Mr. De Long to Mr. Seward.
Consulate of the United States,
Tangier,
March 5, 1862.
Sir: Since the embarcation of the prisoners,
Myers and Tunstall, I had every reason to believe that the
representatives for foreign governments had failed to do their duty in
reference to their subjects residing at this place, who composed the mob of the 26th ultimo, and who are under their
sole and exclusive jurisdiction, and over whom their power is
unlimited.
The mob was got up in the neighborhood of the residence of the consuls,
in the market place, where they had a table, with pen, ink, and paper,
set out in the middle of the street, signing and pledging themselves in
a solemn manner to force the release of the prisoners in my custody, at
all hazards.
In addition to this, I had no evidence that they had made any attempt to
withdraw their subjects and keep down the mob, until they were directed
to do so by the Moorish minister. I therefore addressed a circular to
all the representatives, asking an explanation upon the illegal act of
their subjects towards the United States consulate; a copy of the same,
with their replies thereto, I have the honor to submit to the
department.
The mob was mostly composed of English, French, Spanish, and Italian
subjects. There was not one Moor engaged in the mob; on the contrary, the Moorish soldiers performed their
duty faithfully.
Through all my trials in connexion with this transaction, Mr. John H.
Drummond Hay, her Britannic Majesty’s minister resident at this place,
although he was strictly neutral, was, at the same time, my true and
faithful friend.
I have the honor to be, sir, your most obedient servant,
Hon. William H. Seward,
Secretary of State.
P. S.—I shall carry with me to the latest period of my life the
scenes of the 26th ultimo. I have heard of barbarian mobs in
barbarian countries, but it is the first time in my life that I have
ever heard of nearly the entire Christian population in a
semi-barbarian country raising a mob to interfere with the acts of a
Christian consul. But thank God that I have overcome all, and
sustained the honor of the American flag.
[Untitled]
Consulate of the United States
of America,
Tangier,
March 1, 1862.
Sir: In the afternoon of the 26th ultimo
the United States consulate was besieged, the American flag
insulted, and my life endangered by an armed mob,
[Page 866]
composed of European subjects residing
here under the protection of representatives from foreign
governments.
The circumstances connected with the history of this outrage lead me
to believe that there was no intervention by any of the
representatives before mentioned to put down the mob until
directions were given by the Moorish minister of foreign
affairs.
If temporary civil war is raging in my beloved country, we still have
a Union and a Constitution, which we will, in God’s name, preserve
and transmit unimpaired to our children and children’s children
through succeeding generations; and a flag known and honored
throughout the world shall not be insulted by a rabble European mob
on the coast of Africa without a proper acknowledgment being made by
those who perpetrated the outrage, or those who connived at it.
Trusting that in your early response to this communication you will
be able to acquit yourself honorably, and enable me to make a
satisfactory report to my government,
I have the honor to be, sir, your most obedient servant,
JAMES DE LONG, United States
Consul,
John Hay Drummond Hay, Esq., Her Britannic Majesty’s Minister Resident,
Tangier.
Hadjoute Pellissier, Esq., Acting French Charge d’Affaires.
S. D’Ehrenhoff, Esq., Swedish Consul General.
Guiseppe De Martino, Esq., Italian Agent and Consul General.
Francisco Mery y Colom, Esq., Spanish Charge d’Affaires.
Jose Manuel Colaco, Esq., Consul General for Portugal.
[Untitled]
British Legation,
Tangier,
March 2, 1862.
Sir: I have the honor to acknowledge the
receipt of your letter of yesterday’s date, acquainting me that on
the 26th ultimo the United States consulate was besieged, the
American flag insulted, and your life endangered by an armed mob of
Europeans, residing here under the protection of the representatives
of foreign governments; and you further state “that the
circumstances connected with the history of this outrage lead you to
believe that there was no intervention by any of the representatives
to put down the mob, until directions were given by the Moorish
minister for foreign affairs.”
In reply, I beg to repeat what I have already had the honor to state
to you verbally, viz: That her Majesty’s consul, Mr. Beade,
previously to the receipt of any message from the minister for
foreign affairs, had, on hearing of the tumult amongst the European
community, taken the necessary steps to prevent any persons under
our jurisdiction from breaking the peace, or in any way interfering
with your acts as consul for the United States.
[Page 867]
On my return from the country, at about 4 p.m., I found the tumult
had been quelled; but I, nevertheless, reiterated the orders which
had already been given by Mr. Beade to British and other subjects
under our jurisdiction.
I avail myself of this opportunity to repeat to you my regret, if any
individual within the pale of our jurisdiction should have taken
part in the proceedings you describe, and which I entirely
disapprove of.
Should you, however, think proper to prosecute any person under the
jurisdiction of the British consulate general, you have only to take
the usual steps for bringing the matter before her Majesty’s
consul.
I have the honor to be, sir, your obedient humble servant,
[Translation]
Sir: I have received the communication
which you have done me the honor to address to me under date of the
1st instant, and regret to learn the scandalous events which gave
rise to insults addressed to you and against the flag of the United
States.
Having no subjects here, my consular jurisdiction is naturally
without power to intervene, but I can assure that if any countrymen
had been in Tangier I would have immediately recalled them to a
sense of their duties, had that been necessary.
It is, however, befitting, sir, in answering your letter, to take up
a passage, the bearing of which seems to me, at the least, strange.
You say, “trusting in your early response to this communication, you
will be able to acquit yourself honorably, &c., &c.” You
ought not to be ignorant, sir, that the case happening, I would only
have to justify myself in the opinion of my own government, and
never towards you, representing a foreign power.
Accept, sir, the assurance of my high consideration.
Mr. De Long,
Consul General of the “United States in
Morocco.
[Translation.]
Agency and Consulate General of
His Majesty the King of Italy,
Tangier,
March 3, 1862.
Sir: I have the honor to acknowledge the
receipt of your despatch of 1st March.
I see, with regret, that you have been collecting, upon the events
which passed on the 26th February, reports which are not exact.
Representative of a free country, I could not hinder my countrymen
from freely expressing their opinion; but as soon as I learned from
the representative of Spain that a mob was going towards your
consulate, fearing some unlawful act, immediately, in accord with
this colleague, I sent all my soldiers, and all employed by me, to
order all Italians to withdraw from the crowd, and to retire, and
all, without exception obeyed my order, and this step was taken by
me, without having received, either before, or afterwards, any
communication on the part of the minister for foreign affairs.
Although convinced that no one of my countrymen went near your
consulate, nevertheless, if you choose to take legal proceedings
against any one, this consulate will hasten to render justice to
your complaint by instituting a judicial investigation.
[Page 868]
I hasten to give you these explanations, animated by the spirit of
conciliation and respect for you, but, at the same time, I have the
honor to tell you that the sole judge of my conduct is my
government, and in that alone do I acknowledge the right to acquit
or censure me.
I have the honor to be your obedient servant,
Mr. De Long,
Consul General of the United States in
Morocco.
[Translation.]
Legation of her Catholic Majesty
in Morocco,
Tangier,
March 2 1862.
The undersigned, charge d’affaires of her Catholic Majesty, has
received the communication which, under yesterday’s date, the consul
general of the United States has pleased to address to him.
The undersigned sees, with regret, that the consul general of the
United States appears not to understand the facts which took place
on the 26th of February last.
Those facts are public, and no one in Tangier is ignorant of the
attitude which, from the beginning of those events, without any
incitement on the part of the authorities of Morocco, the legation
of Spain assumed in respect to her subjects. This attitude grew out
of the reprobation with which the undersigned always has regarded
and always will regard every unlawful act which may tend to abridge,
by intimidation or otherwise, the free action of the representatives
of the Christian powers in Morocco.
Notwithstanding this, the undersigned has the honor to state to the
consul general of the United States that so soon as in the early
hours of the morning of the 26th he could notice the excitement
among the people of the city, he issued suitable preventive orders
to the guard of the Spanish legation that they should not permit
that Spaniards should take any part in any active demonstration.
Later in the day when the undersigned received intelligence that the
mob was going towards the house of the American consulate, the
undersigned sent thither all his guards, suitably armed, with
decided orders, by the employment of force if it should be
necessary, they should send off from thence every subject of her
Majesty there might be among the multitude, and should not allow any
Spaniard to commit the least disrespect to the dwelling of a foreign
agent.
The arrangements of the undersigned, dictated in concert with the
representative of his Majesty Victor Emanuel, who acted in the same
manner, were faithfully carried out.
The undersigned is gratified in also bringing to the view of the
consul general of the United States that if he has special reasons
to believe that any Spaniard participated directly or indirectly in
the act to which, in his communication, he refers, he can make it
known to the undersigned, who will cause the proper judicial
investigation to be made, and if thereby shown to be culpable he
shall be punished.
The undersigned, in giving these explanations to the consul general
of the United States, considers it his duty to state explicitly that
he grounds them solely on the impulse of his sentiment of friendship
and good will towards Mr. De Long.
The undersigned avails of this occasion to reiterate to the consul
general of
[Page 869]
the United
States the expression of his sentiments of distinguished
consideration.
The Consul General
of the United States of America.
[Translation.]
Consulate General of Portugal in
Morocco,
Tangier,
March 3, 1862.
Sir: In view of the note which I had the
honor to receive from you, dated the 1st instant, the contents
whereof I have duly noted, I deem it my duty to place in your hands
the following answer. It is not possible for me, at the moment when
riots and tumults break out in this country out of my sight, to know
whether or not Portuguese subjects are so implicated as to be
subject to be proceeded against in conformity with our laws, unless
the culpable, if such there be, are pointed out to me. I should pass
beyond my attributes to notice upon hearsay riots and tumults,
unless their existence interfere with me or my people, as such
should be made known to the public authority which is competent to
their suppression, but notwithstanding, when, on the 26th day of
February, I was told of the disorders then occurring, I ordered
notice to be given to the small number of my countrymen residing in
this city that they must take good care not to mix up with matters
which did not belong to them. This being done, and being ignorant of
the circumstances you mention relative to the history of the outrage
to which you allude, I find it gratuitous that, directly or
indirectly, any responsibility can be imputed to me in such a
conjuncture, but it would be proper, if you are pleased to prefer an
accusation before me against this or that individual subject to my
jurisdiction, whom you may judge to have been involved in the grave
events which are the subject of your said note, that I should, in
respect to them, take such proceedings as pertain to my duty, adding
that, if I do not mistake the purport of the last paragraph of your
note, I know nothing of any obligations I am under of which I should
honorably acquit myself as towards you, my government being the only
tribunal competent to pass judgment on my actions.
In addressing to you what I have thus said, I avail myself of this
opportunity to reiterate to you, sir, the assurance of my highest
consideration.
Hon. J. De Long,
Consul General of the United States of America
at Tangier.
