Mr. Dayton to Mr. Seward
Sir: I wrote you some time since that I had unofficially, at the request of Messrs. Aspinwall & Forbes, asked Mr. Drouyn de l’Huys if there would be any objection to the quotation of our stocks on the French bourse. I have not yet had any definite answer, though Mr. Drouyn de l’Huys said they (the ministers) had taken up the subject in council, and his intimation was that they were rather opposed to it. The granting of this right was, as he said, a mere arbitrary act, and we had not been very complying in sundry small matters towards them, viz., granting the right to export to Mexico; and Mr. Corwin, he added, has refused to take charge of the legation of France, in Mexico, when their minister was about to leave; which was, he said, a common act of international courtesy. I told him that if this privilege (quoting our stocks on their bourse) should be denied, I hoped it would be put on no such ground. That it would surprise us very much to learn that France thought we had not been complaisant and accommodating towards them. That, in respect to exports for Mexico, I knew no more than I had previously said to him; and, as respects the action of Mr. Corwin, I knew nothing of it; but if he had declined to take charge of the French legation at Mexico, I had no doubt he had done so, fearing that, in the existing state of things, it might tend to some unpleasant complications; and that I, acting under the same impulse, had, on a like application, refused, at first, to take charge of the Mexican legation here, and that that legation in Paris had, consequently, been left in the hands of the minister from Peru. This seemed to strike him, and he asked if he could mention it. I told him he could, but I must inform him, at the same time, that, after advising with others, and satisfying myself that it was a mere act of international courtesy, involving no consequence that a belligerent could complain of, I would have been willing to take charge of that legation, and so informed its minister; but that, under all the circumstances, he then thought it would be better to leave its affairs in the hands of the representatives of another government. * * * * * *
After reading this extract I told Mr. Drouyn de l’Huys that it seemed to me a little hard that, under such a condition of things, France, too, should be finding fault with us! He made a memorandum of the letter, date, &c.
Mr. Drouyn de l’Huys then said there was to be another session of ministers on Saturday; and he asked me if I would not put the application for their consideration in a formal and official shape? I told him I could not do so; that my government had not applied for a loan abroad, and I had no authority from it to make an application for leave to have its stocks [Page 743] quoted here; that it was altogether unofficial and personal, and growing out of reasons I had theretofore stated. He then seemed to concede that I could not properly put it in a more formal and official shape, and said he would again present it for consideration in the shape it was.
Messrs. Aspinwall and Forbes are yet here waiting the result of this application.
I am, sir, your obedient servant,
Hon. William H. Seward, Secretary of State.