The Lansing state Republican. [volume] (Lansing, Mich.) 1855-1874, 1861-05-22
THE SECRETARY OF STATE To MIR
DAYTON.
No. ~
DEPARTMENT OF STATE,
WASHINGTON Nav T. 1851.

WAsHINGroN, May 4, 1851.
SIR The dispatches of your predecessor,
numbers lit, l1S aud l2O, have been received.
The latter, acknowledging the receipt of your
letter of recall, and announcing his Intended re-
turn, requires no special notice. No III bears
the date Of 5th Of April last. 1t contains only
an exposition OF Mr. Faulkner's views of the policy
which this government ought to pursue in re-
gard to the disturbed condition of affairs ut home
but at the same time gives US no information con-
cerning the state of affairs in France.
The instructions heretofore transmitted to
you will show you the Presidents views on the
subject Mr.. Faulkner has discussed, and these
will be your guide, notwithstanding any differ
ent opinions your predecessors may have ex-
pressed, or lett on record at Paris.
No. ll9 bears date of the 18th of April last,
sation and also of an unofficial one, held be-
and contains a report Of an official convsr-
tween Mr.. Faulkner and N. Thouvenel. In the
former conversation, NJ. Thouvenel asked Mr..
Faulkner whether there il not some diversity OF
opinion in the Catinet Of the President as to the
mode Of meeting the difficulties Viii, now dis
turb the relations of the States and the General
government. Mr.. Faulkner, in his reply, said
that be had no information On the subject. The
matter is Of no great moment, yet it is desirable
that there be no misrepresentation of the true
state OF the government in the present emergen-
cy. You may, therefore, recall that conversation
TO II. ThouveneIs memory, and then assure him
explicitly that there is No difference Of opinion
rhateve, between the President and his consti.
tutiOnal advisers, or among those advisers them
selves, concerning the policy that has been pur
sued, and which is now prosecuted by the admin
istration, in regard to the UNHAPPY disturbances
existing in the country. The path Of executive
duty has thus far been to plainly marked out BY
stern necessity too be mistaken, while the sOlem-
nifty Of the great emergency and the responsible
ty it involves, have extinguished in the public
councils every emotion but those of loyalty and
patriotism. 1t is not in the hands Of this admin
istration that this government is to come to an
end At all, much less for want of harmony in de.
votiOn to the country.
n. Thouvenels declaration that the United
States may rest well assured that no hasty or
precipitate action ON the subject of the appre-
hended application of tile insurrecsionists for a
recognition of the independence of the so-called
Confederate States is entirely satifactory, al
though it was attended by reservation of views
concerning general principles. applicable to Ca
ses that need not now be discussed
In the unofficial conversation, Mr.. Faulkner
says that he himself expressed the opinion tha,
called seeding States into submission to the
Federal authority, and that the only solution Of
the difficulties would be found in such modiica
tions OF the constitutional compact as would in.
vite the seeding States back into the Union, OF
| peaceable acquiescence in the assertion Oi
their claim to a separate sovereignty. The time
when these questions had any pertinencs
or plausblity has passed away. The United
States waited patiently while their authority va:
de6ed in turbulent assemblies and insidious pre-
parations, willing to hope that meditation, offer
ed on al sides, would conciliate and induce the
deattected parties to return to q better mind
But the case 10 now altogether changed. Ths
insurgents have instituted revolution with open
dagrsnt deadly war, to compel the Unitet
States to acquiesce in the dismemberment of the
Union. The United States have accepted th
civil war a. an inevitable necessity. The con
stitutional remedies for al. the complaints of tn,
insurgents are still open tU them, and will re
main 90. But, on the other hand, the land ant
naval forces Of the Union have been put into &C
| tivity to restore the Federal authority, and Il
| save the Union from danger
You cannot be to decided or too explicit il
| making known to the French Government tha
| there 10 net aor, nor has there been, nor ,cil
there be any, the least idea eristing in this Cos
erHment Of suffering a dissoi~tion of this UniO'
to take place IN any ray whatever. There vii
be here only one nation and one government
and there will be the same Republic and tn
same constitutional Union that have survived
dozen national changes of government in almos
every other country. These will stand hereafte
- they are nos, objects Of human wonder, ant
nan all ctien. Yon have seen here On the eve o
your departure, the elasticity Of the nations
Government. and the lavish devotion Of the m
ional treasures to this great cause. Tell n
Thoavenel, then, with the highest consideration
ard good feeling. that the thought Of dissolntio1
of this Union, pedeesbly or BY force, hes nsve
catered isto the mind Of any candid statesma
here, and 1t is high time that 1t be dimissed b
statesmen i" Europe
lam, Sir respectfully,
i Your obedient servant,
/ (Siged,) WM. H SEWARD.
10 VIZ. L. DAYfoz, Esq, &c.