence of all warlike stores on board the vessel when she left this country.

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