'No. 4.] Mr. Seward to Mr. Sanford. DEPARTMENT OF STATE, Washington, May 6, 1861. SIR: Herewith I transmit a copy of a despatch of the 24th ultimo, which has been addressed to the several ministers of the United States accredited to the maritime powers whose plenipotentiaries composed the congress of Paris of the 16th April, 1856, calling their attention to the importance of endeavoring to negotiate with those powers conventions upon the subject of the rights of belligerents and neutrals in time of war. The government of Belgium was not represented in the Paris congress; but the negotiation of a similar convention with that government is considered desirable, and you will therefore be governed by the instruction of which I enclose a transcript, and endeavor to effect that object. With this view I herewith send you a full power and a draft of the proposed convention. I am, sir, your obedient servant, HENRY S. SANFORD, Esq., &c., &c., Brussels. WILLIAM H. SEWARD. No. 9.] Mr. Seward to Mr. Sanford. DEPARTMENT OF STATE, Washington, June 21, 1861. SIR: Your despatches (No. 5, dated May 26, and No. 6, of the same date) have been received. We are especially pleased with Mr. De Vrière's just and friendly sentiments in regard to our affairs. You are aware that the declaration of Paris enjoins each of the parties that have signed it not to negotiate any other changes of the law of nations concerning the rights of neutrals in maritime war. We have supposed that this would operate to prevent Great Britain, and probably France, from receiving our accession to the declaration, if we should insist on the amendment proposed by Mr. Marcy, namely, the exemption of private property of non-belligerents from confiscation. But we should now, as the instructions heretofore given you have already informed you, vastly prefer to have that amendment accepted. Nevertheless, if this cannot be done, let the convention be made for adherence to the declaration pure and simple. The feverish excitement which prevailed when you left the country is passing away. Public confidence in the ability of the government to repress the insurrection and preserve the Union is practically restored, and the beneficial result that two months ago seemed problematical is now regarded as only a question of time. I am, sir, your obedient servant, H. S. SANFORD, Esq., &c., &c., Brussels. WILLIAM H. SEWARD. Mr. Seward to Mr. Sanford. No. 11.] DEPARTMENT OF STATE, Washington, June 22, 1861. SIR: Your despatch of the 5th June, (No. 8,) accompanied by a copy of your letter to Mr. De Vrière, on the subject of our proposed adherence to the declaration of the congress of Paris, has been received. We see no reason to doubt the propriety of that communication. I am, sir, your obedient servant, HENRY S. SANFORD, Esq., &c., &c., &c, Brussels. WILLIAM H. SEWARD. Mr. Sanford to Mr. Seward. [Extract.] No. 11.] UNITED STATES LEGATION, SIR: I have not been unmindful of your instructions (No. 2) respecting a .convention for the abrogation of passports for our citizens travelling or sojourning in Belgium. As already intimated in my first despatch, passports are already almost virtually abolished here, the visa being no longer necessary. The usual course of this government in respect to this subject is, upon notification by a government that Belgians are not required to be provided with passports to enter upon or travel within its territories, to exempt equally citizens or subjects of such nations in Belgium. This course has been pursued with Sweden and Holland, and will be soon followed with France and England. In view of the disturbances in our southern States, and the consequent impossibility of assuring entire reciprocity of exemption from passports throughout our territory, I have not deemed it advisable at this time to make any proposition on this subject. I am assured by Mr. De Vrière that, on formal notification that Belgians will not be required to present passports in the United States, the proper authorities here will direct the exemption of citizens of the United States travelling here from the requirement of passports. They would need, however, in case of domicile here, some document to prove their identity. In this connexion, it may not be out of place to refer to a conversation I had some time since on this subject of the abolition of passports, with the officer in charge of that branch of the public service in France. He said that they had already exempted British subjects coming to France from the action of the passport regulations, and had lately made similar exemptions with regard to Sweden, and were about to make the same exemptions with respect to Belgium, and would with most other nations on a footing of reciprocity. This was, however, a purely administrative act, liable to be recalled whenever considered for the interest of the state. They would in no case make a treaty which should bind them to the perpetual abolition of passports vis-a-vis to my nation. In the present aspect of affairs in the United States, they deemed it im portant to have a control over the movements of their citizens to the United States and vice versa of ours in French territory; and deemed the present an inopportune time to make any change in the passport system with respect to the United States. When matters returned to their normal condition, there would be no objection, he said, to suspend their passport regulations for citizens of the United States, and a simple administrative order was all that was necessary on their part, and could be made at any time when deemed expedient. I have the honor to be, with great respect, your most humble servant, Hon. WILLIAM H. SEWARD, H. S. SANFORD. Secretary of State. Mr. Seward to Mr. Sanford. DEPARTMENT OF STATE, No. 12.] Washington, July 8, 1861. SIR: Your despatch of June 22 (No. 9) was duly received. It is, in the main, not unsatisfactory, so far as the subject of our domestic affairs is concerned. In regard to the rights of friendly or neutral powers in maritime war, the subject has become somewhat complicated, and it would be a tedious labor to make a distinct explanation to each of our ministers abroad. I send you instead, confidentially, a copy of my last despatch on this subject to Mr. Dayton. It may serve as a guide to your own conduct in relation to the subject. I am, sir, respectfully, your obedient servant, HENRY S. SANFORD, Esq., Brussels. WILLIAM H. SEWARD. No. 15.] Mr. Sanford to Mr. Seward. LEGATION OF THE UNITED STATES, Brussels, July 18, 1861. SIR: I have the honor to acknowledge the receipt of your despatches Nos. 9, 10, and 11, under dates of the 20th and 22d respectively. I have as yet received no reply from M. De Vrière to my note to him of the 5th ultimo, on the subject of our adhesion to the declaration of the congress of Paris. I referred to it a few days since on the occasion of a visit to the foreign office, and was told that my proposition had been communicated to the French government, and that communication had been made by it to this government of the main points of the note addressed by M. Thouvenel to M. Mercier in the month of May upon this subject of neutral rights. I inferred from this that they were awaiting the result of the communications made to you by the French and English governments through their ministers at Washington. I will take an early opportunity to bring the subject again to the attention of the minister. I have the honor to be, with great respect, your most obedient servant, Hon. WILLIAM H. SEWARD, Secretary of State, &c., &c., &c. H. S. SANFORD. Mr. Seward to Mr. Sanford. No. 20.] DEPARTMENT OF STATE, Washington, July 30, 1861. SIR: The accompanying transcript of an instruction to our minister to Great Britain, dated the 21st instant, and numbered 42, will place you in possession of the views of this government concerning the principle of the law which authorizes the President to close the ports that have been seized by the insurgents. I am, sir, your obedient servant, HENRY S. SANFORD, Esq., &c., &c., &c., Brussels. WILLIAM H. SEWARD. No. 16.] Mr. Sanford to Mr. Seward. LEGATION OF THE UNITED STATES, SIR: I called yesterday at the department of foreign affairs to press again upon the attention of Baron De Vrière the proposition of adhesion to the declaration of Paris, made to him near two months since, and he being out of town, I saw the secretary general, who, as before said, replaces the minister in his absence. In reply to my question whether the government had come to any decision, he said that they were not yet sufficiently informed of the condition of this subject at other courts to give me any positive answer; that while he would not say that they would give a negative one, the policy and acts of Belgium being, as I was aware, doubtless most liberal, yet they did not feel, as a smaller power, justified in taking any step of this nature in advance of their neighbors. I inquired whether there was any other objection to this proposed convention than he had indicated, in order to learn whether the addition of the Marcy proposition was considered an impediment. He said he was not prepared to give any other; that their position with regard to neighboring powers, to whom Belgium owed, in one sense, her nationality, was a delicate one, and they did not feel authorized to take any initiative in negotiations of this character; they left that to those powers who must necessarily have a controlling influence in general politics, It is thus evident that this government will do nothing till after the great powers have decided upon a course of action in this matter. I have the honor to be, with great respect, your most obedient servant, H. S. SANFORD. Hon. WILLIAM H. SEWARD, Secretary of State, &c., &c., &c. P. S.-I open my despatch to acknowledge the receipt of your despatches Nos. 12, 13, and 14, with their respective enclosures, which will have immediate action. No. 22.J Mr. Seward to Mr. Sanford. DEPARTMENT OF STATE, H. S. S. Washington, August 5, 1861. SIR: Your despatch No. 15, dated July 18, has been received. There is no especial urgency on our part for consideration by the Belgium government of our proposition to accede to the declaration of the congress of Paris before the similar propositions submitted to the British and French governments shall have been acted upon by them, although we hold ourselves ready to carry our overtures into effect when the Belgium government shall desire. WILLIAM H. SEWARD. I am, sir, respectfully, your obedient servant, HENRY S. SANFORD, Esq., &c., &c., &c., Brussels. No. 23.] Mr. Seward to Mr. Sanford. DEPARTMENT OF STATE, Washington, August 12, 1861. SIR: Your despatch dated July 3 (No. 11) has been received. I am quite content, under existing circumstances, with the disposition you propose in that paper to make of the subject of passports, and I acquiesce very cheerfully in the views which you take of the importance of vigilance in regard to the movements of disaffected citizens of our own country travelling in Europe. I am, sir, respectfully, your obedient servant, HENRY S. SANFORD, Esq., &., &c., &c., Brussels. WILLIAM H. SEWARD. No. 24.] Mr. Seward to Mr. Sanford. DEPARTMENT OF STATE, Washington, August 21, 1861. SIR: Your despatch of July 30 (No. 16) has been received. I am not disappointed, nor do I think we ought to be dissatisfied, with Mr. De Vrière's reply to your inquiry on the subject of maritime relations. |