No. 258.] Mr. Seward to Mr. Bigelow. [Extract.] DEPARTMENT OF STATE, Washington, September 7, 1865. * SIR: With the decline of the civil war in the United States the press, as well at home as abroad, finds its news materially abridged. Hence we have incidents, in themselves unimportant, magnified into indications of solemn state purposes, and loosely drawn and conjectured speculations of forthcoming grave events. The affair at Cherbourg belongs to this class of subjects. This government has taken no thought of it, and has not been disposed to invest it with any the least amount of interest, and of course has no wounded sensibility about it. The government of Great Britain still maintains its twenty-four-hour rule in regard to our ships-of-war in British ports, and we have expressed our opinion and announced our course in relation to that discourtesy. France has not announced that she intends to maintain that rule, but has left us to infer the contrary, although British agents represent that her course is identical with that of Great Britain. We have taken no notice of those statements. We intend neither to seek for controversies nor to give voluntary offence to maritime powers, and we therefore are not looking about us for affronts or indications of disrespect. I am, sir, your obedient servant, JOHN BIGELOW, Esq, &c. &c., &c. WILLIAM H. SEWARD. No. 260.] Mr. Seward to Mr. Bigelow. DEPARTMENT OF STATE, Washington, September 8, 1865. SIR: Mr. Drouyn de Lhuys has instructed the Marquis de Montholon to propose to this government a modification of the terms exacted from the Japanese by the three powers in the treaty, which followed the hostilities jointly undertaken by them, for the purpose of overcoming the resistance to the free passage of the Strait of Simonoseki. I enclose a translation* of an abstract of the instruction, which abstract the marquis has left with me for consideration. Though on its face the proposition which it contains does not seem to offer any serious objection, it is preferred that, if practicable, the adjustment desired should be made at Paris, especially as both England and France are more largely interested in this particular matter than we are, and the English minister at Paris, being so near home, can act under full instructions from his government. The subject is consequently commended to your best discretion. Although it may be desirable that the affair should be disposed of without delay, so far as we are concerned there is an important element to be taken into consideration, which, if the business were to be settled at once by the executive authority of the United States, wouid not make that settlement legally binding. The treaty itself has not yet been submitted to the United States Senate. This is indispensable on any instrument of the kind, even one which does not impose an obligation on us, or which does not, like the one in question, contain a stipulation for an exchange of ratifications. You will, of course, mention this to Mr. Drouyn de Lhuys. I am, sir, your obedient servant, JOHN BIGELOW, Esq., &c., &c., &c. * WILLIAM H. SEWARD. For enclosure see correspondence with French Legation, current series. No. 271.] Mr. Seward to Mr. Bigelow. DEPARTMENT OF STATE, Washington, September 25, 1865. SIR: I have received your despatch of the 2d instant, No. 168, enclosing copies of the replies which you made, in compliance with my instructions, to the letters of condolence and sympathy which were inspired by the death of the late President, and addressed to this government by various political and social organizations in France. In reply, I beg that you will accept my thanks for the prompt and efficient manner in which you performed the duty assigned to you, and I desire, at the same time, to inform you of my high appreciation of the communications which you have been pleased to submit to me as the result of your labor. I am, sir, your obedient servant, JOHN BIGELOW, Esq., &c., &c., &c. WILLIAM H. SEWARD. No. 182.] Mr. Bigelow to Mr. Seward. UNITED STATES LEGATION, SIR: In compliance with the instructions contained in your despatch No. 212, I addressed a communication to Mr. Drouyn de Lhuys, of which enclosure No. 1 is a copy. I have this day received in reply a communication, of which enclosure No. 2 is a copy and No. 3 is a translation. His excellency admits the unequal operation of the French tariff on hops, but declines to make that article the subject of negotiations until both countries are prepared to subject their common custom-house relations to a general review. This intimation confirmed an impression which I have formed and had the honor to communicate to you in my despatch No. 179, that this government is not indisposed to enter into new and closer commercial relations with the United States if its political relations with us take a satisfactory direction. * I am, sir, with great respect, your very obedient servant, JOHN BIGELOW. Hon. WILLIAM H. SEWARD, Secretary of State. [Enclosure No. 1.] Mr. Bigelow to Mr. Drouyn de Lhuys. LEGATION OF THE UNITED STATES, SIR: I have the honor to transmit to your excellency a copy of a letter which has been received by my government from a producer and exporter of hops in the United States, in which it is stated that while the duty upon hops imported into France from other States has been very materially reduced, the former high duty is still imposed upon that product when imported from the United States. This provision which acts as a prohibition against American hops in the markets of France is not considered to be either advantageous to the imperial revenue or to the general interest of the dealers in this article. I am, therefore, instructed to call the attention of the Emperor's government to this matter, and to request such a modification of the present system as may, in their opinion, be best calculated to serve the mutual interests of the two nations. I avail myself of this occasion to renew to your excellency assurances of the high consideration with which I have the honor to be your excellency's very obedient servant. M. DROUYN DE LHUYS, Minister of Foreign Affairs, Paris. JOHN BIGELOW. [Enclosure No. 3.-Translation of No. 2.] Mr. Drouyn de Lhuys to Mr. Bigelow. PARIS, October 6, 1865. SIR: You were so kind to transmit to me on the 28th of August last, by calling my particular attention to a claim made by one of your countrymen about the high duties imposed upon American hops on their entrance into France. M. Herschel observes that hops coming from that country continue to pay the tax of fifty-four francs per one hundred kilogrammes which is inscribed on the general tariff of French customs, whilst, by virtue of commercial treaties recently concluded with Germany, Belgium, and England, the similar products of those countries have only to pay twenty-four francs. You add, sir, that in the commercial interests of both countries it would be well to do away with this inequality. I do not hesitate to admit, sir, that the last modifications which were made in our tariffs by negotiations created a situation that was unfavorable for hops, as well as for other and not less important products of the United States. I do not think it necessary to add that the government of the Emperor would see with pleasure the possibility of immediately extending to the natural and manufactured products of America the benefit of the reductions of tariff accorded to the principal European nations. But, at the same time, I beg permission to observe that such important measures can only be realized by a treaty negotiated in a diplomatic form, and stipulating in the interest of the two countries mutual reductions of duties. The question of the tariff on hops, however interesting it may be for American producers, cannot be treated separately, and its solution should be deferred to a moment when it will be deemed opportune to subject the system of our maritime and commercial relations with the United States to a general inquiry. Accept the assurances of the high consideration with which I have the honor to be, sir, your very humble and very obedient servant, Mr. BIGELOW, United States Minister at Paris. DROUYN DE LHUYS. No. 287.] Mr. Hunter to Mr Bigelow. DEPARTMENT OF STATE, Washington, October 19, 1865. SIK: Referring to your despatch of the 28th of March last, No. 66, relative to the claim of the Arizona Mining Company against France, on account of the seizure of a quantity of powder on the schooner William L. Richardson, I now transmit to you a copy of a communication of the 17th instant, from Messrs. Lewis & Cox, attorneys for that company. As it appears from the evidence that the powder in question was not intended for hostile purposes, and was destined to a place within the jurisdiction of the United States, I must request you to submit the claim to the reconsideration of the imperial government, and to support it by such arguments as the facts of the case may, in your judgment, warrant. I am, sir, your obedient servant, W. HUNTER, Acting Secretary. JOHN BIGELOW, Esq., &c., &c., &c. No. 190.] Mr. Bigelow to Mr. Seward. LEGATION OF THE UNITED STATES, SIR: In compliance with your instruction No. 260, of the 8th of September, I addressed a communication, of which enclosure No. 1 is a copy, to their excellencies the minister of foreign affairs and Lord Cowley. Monsieur Drouyn de Lhuys said to me verbally that he would see Earl Cowley, and if the British government was disposed, as he inclined to think it was, to demand the pecuniary indemnity from the Japanese government, he would call us together for a conference without delay. The honorable Mr. Grey, chargé d'affaires of the British legation, in the absence of Lord Cowley, called upon me to say that he had submitted my communication to Earl Russell for instructions, and had been directed to say that the British minister at Yedo had been instructed to report at once and fully upon the subject, and that further action thereon by her Majesty's government would be suspended until the receipt of his report, expected in about a month. He intimated that there was a disposition to have the open ports instead of a pecuniary indemnity, if practicable. I am, sir, with great respect, your obedient servant, Hon. WILLIAM H. SEWARD, JOHN BIGELOW. Secretary of State. [Enclosure No. 1.] Mr. Bigelow to Mr. Drouyn de Lhuys. LEGATION OF THE UNITED STATES, Paris, October 13, 1865. The undersigned, envoy extraordinary and minister plenipotentiary of the United States of America, presents his compliments to his excellency the minister of foreign affairs, and has the honor to transmit to his excellency a copy of a despatch received from the Secretary of State of the United States, by which the undersigned is instructed to assist, on behalf of his government, in the adjustment or modification of the terms to be exacted from the Japanese by the three western powers named in the treaty which followed the hostilities jointly undertaken by them for the purpose of overcoming the resistance to the free passage of the Strait of Simonosakı. The undersigned will be happy to wait upon and confer with his excellency the minister of foreign affairs whenever, in his excellency's opinion, a conference would promote the objects contemplated by the enclosed instructions. The undersigned avails himself of this occasion to renew to his excellency the minister of foreign affairs the assurance of the high consideration with which he has the honor to be his excellency's very obedient and very humble servant, Mr. Bigelow to Mr. Seward. JOHN BIGELOW. No. 192.] LEGATION OF THE UNITED STATES, Paris, October 28, 1865. SIR: I have the honor to enclose an address,* numerously signed by citizens of Caen, which, by the request of the subscribers, I transmit to you to be laid before the President. The delay in the transmission of the docu *See Appendix, separate volume. ment is sufficiently explained in the letter to me which accompanied it, and of which I enclose a translation and my reply. I am, sir, with great respect, your obedient servant, Hon. WILLIAM H. SEWARD, JOHN BIGELOW. Secretary of State. [Enclosure No. 3 to despatch No. 192.] CAEN, CALVADOS, October 20, 1865. SIR: At the first news of the assassination of President Lincoln we had circulated the ad dress which we send you so late to-day. This address was covered with the signatures of the most prominent persons of our city, and names collected from all classes of society. Wishing to add to the number, one of our friends took the address and caused it to pass from hand to hand, and finally it was mislaid for several months. It was impossible to think of asking for so many signatures over again, but happily we succeeded in finding the paper, and now hasten to send it to you. We think, indeed, that it is never too late to testify once more the sympathy of the French people for the American people, and to add our felicitations to your President Johnson upon the re-establishment of the Union in a manner at once so conciliating and so energetic, so firm and so lawful. Thus America gives to the Old World a great and noble lesson. Among us a powerful general, commanding nearly a million of soldiers, would have profited by that crime to proclaim that it was necessary to save the republic by a dictatorship, and he would at last have destroyed it for the profit of personal ambition. With you the Constitution has been respected with a sublime simplicity. Grant, Sherman, and all your generals remain simple citizens, but great citizens. We thank them; we thank your President and your noble American people for giving to us at this day the spectacle of the many virtues of the bright days of the Roman republicto us, people of the Latin race, who have now before our eyes only Octaviuses without vigor, tottering in their buskins while trying to play the part of worn-out Cæsars amid the suppressed jars of Europe. Hail, then, to Johnson, to Grant, to Sherman! Hail to all your citizens, and heaven grant that they may send back to France with the winds of ocean-with its tempests, if need bethose powerful blasts of liberty which it sent to them a century ago at its first awakening. We salute you fraternally. EDWARD TALBOT, Proprietor. Mr. BIGELOW, Minister Plenipotentiary of the [Enclosure No. 4 to despatch No. 192.] Mr. Bigelow to Mr. Talbot LEGATION OF THE UNITED STATES, SIR: I have the honor to acknowledge the receipt of your letter dated October 20, and of the address of the citizens of Caen to President Johnson, by which it was accompanied. I will at once give to this address the direction you have indicated. I thank you for the sympathy for my country and its government, of which you have been kind enough to send me this expression, and I beg that you will convey my acknowledgments to those who have joined you in it. Accept, sir, the assurance of my most distinguished consideration. Monsieur EDWARD TALBOT, Caen, Colvados. JOHN BIGELOW. |