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position, and concluded thereupon to withdraw the army of the Potomac from the Peninsula, and to combine all our forces in front of Richmond. The measure was a difficult and delicate one. It is believed to have been substantially accomplished without any casualty. Our new levies are coming in in great numbers and in fine spirits. The gloom has passed away from the public mind. Although our arrangements for resuming offensive operations are yet incomplete, we have much confidence in being able to do so speedily and with decisive effect.

The disturbed condition of affairs in New Orleans is giving way slowly, and commerce is reviving there.

Discontents, which naturally enough found utterance in the loyal States in a brief season of despondency through which we have passed, have died away already, and with them the apprehensions of organizations to embar rass the Union. It is represented to us that the popular determination to maintain the war has at no time been as unanimous and as earnest as it is

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SIR: I have the honor to acknowledge the reception in due course, since the date of my last, of despatches from the department numbered 305 to 318, both inclusive, together with one marked confidential, and not numbered, dated the 2d of August.

The tenor of these papers, and especially of Nos. 308, 314, and of that marked "confidential," is such as completely to answer the purposes of my inquiries. I am now in no doubt as to the course it will be my duty to pursue under any of the contingencies which are likely to occur.

In the meantime the state of things here is not materially changed. The ministers have, most of them, left town, and little is done excepting the formal business ordinarily transacted through the agency of the subordinates left in charge. For this reason I have been in some doubt how to proceed in executing the instructions contained in No. 306, of the 24th of July, and in No. 316, of the 4th of August, so far as they relate to objects to be gained by personal conference with the minister. On the whole, I have determined upon formal action in the first place, the nature of which will be more fully set forth in separate despatches devoted to the respective subjects. The character of the news received from America is regarded as so unfavorable to us as materially to affect the views of policy proper to be adopted here. It is now hoped that the rebels will be able to sustain themselves without the necessity of any other than moral support. This sensibly relieves us from the immediate probability of movement in any form. You will have seen before this the publication made by Lord Russell of your despatch No. 260, a copy of which I communicated to him so long ago as the 19th of June last, and also of his own note to Mr. Stuart, of the 28th of July, taking notice of it. The whole proceeding must be admitted to be not a little anomalous. His lordship received a copy of the paper from me, which was furnished only for his information and for that of his government. He holds it for more than a month without even acknowledg ing its existence, when all of a sudden, on intimation of the probability of a

call for information in the House of Lords, he seizes the occasion not to write to me, but to address a species of reply to Mr. Stuart, at Washington, based upon the intelligence received of some reverses in America, which seem then, for the first time, to be caught at as a justification for continuing: in the old line of policy, and then causes both to be published forthwith. This singular proceeding has subjected his lordship to some sharpness of criticism even here.

I have indeed been told, but not by authority such as to place the matter altogether beyond a doubt, that your despatch, in connexion with preceding . ones likewise communicated, and other considerations, had had so much effect on the ministry as to incline them to leave open a way to the revisal of their former policy, depending on the issue of the movement upon Richmond. Had that been successful, the recognition of belligerent rights was to have been withdrawn. I do not vouch for this as true, but, at any rate, it would fully explain the cause, both of the earlier delay and of the later action.

I have the honor to be, sir, your obedient servant,

Hon. WILLIAM H. SEWARD,

CHARLES FRANCIS ADAMS.

Secretary of State, Washington, D. C.

Mr. Adams to Mr. Seward.

No. 210.]

LEGATION OF THE UNITED STATES,

London, August 22, 1862.

SIR: In obedience to instructions contained in your despatch No. 312, I have addressed a note to Earl Russell, a copy of which is herewith transmitted, giving the assent of the government to the propositions made by him for better securing the proper execution of the late treaty in suppression of the slave trade.

I have the honor to be, sir, your obedient servant,

Hon. WILLIAM H. SEWARD,

CHARLES FRANCIS ADAMS.

Secretary of State, Washington, D. C.

Mr. Adams to Earl Russell.

LEGATION OF THE UNITED STATES,

London, August 22, 1862.

MY LORD: I have the honor to inform your lordship that I have now received instructions from the government of the United States to reply to the note received by me from you on the 17th of July, making certain propositions connected with the execution of the sixth and seventh articles of the late treaty for the further suppression of the slave trade.

I am directed to say that, in accordance with your lordship's suggestion made in that note, the government will issue passports or safe conducts in the cases specified of vessels of the United States legally employed on the African coast, which will, until further notice, be signed only by the Secretary of State of the United States. Instructions proper for executing this new arrangement, so far as British vessels are concerned, will likewise be

immediately given to regulate the action of naval commanders of the United States accordingly.

I pray your lordship to accept the assurances of the highest consideration with which I have the honor to be, my lord, your most obedient servant, CHARLES FRANCIS ADAMS.

Right Hon. EARL RUSSELL, &c., &c., &c.

Mr. Seward to Mr. Adams.

No. 331.]

DEPARTMENT OF STATE,

Washington, August 25, 1862.

SIR: Your despatch of the 7th of August, No. 205, has been received. Before its arrival the correspondence of Earl Russell with the Liverpool merchants, which accompanied the despatch, had reached us through the foreign press, and has been published here.

The position taken in it by her Majesty's government, when it is considered in connexion with antecedent events, is regarded by the President with much satisfaction.

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SIR: Since the date of my last, I have received from the department despatches Nos. 319 and 320.

The most interesting events of the week are connected with the movements of Garibaldi in southern Italy. It is obvious thus far that the popular sympathy is entirely with him, and that it affects even the military and naval forces directed by the government against him. The effect of this state of things upon the relations of France and Great Britain is so much apprehended as to give rise to uneasiness on both sides of the channel. The first indication of it here is the sudden return of Lord Russell to London. This may, however, be likewise connected with the fact of the approaching departure of the Queen to the continent. I do not as yet apprehend any immediate consequences to the peace of Europe. There are so many reasons operating upon all the Powers to deter them from active measures that every · means will be resorted to for the purpose of escaping the difficulty. At the same time it is not to be disguised that the position of the French Emperor is becoming more and more critical every day, both at home and abroad. Any attempt to take the settlement of the Italian embroglio into his own hands will be likely to involve him in embarrassments far more ruinous than he has ever encountered before. On the other hand, the overthrow of the present arrangement is almost equally dangerous. The rapid march of events will so soon dispose of this matter as to render mere speculation upon it superfluous. The temporary effect on the interests of the United States is rather one of relief, as the public attention is diverted from our affairs. The idea of intervention seemes rather to lose than gain strength

with the progress of events. And, although the spirit in England cannot be said to be in any degree changed, it seems rather to waste itself in abstract lamentation on the existence of a remote evil, than to gather force for any particular mode of dealing with it.

I am glad to learn that the desired addition of volunteers will soon be in the hands of the government. The spirit with which the country has met the great trials of this struggle is admirable. Severe as has been the disappointment in the issue of what was reasonably expected to be the termination of the contest, I cannot perceive that its conditions have, as yet, been materially modified by that event. In the end it may perhaps be fortunate that the whole of it should be concentrated at a single point, and that point the seat of the rebel authority. With unity of direction and concert in execution it may be hoped that the operations of our superior forces will command ultimate success. Uncertain as is proverbially the fortune of war, it seldom fails to crown the efforts of a persevering people willing to learn wisdom from experience.

I have the honor to be, sir, your obedient servant,

Hon. WILLIAM H. SEWARD,

CHARLES FRANCIS ADAMS.

Secretary of State, Washington, D. C.

Mr. Adams to Mr. Seward.

No. 214.]

LEGATION OF THE UNITED STATES,
London, September 4, 1862.

SIR: Since the date of my last despatches from the department have been received, numbering from 321 to 327, both inclusive, and likewise printed circulars Nos. 18 and 19, of the 8th of August, relating to passports and emigrants.

Lord Russell came to town a few days ago, and sent me a note requesting to see me. I went, accordingly, on Saturday last. He said he wanted to make some observations to me in connexion with the case of the steamer Adela, the capture of which had given rise to some questions at Washington. These related to three points, the appeal to any list of suspected vessels that might be in the hands of the officers as ground of capture, the propriety of making a prior examination, and the securing the contents of mail bags. On all of them he admitted that you had already agreed to a plan to remedy the difficulties for the future, which was perfectly satisfactory. He then remarked that in the accounts given of the capture, the commander was reported to have quoted me as justifying his course on the ground that Lord Palmerston had told me we might catch such vessels if we could. He then read from a note of his lordship's in his hands a request to call my attention to this statement and a disclaimer of any such language, and a very calm and reasonable statement of what he recollected to have said on the only occasion when he had conversed with me on the subject. I immediately replied by disavowing ever having attributed to his lordship any such words. So far as I could remember the facts at this distance of time, the conversation referred to had grown out of the arrival of the James Adger, about the objects of which he desired to ask me. After mentioning the Nashville, I had alluded to the Gladiator, a steamer then about to sail from London with contraband of war for rebel ports, and said that in my interview with the captain of the Adger I had advised him on his way home to look out for the latter vessel and catch her if he could. To this course I presumed his lord

ship would have no objection. To this remark Lord Palmerston had replied substantially as explained in his note just read. It was now so long since the conference that this was all I could recall of it at the moment, but I had a copy of my despatch on the subject home, which would give the facts more certainly. The only thing which surprised me about the matter was how the commander of the vessel came to quote me at all, for I had no communication with him, nor indeed with any one else, on that subject, excepting through the regular official channel, as I had already mentioned it. Here the conversation dropped, and no other topic was started by his lordship. I seized the opportunity, however, briefly to give the substance of your despatch (No. 306) of the 24th of July, touching the restrictions imposed at New York upon the trade with Nassau, and to offer to furnish his lordship copies of the correspondence attached to it. His lordship observed that some of the articles referred to in the letter of the collector seemed to be contraband of war, thereby apparently distinguishing these from the general restriction. He said he should be glad to receive the copies. I have since transmitted them, together with others on the same subject, received the next day with your despatch (No. 326) of the 15th of August, in a note of the 1st of September, a copy of which is sent herewith.

Mr. Milner Gibson was present throughout the interview. This was owing to the fact the new commercial treaty with Belgium, in which both were empowered to take part, was just in the process of receiving the signatures.

His lordship, who seemed quite amiable, remarked to me that he presumed I was now quite at ease in regard to any idea of joint action of the European powers in our affairs. I laughed, and said that I was in hopes that they all had quite too much to occupy their minds in the present condition of southern Europe to think of troubling themselves with matters on the other side of the Atlantic. This was in allusion to the affair of Garibaldi, which is known to have much stirred the governments on both sides of the channel.

His lordship then notified me of his departure for Germany for a few weeks, in attendance upon the Queen, during which time Mr. Layard would be ready to attend to any business I might desire to present.

I have the honor to be, sir, your obedient servant,

Hon. WILLIAM H. SEWARD,

CHARLES FRANCIS ADAMS.

Secretary of State, Washington, D. C.

Mr. Adams to Earl Russell.

LEGATION OF THE UNITED STATES,
London, September 1, 1862.

MY LORD: I have the honor to transmit copies of papers explaining the measures taken at the New York custom-house to regulate the exportation of merchandise to Nassau, to which I referred in our conference of Saturday last. Since that time I have received a later despatch from my government, covering other papers relating to the same subject. Copies of these I likewise submit.

Renewing the assurances of my highest consideration, I have the honor to be, my lord, your most obedient servant, CHARLES FRANCIS ADAMS.

Right Hon. EARL RUSSELL, &c., &c., &c.

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