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a complete restoration of our national commerce, as no other nation has so great an interest in the relations of permanent friendship with the United States. If Great Britain should revoke her decree conceding belligerent rights to the insurgents to-day, this civil strife, which is the cause of all the derangement of those relations, and the only cause of all apprehended dangers of that kind, would end to-morrow. The United States have continually insisted that the disturbers of their peace are mere insurgents, not lawful belligerents. This government neither can nor is it likely to have occasion to change this position, but her Majesty can, and it would seem that she must, sooner or later, desire to relinquish her position. It was a position taken in haste, and in anticipation of the probable success of the revolution. The failure of that revolution is sufficiently apparent. Why should not the position be relinquished, and the peace of our country thus be allowed to be restored?

Do you think Earl Russell, astute and well-informed as he is, could name one single benefit that Great Britain derives from maintaining a position which, although unintentionally, is so unfriendly and so injurious to us, or that he could designate one evil that would probably result to the country of whose foreign interests he is the guardian from the resumption of her long-established relations towards the United States? Is it not worth your pains to suggest to him the inquiry whether it would not be wiser and better to remove the necessity for our blockade than to keep the two nations, and even the whole world, in debate about the rightfulness or the expediency of attempting to break it, with all the consequences of so hostile a measure?

I am [etc.]

WILLIAM H. SEWARD

128

The Secretary of State (Seward) to the Minister in France

No. 123

(Dayton)1

WASHINGTON, March 8, 1862.

SIR: Your despatch of February 12 (No. 112) has been received. Surely all Europe ought to unite with us in establishing a telegraphic oceanic communication.

You very ably discuss the question of what is an effective blockade, while you suggest to me the desirableness of evidence to prove the efficiency of the one we have established.

We cannot know how many and what vessels succeed in running the blockade, and without this information statistics of the vessels

1

Papers Relating to Foreign Affairs (Diplomatic Correspondence), 1862, pt. 1, pp. 320-321.

prevented from doing so would be almost valueless. But the true test of the efficiency of the blockade will be found in its results. Cotton commands a price in Manchester, and in Rouen, and Lowell, four times greater than in New Orleans; salt, a price ten times higher in Charleston than in Liverpool. Gold is worth fifty per cent more in Richmond than in New York. Notwithstanding the great outlay of the insurgents in Europe for arms, equipments, and clothing, in addition to their own boasted manufactures, the prisoners we take are wretchedly armed and clothed. Passengers from the insurgent States only escape into neutral States across overland barriers. Judged by this test of results, I am satisfied that there was never a more effective blockade. We are nevertheless very desirous to relieve the commerce of the world from our blockade, and to restore it to its natural and customary freedom. What do we wait for before doing this, but that the insurrection shall cease? What keeps the insurrection alive? Nothing, in my judgment, but the treatment of the insurgents as lawful belligerents by the maritime powers, utterly powerless as the former are to do any injury to foreign states. Their treatment as belligerents, while they are surrounded and hemmed within a small portion of the United States by the Union armies and navies, is believed to be without precedent as it is without necessity. Beside the commercial embarrassments which result from it, the United States are kept in continual and often unpleasant and anxious debate with maritime powers whose sympathies cannot but be with them, because their interests are identical with those of our own country.

You will have noticed our successful advance down the Mississippi and along its banks. Next week we shall ascertain the strength of the obstructions at Memphis. After passing that port the river will be entirely open to us to New Orleans. I suppose I hazard nothing of publicity here by informing you that General Butler, with an adequate land force, and Captain Porter, with a fleet, are already in motion to seize and hold New Orleans. The armies on the Potomac are also expected to try conclusions soon.

You will, I am sure, need no instructions to use this information in the way best calculated to free our unhappy domestic strife from its European elements of mischief. When that shall be done, all will be well.

While drawing this despatch to its close I learn that the insurgents have withdrawn from their front on the Potomac, above and below this city, and are breaking up their camps and retreating before our army towards Richmond. Thus ends the siege of Washington, and thus advances the cause of the Union.

I am [etc.]

WILLIAM H. SEWARD

129

The Secretary of State (Seward) to Consular Representatives 1 Circular No. 12 WASHINGTON, May 12, 1862.

SIR: I have to transmit, for your information and guidance, the Regulations prescribed by the Secretary of the Treasury relating to trade with ports opened by the Proclamation of the President of the United States, dated the 12th instant.

It is expected by the Department that, in the exercise of the discretion with which you are clothed, to grant licenses to vessels clearing from foreign ports and destined to ports opened by the Proclamation, your proceedings will be directed with the utmost prudence and by a sound judgment.

You will observe that licenses are to be granted only "upon satisfactory evidence that the vessels so licensed will convey no persons, property, or information contraband of war, either to or from the said ports."

In determining what may be considered "satisfactory evidence" of the good faith with which parties making application for licenses will carry out this pledge, you are to be governed by the knowledge which you possess or may obtain in regard to their respectability and standing and the confidence which may be placed in their honor strictly to fulfil its conditions, having reference also to their precedent acts and dispositions toward the Government of the United States in its struggle with armed rebellion.

You will be held by the Department to a rigid responsibility for the manner in which you shall discharge your duties under these instructions.

In no case will you devolve these duties upon any subordinate consular officer, nor are licenses to be issued by consular agents.

For the purposes of identification, you are instructed to endorse the consular certificate to the oath or affirmation of the master of the vessel on the manifest or descriptive statement of the cargo, also on the list of passengers and on the crew list; all of which are to be exhibited to the Collector of Customs immediately after arrival. You are authorized to charge, for the issue of each license, five dollars, which, like all other official fees collected by salaried consuls, will be credited to the United States in your quarterly accounts. In respect to charges for filing, copying, or recording licenses, and for certificates, you will be guided by the consular tariff of fees. A form of license is hereto appended.

I am [etc.]

1MS., Circulars, vol. 1, pp. 196-197.

WILLIAM H. SEWARD

[Enclosure 1]

Proclamation Regarding Trade with Certain Southern Ports, May 12, 1862

WHEREAS, by my Proclamation of the nineteenth of April, one thousand eight hundred and sixty-one, it was declared that the ports of certain States, including those of Beaufort, in the State of North Carolina, Port Royal, in the State of South Carolina, and New Orleans, in the State of Louisiana, were, for reasons therein set forth, intended to be placed under blockade; and whereas the said ports of Beaufort, Port Royal, and New Orleans have since been blockaded; but as the blockade of the same ports may now be safely relaxed with advantage to the interests of commerce:

Now, THEREFORE, BE IT KNOWN THAT I, ABRAHAM LINCOLN, President of the United States, pursuant to the authority in me vested by the fifth section of the act of Congress, approved on the 13th of July last, entitled "An act further to provide for the collection of duties on imports, and for other purposes," do hereby declare that the blockade of the said ports of Beaufort, Port Royal, and New Orleans shall so far cease and determine, from and after the first day of June next, that commercial intercourse with those ports, except as to persons and things and information contraband of war, may, from that time, be carried on, subject to the laws of the United States, and to the limitations and in pursuance of the regulations which are prescribed by the Secretary of the Treasury in his order of this date, which is appended to this Proclamation.

In witness whereof I have hereunto set my hand and caused the seal of the United States to be affixed.

Done at the city of Washington, this twelfth day of May, in the year of our Lord one thousand eight hundred and sixty-two, and of [L. S.] the Independence of the United States the eighty-sixth. ABRAHAM LINCOLN.

By the President:

WILLIAM H. SEWARD,

Secretary of State.

[Enclosure 2]

Regulations of the Secretary of the Treasury Relating to Trade with Ports Opened by Proclamation

[WASHINGTON,] May 12, 1862.

1. To vessels clearing from foreign ports and destined to ports opened by the proclamation of the President of the United States of this date-namely, Beaufort, in North Carolina, Port Royal, in South Carolina, and New Orleans, in Louisiana-licenses will be

granted by Consuls of the United States upon satisfactory evidence that the vessels so licensed will convey no persons, property, or information contraband of war, either to or from the said ports, which licenses shall be exhibited to the Collector of the port to which said vessels may be respectively bound immediately on arrival, and, if required, to any officer in charge of the blockade. And on leaving either of said ports every vessel will be required to have a clearance from the Collector of the Customs according to law, showing no violation of the conditions of the license. Any violation of said conditions will involve the forfeiture and condemnation of the vessel and cargo, and the exclusion of all parties concerned from any further privilege of entering the United States during the war for any purpose whatever.

2. To vessels of the United States clearing coastwise for the ports aforesaid, licenses can only be obtained from the Treasury Department.

3. In all other respects the existing blockade remains in full force and effect as hitherto established and maintained, nor is it relaxed by the proclamation except in regard to the ports to which the relaxation is by that instrument expressly applied.

S. P. CHASE

[Enclosure 3]

License to Trade with Ports Opened by Proclamation

To all to whom these presents shall come or may concern, Greeting: Master of the

of

having exhibited to me a manifest or descriptive statement of his cargo and list of passengers and crew, and having verified the same by his oath, (or solemn affirmation,) and having satisfied myself that the said vessel is intended in good faith for a lawful trade, and only for a lawful trade, permission is hereby granted, in pursuance of the Proclamation of the President of the United States and the Regulations of the Secretary of the Treasury, issued on the 12th May, 1862, for the said vessel to proceed to the port of

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in the State of in the United States of America, and to leave said port for any lawful destination, on the conditions hereinafter mentioned, to wit: That the said vessel will convey no persons, property, or information contraband of war, either to or from the said port; that this license shall be exhibited to the Collector of Customs at the port immediately upon arrival, and to the officer in charge of the blockade on entering the port, if required; and that the master and all persons concerned in the management and control of the vessel and cargo shall faithfully comply with the

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