Mr. Harvey to Mr. Seward.
Sir:Our consul at Gibraltar communicated to me the following information, in a letter dated the 26th of September, which reached here last evening:
“I have just received the following from our consul at Malta, under date of the 21st instant:
“‘An armed bark-rigged confederate steamer was seen off Sicily yesterday morning. She had three masts.’”
As none of our ships-of-war are now in these waters I could do nothing more than send a telegram (herewith enclosed) to Mr. Sanford, at Brussels, in the hope of reaching the Niagara or Sacramento, both of which were recently reported by the newspapers to be at Antwerp and Flushing. I am wholly ignorant of the whereabouts of the Iroquois.
It is much to be regretted that no system has been devised by which the diplomatic representatives of the government should be informed of the movements of the national ships which have been sent abroad to protect our exposed interests. Nothing would be more simple or easy of execution if the subject could receive the serious attention which it deserves, for the proper application of existing means is all that is needed. Exigencies like the present one frequently occur, and cannot be efficiently met, because no concerted plan for interchanging information between our civil and military agents has been adopted.
There are now three fine ships-of-war in Europe, and I find myself quite unable to communicate directly with either of them, from ignorance of their movements, and that, too, when their service is immediately demanded. So it was when the Florida lately appeared at the Azores, and could have been intercepted by prompt measures, which it was found impossible to adopt for the reason already stated.
This cause of embarrassment must continue to harass commerce and other interests until the necessary steps are taken to organize the naval force now in [Page 320] Europe, and to require it to be in regular communication with those who are intrusted with another sphere of duty, the success of which materially depends upon its hearty and active co-operation.
I have the honor to be, sir, your obedient servant,
Hon. William H. Seward, Secretary of State.