Mr. Seward to Mr. Dayton
Sir: Your despatch of June 22 (No. 317) has been received. So much of it as relates to international postal arrangements has been communicated to the Postmaster General.
Fresh rumors of imperial sympathy with the insurgents of this country, and of intentions of the cabinet at Fontainebleau to renew its propositions for moral action of European governments in our domestic affairs, preceded the arrival of your despatch, and now borrow a certain measure of confirmation from it. Whatever truth there may be in these reports, it is morally certain that they are promulgated, not by the French government, but by emissaries of the insurgents in Europe, for the purpose of producing the intervention they threaten us with. The rumors may, therefore, be received with much allowance. The government of the United States, with unanimity unprecedented in its councils, has already, inoffensively, and with becoming [Page 752] respect, made known to the Emperor of the French that any new demonstration of activity by him prejudicial to the unity of the American people would be necessarily regarded as unfriendly, and will produce a strain upon the fraternal bonds that have so long united the two countries. We should profoundly regret a proceeding that would be followed by such a consequence.
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I am, sir, your obedient servant,
William L Dayton, Esq., &c., &c., &c.