Lynchburg Virginian. [volume] (Lynchburg [Va.]) 1829-185?, 1841-12-20
PUBLIC DOCUMENTS.
CORRESPONDENTS RELATING TO THE DE
TENrlON OF AMERICAN VESSELS ON
THEAFRlCAN COAST BY BRITISH ARMED
CRUISERS.
nd Palmersion 10 Mr.. Stevenson.
FOREIGN OrrIcE, Arc

FOREIGN Orricr Areusr 5, 1911
The undersigned her Macsty's Principal Secretary Of
State for Fore Affairs, has received twonotes address
ed to him on the 18th of November 1870 and ON the LIST
OF March last. by Mr.. Stevenson, Envoy Extraordinary
and Munster Plenotentiay Of the United States com
planning OF the search and detention Of the United States
vessel Doneass and OF the Ill treatment of her crew
by Lieutenant Seagram Of her Majcsiy's brio .'Iema
CANT employment on the coast of Africa in snppressinp
the slave trade
In these two communications from Mr. Stevenson il is
stated that on the 2ls October, 1889. Lieutenant Sea
gram boarded the Douglass" while she was pursuing
her voyage the OF Africa examined the shp's
papers and the passengers passports. broke open tho
matches. hauled down the American flag and seized the
vessel as SLAYER; that he kept possession of her during
eight days, namely, from the 2lst October 1889 10 the
2th of the month"; that the officers and men of the
Douglass became i'll from their cN posure To the sun
and that. in consequence. three Of them died. and the
captain Is still IN bad health And MIR. Stevenson ex
presses the confident expectation of the President Of the
United States that her Majesty Government wilmake
prompt PREPARATION for the conduct Of Lieutenant S,apam
in this case. and will take efficient means to prevent the
recurrence of such abuses
The undersigned has, in reply state that pursuance
oi the wish expressed b, Mr. Stevenson ON the pat his
Government strict investigation has by order Of the
Lords Of the Admiralty. been made the particulars of
this case and the result is as follows:
Lieutenant Seagram, commanding her Majesty ship
''lcrmagant. employed IN supprossng the slave trade
on the coast OF Africa, had bccnapprizcd by thccomand
mcnt entered into by that officer with Commander Paine
OF the niiod States Navy for searching and OBTAINING
ships found hadlng in slaves under the United States
flag and Lieutenant Seagram having ON the Dist Octo
Der, 1889 met with the ship Doup lass" CARVING the
ag oi the tnon he boarded her. and made inquiries ms
To the voyage for which she bound Lieutenant Sea
gram was received on board the Douglass" with great
ncvlllty, and dlsinclnation shown reply 10 an,
question relating 10 her voyage; but he asccrained that
she was bound Ia the river Brass and he found ON board
ui her SpluiarlS Mhp u1iu Il, t,t
river, where trade but the slave trade Is carr
ed on.
Lieutenant Seasfam requested to see tina papers of
the ''Donglass but the captain of the Douglass"
could produce custom house clearance. and bad made
an entrance on his log that leaving the Havana he
could not procure one and that he had returned the
harl~r to obtain such paper. but had left the harbor
gam without H. THIS circumstance appeared suspicious
10 Lieutenant Seagram; and, examining the papors
produced by the captain Of the Doug LASS lac found that
the " Douglass was consigned to well known slave
trader, Don Pablo esas, Who then board her,
Il and to whom the shaving vessels "Asp and Lark.
which had been recently condemned for slave trade had
been consigned.
Lieutenant seagram pressed for permission to examine
the hold OF the vessel and the consIsncc gave him per
mission to examine her freight because he conceived il
was projected by the United States flag, and under the
same impression. he acknowledged 10 Lieutenant Sea
gram that her cargo Spanish, and had been shipped
as American solely for the purpose Of avoiding sci
zurc.
The matches Of the vessel having then been opened and
Lieutenant Scagfam having proceeded examine her II
was discovered thai she was fitted out for the slave trade
with lcaguers, hoopa and slaves, slave deck in planks
and three complete slave coppcrs
Lieutenant Seagram reports that under these circunl
stances, he should have sent the " Douglass to the L
ned States to be delivered up to the authorities of that
country, but that he had received orders from the com
handing officer of Her Macstys vessels on the coas OF
Africa not to send any vessels the United States until
he should have been informed what the United
States Government took TO the slave vessels Eagle
and Clara, which had been sent 10 the lned States
by the commanding officer, with view to assist the
American Government in preventing the abuse ofthe ma
tional flag of the tnon
But Lieutenant Seram, not having received any in
formation ON this point at the end Of eight day after the
detention Of the ..Douelass thought il his duty then
to release the Douglass, OBTAINING her longer
or sending her to the United States
rom the facts above stated, there appears little doubt
that If the "Dougass'' had been sent to the United
States, she would have been condemned for trading in
slaves under the flag of the Union And had she been
tried the mixed commission at Sierra Leone the proofs
that the slave Trading voyage which she was engaged
was IN TACT Spanish enterprise were strong enough to
have warranted her condemnation in the British and
, Spanish Courts Spanish SLAYER
With respect 10 the assertion that three men died from
The ELECTS Of exposure 10 the in consequence Of the
detention OF the vessel the undersigned has state that
II appears that the vessel remained her ov account
IN the African two months after her detention by
Lieutenant Seagram and, of her died until
after those two months there seems reason To suppose
that the death of the two in question occasloncd
by the detention Of the vessel by Lieutenant Sea
gram.
it'll rcspoctto the statement that Lieutenant Seagram
ordered the American flag To be hauled down. il
be observed that the master Of the Douglass in his pro
test. declares that he himself. and Lieutenant Sea
gram, ordered the United States flag to be hauled
down.
As to any loss Of provisions Stores il is stated by
tI,f h,
their provisions with them to the Douglass and he
does not assert that they consumed any provisions
belonging To the Douglass that any Of the of
that vessel were lost.
With respect 10 the allegation Of the American master
that the prize crew had sccrced dcnllohn of num-
forming part Of the cargo of the vessel it seems probable
that there is in that allegation because the
matches of the vessel opened and closed again in
the presence of Lieutenant Seagram and no complaint
made TO that officer, either by the the
signce, that any loss damage had been done the
cargo.
Indeed, the master resumng the charge Of his
sell declared TO Lieutenant Scagrn that he had com
plant 10 make.
From the foregoing statement, il will appear that the
visit the search and the detention of the Dougass'' by
Lieutenant Seagram took place under full belief the
part Of that officer, that he pursuing which
would be approved by the Government of the United
States and his conduct towards the of the vessel
hoappears scrupuously to have avoided any which
would justly give cause of offence to n friendly Power
The undersigned has therefore to express the conf
dent hope OF her Majesty Government that upon
sderaon of the whole the Government of the Uni