New Orleans daily crescent. [volume] ([New Orleans, La.]) 1851-1866, 1861-04-24


p and the people of the Confederate States earnestl
desire peaceful solution of these great questions
70 that it is Dether their interest their wish t
lie make any demand which is not founded in strctes
JUSTICE nor DO any act to injure their late conleC
- crates.
'o The undersigned have now the honor in obed
. ence to the Instructions of their Government, t
Is request you to appoint as early day possible
Il IN order that they may present to the President
the United States the credentials which they bea
: and the objects OF the mission with which they ar
l. | charged.
We are, very respectfully, sir your oodic, servants,
s MAETiN j. cRNwr0RD
THE REPLY OF MR. SEWARD.
MENoRASnrN.
Mr.. John Forsyth, Of the State of Alabama aut
Mr. Martin j. Crawford, of the State of Georgia
on the 18th inst, through the kind offices of dis
, thgnlshed Senator, submitted to the Secretary 0
State their desire for an unofficial interview Th
request was, on the 18th inst, upon exclusively
public considerations, respectfully declined.
On the 18th inst, while the Secretary was pre-
occupied, Mr.. A. L. Banks, Of Virginia, called at
this Department, and was received by the Assist
ant Secretary to whom he delivered sealed COM
muncation, which he had been charged by Messrs.
Forsyth and Crawford to present to the Secretary
| in person.
In that communication Messrs. Forsyth and
Crawford inform the Secretary of State that they
have been duly accredited by the Government Of
the Confederate States of America, as Commits
.
and they set forth the object of their attendance
| at Washington. They observe that seven States
| OF the American tnlon in the exercise of a right
inherent IN every free people, have Withdrawn,
through conventions of their people, from The Uni
| ted States, reassumed the attributes of sovereign
| power, and formed a Government of their own and
attho>e Confederate States constitute an in.
dependent nation de fuctO and dejure and possess
Government perfect in all its parts and fully en-
| dowed with all the means of self.support
hlessrs Forsyth and Crawford, in their aforesaid
communication, thereupon proceed to inform the
secretary that, with view to q speedy adjustment
OF al questions growing out of the political sepa-
ration thus assumed, upon such terms of amity and
good VIII as the respective interests, geographical
contlgnty and the future welfare of the supposed
two nations might render necessary they are in
structed to make to the Government of the United
suites oVertures tor the opening of negotiations,
assuring this Government that the President Con
gress aud people of the Confederate States earn
estly desire peaceful solution of these great cues
lions, and that is neither their interest nor their
wish to make any demand which is not founded in
late cOnfederates.
Alter making these statements Messrs FORSYTH
and Crawford close their communication as tn ~
say IN obedience to the instructions Of their Gov
erhment, by requesting the Secretary Of State to
appoint as early day as possible, in order that
they may present to the President of the United
states the credentials which they bear and the
objects of the mission with which they are charged
The Secretary Of State frankly confesses that he
understands the events which have recently occur |
red, and the condition Of political affairs which |
actually exists in the part of tile Union to which
his attention has thus been directed very differently
from the aspect in which they are presented by |
MessrS. Forsyth aud Crawford. He sees in them
not rlghtful and accomplished revolution and an
independent nation, with an established Cavern.
ment, but rather peryersiOn of temporary and
partisan excitement to the incOnsiderate purposes
OF an unjustltiabe and unconstitutional AGGRESSION
upon the rights and the authority vested in the
Federal Government, and hitherto bennglv cxer-
clsed, as from their very nature they always must
be so exercised, for the maintenance of the MON,
the preservation of liberty, and the security peace,
welfare, happiness and ACKNOWLEDGEMENT of the |
American people. The Secretary of State there
FORE avows 10 Messrs. Forsyth and Crawford that
he looks patiently but confidently for the cure ot
evils which have resulted from proceedings so nm
necessary, so unwlse, so unusual and so unnatural
not to irregular negotiations, having in view new |
and untried relations with agencies unknown to
ana acting in derogatlon of the Constitution and
laws, but to regular and consderate action of thn
people OF those States, in Cooperation with their
brethren in the other States, through the CONGRESS
OF the United States and such extraordinary con-
Ventlnns, If there shall be need thereof as the Fed
eral Constitution contempates and authorizes to be
assembled.
1t is, however, the purpose of the Secretary Of
SAate on THIS occasion not to invite or engage in
my discussion OF these subjects, but simply to set
form his reasons for declining to comply with the
request OF Messrs. Forsyth and Crawford
On the 4th OF March Inst, the then newly -elected
president OF the United States, in view OF all the
assumed he |
executive administration of the Government first
ielVerlng in accordance with an early and hon |
ofed custom, an inaugural address to the DcODle of
me United States The Secretary OF State respect
diy submits copy OF this address to Messrs For
syth and Crawford.
A simple reference to it will be sufficient to
satisfy those gentlemen that the Secretary Of State
guided by the principles therein announced il nrn
,ehed altogether from admitting or assuming that .
he States referred to by them have in law or in /
act, Withdrawn from the Federal Union or that !
nPy could DO so IN the manner described by !
lessrS. Forsyth and Crawford, or in anv otbnr !
manner than with the consent and concert of The l
eople OF the United States, to be given through |
National Convention, to he assembled in CON Il
nfmlty with the provisions of the Constitution of Z
ne United St0tes. OF course the Secretary of :
'ate cannot act upon the assumption or in any u
'ay admit that the so-called Confederate States ;
ohs!ltute foreign power, with whom diplomatic q
elatnns ought to be established. =
Under these circumstances the Secretary of L
'dle, whose Official duties are confined subiprt IL
the direction Of the President, to the Conduct 81
g OF me foreign relations Of the country and do Ct
OF at all embrace domestic questions or unrsiions u
rising betW cen the several States and thr FndnraI W
9Verhment Is unable to comply with the rcuue,t p
MesSrS. Forsyth and Crawford, to app0int n dnv III
whch they may present the evidences of their oe
lt0rty ana the object of their visit to the Presi-
1nt OF the United States. On the contrary he is E'
Ollged to state to Messrs. Forsyth and Crawford =
at ne mas no authority nor is he at liberty to re- u
,gnIZe them as diplomatic agents. or hold corras- IL,
lDdence or other communication with them /
FINALLY, the Secretary of State would observe "A
~ al'hougn he has supposed that he might at
le!y ana with proprety have adopted these con VI
IslohS without making any reference of the sub III
ct to the Executive yet so strong has been hia m
sire to practice entire dircctness and to act in ~
Tl5 OF perfect respect and candOr towards al
sssts EorSyth and Crawford and that portion of a.; a.
people of the Union in whose name they pre- III
NJ themselves before him, that he has cheer W.
ny submitted this paper to the President, who III
ntues generally IN the views it expresses and tir