land and naval forces. After that collapse, we may reasonably expect that European ship-builders and merchants will be as much disinclined to render further aid to our enemies as we are opposed to such unprincipled intervention. I am, sir, your obedient servant, JOHN BIGELOW, Esq., &c., &c., &c. WILLIAM H. SEWARD. No. 99.] Mr. Seward to Mr. Bigelow. Department of State, Washington, April 4, 1865. SIR: I have received your despatch No. 60, of the 17th instant, relative to the refusal of the French government to permit Mr. Hammond, agent of the American Emigration Company at Havre, to contract for the transport of emigrants through Havre to the United States. You may ask for explanations from Mr. Drouyn de Lhuys, but you will not make it a subject of protest or remonstrance without instructions. I am, sir, your obedient servant, JOHN BIGELOW, Esq., &c., &c., &c., WILLIAM H. SEWARD Mr. Bigelow to Mr. Seward. No. 67.] LEGATION OF THE UNITED STATES, SIR: I have the honor to enclose copies of certain documents received from the Hon. Bradford R. Wood, minister resident of the United States at Copenhagen, in part reply to my application for such information as might be within his reach in relation to the delivery of the steamer Stonewall, alias Olinde, to officers of the insurgent navy. I presume that you must have already received from Mr. Wood, in his account of his personal intercourse with the Danish government, something more satisfactory, if it had anything more satisfactory to offer. The position of the question at this court has undergone no change since my last communication about it. I understand from our consul at Nantes that an investigation is going on at that place with the view of punishing three of the parties concerned in supplying the Stoerkodder with coal, provisions, and munitions within the waters of France. It remains to be seen with what vigor the majesty of the law will be asserted. I should attach more importance to such a demonstration if it were directed against the notorious head offender, Arman, instead of being directed against some of his instruments. The Stonewall left Ferrol for Lisbon, whence, after a few days' detention, she sailed for parts unknown. No doubt you have received full particulars of her stay at and departure from both these places from our representatives at Madrid and Lisbon. It is possible they may not have been able to send you a list of the officers of the Stonewall; I therefore send you one, which I believe to be authentic and complete up to the 20th of March last. I am, sir, with great respect, your very obedient servant, Hon. WILLIAM H. SEWARD, &c., &c., &c. [Enclosure.] List of officers of confederate pirate Stonewall, March 20, 1865. Captain T. J. Page, from Virginia; R. R. Carter, first lieutenant, from Virginia; Geo. S. Shryock, second lieutenant, from Kentucky; Geo. T. Bochart, third lieutenant, from Savannah, Ga.; E. G. Reed, third lieutenant, from Virginia; Samuel Barron, jr., third lieutenant, from Virginia; E. Green, surgeon, from Virginia; C. W. Curtis, paymaster, from South Carolina; W. P. Brooks, chief engineer, from South Carolina; J. W. Herty, assistant surgeon, from Georgia; W. W. Wilkenson, master, from South Carolina; W. Hutcheson Jackson, first assistant engineer, from Baltimore: J. C. Cosh, second assistant engineer, from Texas; John W. Dukeheart, boatswain, from Baltimore; J. W. King, gunner, from North Carolina; J. Mather, carpenter, from Maryland; William Savage, master's mate, from Maryland; William Baynton, paymaster's clerk, from Florida John W. Prior, sergeant of marines, from Virginia. Mr. Wood to Mr. Bigelow. LEGATION OF THE UNITED STATES, DEAR SIR: I herewith send you copies of certain papers received from the Danish government, those in French certified. I have the Danish also certified, but supposing that they would be useless in Danish, I set Consul Hansen, a Dane by birth, to translate, and I give you his literal translation. I suppose the original are also in the Danish legation in Paris. Mr. Hoxtheussen is a good English and French scholar, and can render Hansen's literal translation liberal. It is very possible that if the Danes could have got the Stoerkodder in time they would have owned her, but they had no use for her after June, 1864, and availed themselves of her defects to get rid of her. As they did not suspect anything, and wished to be obliging to Arman, who had here the reputation of being a very responsible man, and one of the Emperor's right hand men, they allowed themselves to be imposed on by Arman's correspondent, "Puggaard," a Danish merchant residing here, and who unquestionably knew that this ship was sold to the confederates when he applied for the use of the Danish flag, as he had advanced money on her when she was being built for the confederates. And what is more, I have no doubt the Danish government now know of Puggaard's complicity in the matter. Arman's intention in sending this ship here was to get her out of France and into the hands of the confederates, and he deceived the French minister. I have the police on the watch for the men you advised me of. I remain, very truly, your obedient servant, JOHN BIGELOw, Charge, &c., Paris. BRADFORD R. WOOD, I have made the request, and it is to be complied with, that the Danish government inform the governments of France and Spain that they never owned the Stoerkodder. Will Spain let this ship go to sea? If she does I hope she may lose Cuba. W. [Enclosure.-Translation.] BORDEAUX, October 25, 1864. After the trials of the Stoerkodder, on the 20th instant, had taken place, I informed Mr. Arman that I would report the results of these trials to the ministry, and by my request he consented to await the nearer determination of the ministry to accept or reject the vessel according to the statement from me, as stipulated in the contract. Upon the receipt of the telegram of the 23d instant from the ministry, I immediately, as commanded, made known to Mr. Arman the expected arrival here of Etatsnad Eskieden. But Mr. Arman has to-day informed me that the Stoerkodder had gone to sea yesterday, with orders to proceed to the Sound. As it is his intention, if the vessel should be rejected by the government, because the conditions as to speed and draught were not fulfilled in accordance with the contract, then to leave it to the generosity of the government whether they will receive the vessel any how, and on what conditions other than those stipulated in the contract, all of which I do omit to herewith inform the ministry. I take the liberty to enclose a copy of a declaration made to me by "Expert," engaged by me to attend to the trial of the Stoerkodder and to certify to the result. I am, &c., G. SCHRUHEGDEN. COMMISSARIAT AND BOOK OFFICE, March 14, 1865. That this copy is in conformity with the original certifies marine minister. TUXEN. [SEAL.] COPENHAGEN, March 14, 1865. [Enclosure.-Translation.] MINISTRY OF MARINE, Copenhagen, December 21, 1864. By letter of the 14th instant Mr. Arman has communicated that he has empowered Mr. Grossereau, merchant, as his representative, to make a final adjustment of the matter of the iron-clad vessel Stoerkodder, and in this manner-that the vessel be at once accepted without any other loss to Mr. Arman than the interest, or that the contract be annulled with the only compensation in damages that some new rank be given him from the Danish marine. In accordance herewith, by virtue of office, it is communicated that the minister of marine, notwithstanding that Mr. Arman has failed in several principal points to fulfil the conditions he has taken on himself, by the contract of the 31st of March, this year to deliver the Stoerkodder, relieves him from the contract in this manner: that this (contract) is annulled from now on this condition, that when Mr. Arman, now or later, lets the vessel depart from here, he thereby acknowledges himself to have no demand whatsoever upon the Danish government. Grossereau is also requested to remind Mr. Arman that the expenses, &c., occasioned by bringing the vessel here were incurred in consequence of the vessel being sent here, notwithstanding he had been already informed at Paris that he alone must take the risk thereof. Hon. R. PUGGAARD. O. LUTKEN. RUDOLPH PUGGAARD. COMMISSARIAT AND BOOK-KEeping Office, March 14, 1865. That this copy is in conformity with the original certifies marine ministry. [SEAL.] TUXEN. P. VEDEL. [Enclosure.] List of the crew who sail with me, the undersigned, who commands the iron-clad vessel the Stoerkodder, belonging in Bordeaux, but who sails under the Danish flag, of tonnage of the bill of gauge of over 200 commerce last, with which I now intend to go from here to Bordeaux. (Notice on the list that the six French engineers were discharged on the 5th of January, 1865.) (Here follows a list of the crew, Danes and Swedes, and some forty-five in number.) B. R. W. [Enclosure. Translation.] Certificate to the iron-clad vessel Stoerkodder. GENERAL CUSTOM-HOUSE, Copenhagen, December 30, 1864. The secretary of the general custom-house makes known that the iron-clad vessel Stoer kodder, belonging to Mr. Arman, of Bordeaux, after having arrived in this city from Bor deaux, for the purpose of being offered for sale to the royal Danish marine, has been rejected after trial; and now that the owner intends to carry her back to France, it is permitted that the above-named vessel depart from here with a Danish crew. On the petition of the commercial firm of Puggaard & Co., residing at this place, the ministry for foreign affairs, on its part, has permitted the iron clad vessel Stoerkodder, on the return from Copenhagen to Bordeaux, to carry the Danish flag. In consideration hereof, the above-named vessel is to be treated as Danish by the royal consuls in whatever port it shall enter on this voyage, wherefore we would not omit to communicate this legitimation. The ministry, in conclusion, will add that no outlay for the aforesaid vessel must be made unless the aforenamed commercial firm should desire it and guarantee the payment thereof. BLUMBE. The ROYAL CONSULS in Sweden, Norway, Great Britain, Netherlands, France. Protha copia: [SEAL.] P. VEDEL. [Enclosure.-Translation.] COPENHAGEN, December 31, 1864. The ministry of foreign affairs has, by request, permitted the iron-clad vessel Stoerkodder, which the royal government once intended to buy, but which was not accepted, on its return from here to Bordeaux, to carry the Danish flag, but with the implicit instruction that this permission is only granted for this voyage. Your honor is therefore requested to see to it that this vessel, on its arrival in Bordeaux, strikes the Danish flag, in regard to which the ministry of foreign affairs, in proper time, ex pects to receive the report of consul. The return of a document of legitimation granted by me to the vessel must be demanded from the shipmaster and transmitted here. SIR: I give you for your information a copy of a note* which I have recently received from Mr. Geofroy, chargé d'affaires of the Emperor, concerning a projected universal exhibition of productions, of agriculture, manufactures, and the fine arts, to be opened at Paris on the 1st of May, 1867, under the direction and supervision of a commission in which his serene highness the Prince Napoleon will preside. You will inform Mr. Drouyn de Lhuys that the President of the United States regards the project thus described with great favor, as well because of the ben *See correspondence with the French legation of 27th ultimo. eficial influence it may be expected to exert upon the prosperity of the nations as of its tendency to preserve peace and mutual friendship among them. The Prince Napoleon is most favorably known on this side of the Atlantic, and his connexion with the exhibition will increase its proper prestige in the eyes of the government and people of the United States. What the executive government can do by way of concurrence in the noble purpose of his Majesty will, therefore, be very cheerfully done. The design and arrangements will be promptly promulgated. For the present, you will confer with Mr. Drouyn de Lhuys as a special agent of this government, and will bring yourself into near relations with the prince. This is as far, however, as the President is able to proceed without special legislative authority. Application for that authority will be made to Congress when it shall have convened. In the mean time this department will receive and give due attention to any suggestions which the government of France may desire to offer with a view to a complete success of the contemplated exhibition. I am, sir, your obedient servant, JOHN BIGELOW, Esq., &c., &c., &c. WILLIAM H. SEWARD. Mr Bigelow to Mr. Seward. No. 68.] LEGATION OF THE UNITED STATES, SIR: I beg to enclose a translation of an article which appeared in the Memorial Diplomatique of Saturday last, purporting to give the basis of certain peace negotiations in progress in Canada, between persons representing the United States and the confederate insurgents. The quasi official character of this hebdomadal satisfies me that the government wish the facts there stated to be believed. I was confirmed in this opinion when I saw the article promptly reappear in all the official journals. I am, sir, with great respect, your very obedient servant, Hon. WILLIAM H. SEWARD, Secretary of State, &c., &c., &c. JOHN BIGELOW [Translated from the Memorial Diplomatique of April 2, 1865.] Private advices from a reliable source informs us that negotiations with a view to peace are again carried on between the north and south of the United States. The scene of these negotiations has thus far been in Toronto, on the frontiers of Canada, where there are always large numbers of northern and southern politicians, and where the confederate agents of the two governments met. After discussing for a long time the conditions of a possible reconciliation, the agent of the federal government left for Washington, bringing with him an outline of a treaty on the following basis: 1. Restoration of the Union. 2. Abolition of slavery. 3. A general convention of all the States to be held for the purpose of introducing into the Constitution amendments such as the formal and explicit recognition of State rights, the defence to Congress to make any laws relative to the colored population, after the abolition of slavery, and a modification of the electoral system with regard to presidential elections. The first of these amendments would put an end to all discussions concerning State sovereignty; the second would finally settle the condition of the colored people; and the third should be so contrived as to diminish electoral agitations by making it impossible for one of the two sections of the country to elect a President without the assent of the other. |