Mr. Adams to Mr.
Seward.
[Extract.]
No. 44.]
Legation of the United
States,
London,
September 14, 1861.
Sir: I now have the honor to transmit copies of
two notes received yesterday from Lord Russell, in answer to my notes of
the 3d of September, transmitting to him the bag of Mr. Bunch. It
appears from one of them that Mr. Bunch has been acting under secret
instructions, which are only now acknowledged because they have come to
light, and that his granting a safe conduct to an emissary of secession,
charged with treasonable papers, is no objection to his neutral
character in the eyes of his employers. With regard to the question
presented in the other note, it is satisfactory to me, at least in so
far as it devolves all responsibility for the further treatment of the
question into more capable hands. I transmit also a copy of my
reply.
* * * * * * * * *
Hon. William H. Seward,
Secretary of State, Washington, D. C.
[Untitled]
Foreign
Office, September 9,
1861.
Sir: I received, with some surprise, from
Lord Lyons an intimation that a sealed bag, directed by one of her
Majesty’s consuls to her Majesty’s secretary of state, had been
seized and detained by order of the Secretary of State of the United
States.
[Page 156]
It seems to have been suspected that her Majesty’s consul had
inserted in his official bag, and covered with his official seal,
the correspondence of the enemies of the government of the United
States now engaged in open hostilities against them.
Had her Majesty’s consul so acted he would have, no doubt, been
guilty of a grave breach of his duty both towards his own government
and that of the United States; but I am happy to say there does not
appear, on opening the bag at the foreign office, to be any ground
for such a suspicion.
Her Majesty’s government were advised that the suspension of the
conveyance by post of letters from British subjects between the
northern and the southern States, was a contravention of the treaty
on this subject contracted by the two governments. Her Majesty’s
government have been unwilling to press this view on the United
States; but this stoppage of the post has occasioned great
inconvenience to individuals, and I enclose a copy of a note from
Mr. Bunch to the under secretary of foreign affairs, showing the
mode in which he has endeavored to palliate the evil by enclosing
private letters in his consular bag.
I shall address any further communication I may have to make on this
subject to Lord Lyons.
I have the honor to be, with the highest consideration, sir, your
most obedient, humble servant,
Charles Francis Adams, Esq., &c., &c., &c.
[Untitled]
Charleston,
August 5, 1861.
Mr. Bunch presents his compliments to her Majesty’s under secretary
of state for foreign affairs, and takes leave to enclose to him
herewith certain letters which are intended for the post.
They are principally letters of servants, governesses, &c.,
(British subjects,) which, owing to the discontinuance of the post,
they are unable to send in any other way. Some also contain
dividends, the property of British subjects, which they could
scarcely receive without Mr. Bunch’s intervention.
Mr. Bunch hopes that there is no irregularity in this proceeding. No
expense of postage is incurred by the foreign office, as the bag in
which the letters are contained goes by a private hand to
Liverpool.
Her Majesty’s Under Secretary of
State
For Foreign Affairs.
[Untitled]
Foreign
Office, September 9,
1861.
The undersigned, her Majesty’s principal secretary of state for
foreign affairs, has received a communication from Mr. Adams, envoy
extraordinary and minister plenipotentiary of the United States at
this court, dated the 3d instant, giving some information regarding
the conduct of Mr. Bunch, her Majesty’s consul at Charleston, in the
United States, and requesting, on the part of the government of the
United States, that Mr. Bunch may at once be removed from his
office.
The undersigned will, without hesitation, state to Mr. Adams that in
pursuance of an agreement between the British and French
governments, Mr. Bunch was instructed to communicate to the persons
exercising authority in the so-called Confederate States, the desire
of those governments, that the
[Page 157]
second, third, and fourth articles of the
declaration of Paris should be observed by those States in the
prosecution of the hostilities in which they were engaged. Mr. Adams
will observe that the commerce of Great Britain and France is deeply
interested in the maintenance of the articles providing that the
flag covers the goods, and that the goods of a neutral taken on
board a belligerent ship are not liable to condemnation.
Mr. Bunch, therefore, in what he has done in this matter, has acted
in obedience to the instructions of his government, who accept the
responsibility of his proceedings so far as they are known to the
foreign department, and who cannot remove him from his office for
having obeyed his instructions.
But when it is stated in a letter from some person not named, that
the first step to the recognition of the southern States by Great
Britain has been taken, the undersigned has to decline all
responsibility for such statement.
Her Majesty’s government have already recognized the belligerent
character of the southern States, and they will continue to consider
them as belligerents. But her Majesty’s government have not
recognized, and are not prepared to recognize the so-called
Confederate States as a separate and independent State.
The undersigned requests Mr. Adams to accept the assurance of his
highest consideration.
Charles Francis Adams, Esq., &c., &c., &c.
[Untitled]
Legation of
the United States,
London,
September 13, 1861.
The undersigned, envoy extraordinary and minister plenipotentiary of
the United States, has the honor to acknowledge the reception this
day of two notes from the right honorable Earl Russel, her Majesty’s
principal secretary of state for foreign affairs, both dated the 9th
of September, and both in reply to notes addressed to his lordship
by the undersigned on the 3d instant, touching the case of Mr.
Bunch, her Majesty’s consul at Charleston, and the mode of
transmission of his despatches. The undersigned has the honor to
inform his lordship that copies of these notes will be transmitted
by the next steamer for the consideration of the government of the
United States.
The undersigned requests Earl Russell to accept the assurance of his
highest consideration.
Right Honorable Earl Russell, &c., &c., &c.
