To test the character of this offer or suggestion, which he reserved to himself the right to make, I said: suppose your offer or suggestion, if made, shall be refused, what will be the consequences? He said, nothing;" that we would be friends, as we had been before. I told him that I had just seen it stated in the English press that some such offer of mediation was to be made by the three powers, and, in the event of our refusal to accept it, the independence of the south was to be acknowledged. He said that was not so; that no such consequences would follow a refusal upon our part; that things would remain as before. I told him that we should look upon an acknowledgment of the south as but a form of intervention. To this he assented, and said they did not think of intruding into our affairs in any way, or interventing in any form; that their intent would be comprised in the expression of a wish to be useful, if it could be done with the assent of both parties. I told him that the Emperor, at an early day, had expressed such wish, and that he had been willing to act the part of a friend between the two, if they should mutually request it. He said that such was yet his disposition, and nothing more, except that the calamities of this civil war had increased and strengthened the wish on his part. I may add that I said to M. Drouyn de l'Huys, unofficially, however, as I told him, that such an offer, if it should even be made, would come to nothing. The above was the gist of the conversation, although other matters were embraced in it of which I may write you hereafter. As a whole, the conversation was very satisfactory, and I send it to you at once. I am, sir, your obedient servant, His Excellency WILLIAM H. SEWARD, WILLIAM L. DAYTON. Secretary of State, &c., &c., Sr. No. 258.] Mr. Seward to Mr. Dayton. DEPARTMENT OF STATE, Washington, November 21, 1862. SIR: Your despatch of November 6 (No. 220) has been received. The President is very well satisfied with the explanations Mr. Drouyn de l'Huys has given to you of the views of the Emperor in regard to American affairs. The exposition of the views of this government, which you gave to the minister for foreign affairs in return, is approved. You may communicate to him the substance of this despatch. I am, sir, your obedient servant, WILLIAM L. DAYTON, Esq., &c., &c., &c. WILLIAM H. SEWARD. Mr. Mercier to Mr. Seward. [Translation.] LEGATION OF FRANCE TO THE UNITED STATES, SIR: I have received the note you did me the honor to address to me, dated November 21, on the subject of a desire expressed by a number of French settled at the city of New Orleans to leave that place, and to return to Europe without being hindered by the blockade. I thank you for the favorable inclinations you have been pleased to show under these circumstances in favor of those of our nation. To put them in the way of profiting with the least delay of this benefit, I hastened to communicate your reply to the admiral commanding the naval forces of his Majesty in the Gulf of Mexico, and he has just made known to me that the number of French desiring to embark is too considerable to be transported on a vessel-of-war. He therefore suggests to me, as the only means of meeting their wishes, to send a vessel to New Orleans which shall take on board a certain number of delegates of our nation, who shall go to Havana and there charter and equip neutral vessels, which shall proceed to New Orleans under the supervision of a vessel-of-war, and there receive the Frenchmen and their families, after they shall have fulfilled all the conditions which you have indicated to me, and conformed to the obligations imposed by the most strict neutrality. I need not add, sir, that if this plan merits your approval you may rest assured that it will be executed on the part of his Majesty's officers with the most scrupulous care. I profit by this occasion to repeat to you, sir, the assurance of my high consideration. Hon. WILLIAM H. SEWARD, Sr., Sc., &c. HENRI MERCIER. Mr. Seward to Mr. Mercier. DEPARTMENT OF STATE, Washington, December 11, 1861. SIR: I have the honor to acknowledge the receipt of your note of the 7th instant, and to say, in reply, that this government readily accedes to the suggestion you have made in regard to the removal of French citizens from New Orleans to their native country. Any French ship-of-war that you may designate will be at liberty to proceed to the bar of the Mississippi and take on board a convenient number of French subjects, who shall be delegates of the French subjects residing there, and convey them to Havana, where they may charter, engage, and equip vessels of any nation friendly to the United States, and return with them to the bar of the Mississippi, and there receive and convey thence to France any French subjects, with their families, of the same class, and their private personal effects, the equipment, engagement, and charter of such vessels, and the embarkation and departure of such vessels with the returning emigrants to be conducted under the supervision of the officer of the French ship-of-war; it being understood that he will take care that this proceeding shall not be made in any way a means for commercial transactions of any kind, or for the conveyance of any political despatches or correspondence affecting this country, and especially any such correspondence or despatches favorable to the existing insurrection and hostile or injurious to the government of the United States. When you shall have informed me of the naval vessel selected, and her commander, instructions will be given to the blockading squadron to facilitate his operations. I avail myself of this opportunity to renew to you, sir, the assurance of my high consideration. Mr. HENRY MERCIER, &c., &c., &c. WILLIAM H. SEWARD. Mr. Mercier to Mr. Seward. [Translation.] LEGATION OF FRANCE TO THE UNITED STATES, Washington, December 23, 1861. SIR: Upon referring to the note which you did me the honor to address to me on the 11th of this month on the subject of the embarkation of a certain number of French families who desire to leave New Orleans, I hasten to inform you that the admiral commanding the naval forces of his Majesty off the coast of the United States and among the Antilles has designated for the mission agreed upon between the Department of State and this legation either of the two war steamers whose names follow: The Lavoisier, commanded by Mr. Ribonert, captain of a frigate; the Milan, commanded by Mr. Clorie, captain of a frigate. It is not for the admiral to determine precisely at this moment which will be the one that will go to New Orleans, as the selection must depend on the position of the ships of his division which are now in the waters of the Gulf of Mexico; but in any event, it can be only one of the two vessels above designated. I have, then, the honor to request you, sir, to be so good as to expedite the orders necessary for the blockading squadron, so that one or the other may be mitted to fulfil her mission. I seize this occasion, sir, to renew to you eration. Hon. WILLIAM H. SEWARD, &c., &c., &c. per Mr. Seward to Mr. Mercier. DEPARTMENT OF STATE, Washington, December 31, 1861. SiR Adverting to your note of the 23d instant, designating a naval vessel for the purpose of taking certain French families from New Orleans, who are desirous of returning to their native country, I have the honor to inform you that a translation of the note has been transmitted to the Navy Department, with a copy of my note to you of the 11th instant, and that instructions have been given to the flag-officer of the Gulf blockading squadron, William W. McKean, in accordance therewith. I avail myself of this occasion to renew to you, sir, the assurance of my high consideration. WILLIAM H. SEWARD. Mr. HENRY MERCIER, &c., &c., &c. Mr. Mercier to Mr. Seward. [Translation.] LEGATION OF FRANCE TO THE UNITED STATES, Washington, January, 1862. SIR: H. E. M. Thouvenel wrote to me lately to give my attention to the grave considerations which are pressed upon the government of the Emperor by the ills of every kind which weigh upon our commerce and our industry in consequence of the present condition of things in the United States, and has pointed out to me, among others, those which result to our merchants from the interruption of all postal communication with the States subjected to blockade by the federal forces. Upon this subject he cited to me, for example, the fact that important French houses, occupying the best conditions as to solvency, would suddenly find themselves exposed to inability to honor their engagements, by failure of the reception of the heavy remittances due to them from their correspondents established in the southern States, the aggregate of which for the city of New Orleans alone amounts to, at least, six or eight millions of dollars. I cannot doubt, sir, after the promptitude full of kindness which you showed in facilitating to the Frenchmen who needed it the means of leaving New Orleans, that you can be indisposed to give to a condition so painful all the alleviations which circumstances admit. I shall appeal, then, with confidence to your kind attention to an arrangement which might achieve the object to a certain degree, while waiting for affairs to resume their regular current, and which appears to me to contain nothing contrary to the purpose which the cabinet at Washington is pursuing. This arrangement would consist in authorizing the consuls of the Emperor to receive and deliver, upon their responsibility, the correspondence addressed to our countrymen, when, after having perused it, they shall be convinced that it was entirely commercial, and had no relation to any operation which might lead to violation of the blockade. This correspondence should be forwarded, either by the legation or the consulate general at New York, under the seal of office, to our consuls at New Orleans, at Charleston, and at Richmond, and by those to the consulate general at New York, and sent on by vessels-of-war along with the regular official correspondence. It seems to me, sir, that these conditions, which, with all those which it may please you to add, would be observed with most scrupulous care, would suffice to give to the federal government all the guarantees it can desire and they will admit of, at the same time it would in no way impair the efficiency of the blockade, to mitigate the embarrassment it inflicts upon those of our nation. I embrace this occasion, sir, to renew to you the assurances of my high consideration. Hon. WM. H. SEWARD, de., &c., de. HENRI MERCIER. Mr. Seward to Mr. Mercier. DEPARTMENT OF STATE, Washington, January 10, 1862. SIR: I have the honor of acknowledging your note, in which you speak, under instructions from Mr. Thouvenel, of the inconveniences which weigh upon French commerce and industry in consequence of the present condition of things, and especially those evils which result to French merchants from tho interruption of postal communications with the States subjected to blockade by the government of the United States. This communication is so important that I shall find it necessary to submit it to the President for his instructions, as well as to take the opinions of my associates in the cabinet. I pray you to be assured, however, that no unnecessary delay shall be allowed to occur in reaching a solution of the questions you have proposed. I avail myself of this opportunity to renew to you, sir, the assurance of my high consideration. SIR: I have received the despatch which you have done me the honor to write to me, numbered 77, which confirms the news of the restitution of Messrs. Mason and Slidell. You already know what has been the satisfaction which the government of the Emperor has derived from this. I now do myself the pleasure of attesting that the communication which you were instructed to present to the cabinet of Washington was received in the same spirit of cordial frankness that inspired it, and that the government of the Emperor was not mistaken in its expectation of finding the United States maintaining that position upon which they have been a long time in accord with France in defence of the same principles. Receive, sir, the assurances of my high consideration. Mr. HENRI MERCIER, Minister of France at Washington. THOUVENEL. No. 4.] Mr. Thouvenel to Mr. Mercier. [Translation.] DEPARTMENT OF FOREIGN Affairs, SIR: I am in receipt of the despatch you have done me the honor to write to me, (No. 79.) You know, without doubt, already the opinion of the English government on the system which the cabinet of Washington seems to have adopted for closing the ports of the south, and of which it has made the first application to that of Charleston. You know, consequently, how much the British cabinet shows itself averse to this manner of making war. Its feeling is very lively in this respect; and, according to what Lord Cowley has told me, I have room to think that new instructions will be sent to Lord Lyons that he must insist on his precedent observations on this subject. I cannot therefore dispense with informing you how we judge, on our part, the measure to which the federal government has decided to have recourse. Until now what we know of the |