Mr. Clay to Mr. Seward.
[Extracts.]
Sir: * * * * * * *
A few days since I laid before Prince Gortchacow the declaration of the seven powers at Paris, April 16, 1856, as you had prepared it. He expressed himself favorably inclined towards allowing us to become a party, saying that Russia had, in a friendly spirit, in 1856, asked that America and the parties not acceding should be exempt from its force; for he desired to see the United States flourish as a naval power; * * * that he would take the scheme under consideration, and advise me of the Emperor’s conclusion. I laid before him also an additional clause, embracing Secretary Marcy’s proposition: “Private goods of citizens or subjects of neutrals, and of belligerents, at sea, not contraband of war, shall not be liable to capture.” Of this also he spoke favorably, but said, as we could not enforce it without the accession of the great powers, it should be referred to them. I said that there must be a beginning, and that I hoped the Emperor would both accept it and urge it upon the maritime powers. Should this advance be made, (and why not?) it would, most of all, benefit the United States; whilst, in agreeing simply to the Paris declaration, we are most of all injured.
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Your copy of despatch (No. 27) to Mr. Dayton you will see has just been exactly anticipated by me. I put the Paris declaration, “pure and simple,” for immediate adoption, and reserved the Marcy addendum for future consideration. No doubt it will be ultimately adopted; for all the nations except France, England, and the United States, would no doubt be glad to have the commerce of the seas free from the perils of the war navies of these great powers.
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I am, very truly, your obedient servant,
Hon. W. H. Seward.