Mr. Dayton to Mr.
Seward
No. 447.]
Paris,
April 7, 1864.
Sir: Your despatches, Nos. 507, 508, and 509,
are duly received.
I am specially annoyed by the facts stated in despatch No. 509. If there
be any mode of punishing the author of the unprincipled and dishonest
fabrication of the report attributed to Mr. Mallory, I hope it will be
done.
Acting under your instructions, I not only communicated to Mr. Drouyn de
l’Huys the extracts from the spurious report which you first sent me,
but subsequently handed to him the entire report which was also received
from you or your department.
[Page 65]
I have daily been expecting from him a reply, as these papers, at his
request, were left with him for that purpose.
I observe that Earl Russell, yesterday, in his place in Parliament,
informed the house that Mr. Adams had told him that this pretended
report was a forgery, and this statement is already copied in the French
newspapers.
I have seen Mr. Drouyn de l’Huys to-day for the first time since the
reception of your despatch, and immediately told him you were satisfied
a fraud had been practiced upon the public and on our government in
reference to this paper. He had evidently not attached much importance
to the subject, as I had some difficulty in recalling to his mind what
paper I was alluding to. I was the more surprised at this, as I left the
papers with him, as before said, at his own request, he meaning, as I
inferred, to give a written answer.
The confederates will take special pains to create the impression that a
fraud has been practiced by our government, and not a fraud upon it. The
spirit manifested will be seen in the annexed slip from their English
organ, the “Index,” cut from Galignani, of this morning, in which, by
the way, all that is evil and against us is always promptly copied.
I am, sir, your obedient servant,
Hon. William H. Seward
Secretary of State, &c.
[From the Index.]
Meddle and Muddle.—Some curious revelations
have come to our knowledge about the remonstrance which her
Majesty’s government has announced its intention to address to that
of the Confederate States, upon the basis of an alleged report of
the confederate secretary of the navy, which is denounced by the
confederates in Europe as a forgery. It will be remembered that the
recall of three of the four British consols within the confederate
jurisdiction, and the dismissal by the confederate government of the
fourth and last remaining, left the foreign office no alternative
but to communicate with the authorities at Richmond by a special
envoy. For this delicate mission Mr. Crawford, her Majesty’s
consul-general at Havana, was selected, and it must be admitted that
in this selection Earl Russell displayed far more tact and
discretion than he has of late been able to claim credit for. Mr.
Crawford, both before and since the war, has been well and favoraby
known in the southern States, and is universally esteemed there. Few
persons, therefore, could have been found better adapted to
discharge so disagreeable a duty without giving offence. Before,
however, proceeding in person to Richmond, he was instructed to
acquaint the confederate government with the nature of his
communication, and ascertain whether it would be received. For this
purpose the steamer Petrel was sent to a confederate port, but was
peremptorily refused admission by the federal blockading squadron,
on the ground that no direct communication with the confederate
authorities by a foreign government could be permitted. Here the
matter stands at present, and it leaves Earl Russell in no very
agreeable or dignified dilemma.
It is generally believed in confederate circles that the object of
the Washington government is to delay as long as possible the
official exposure of the forgery, which must inevitably ensue on the
presentation of a remonstrance based upon a document to which the
name of the confederate secretary of the navy is fraudulently
appended.
