Memphis daily appeal. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1847-1886, 1862-04-02
LSignedl
cogsut - ro LoRp LYoNs.
DhAlA1E GgFou La r. Z
CHARLESTON, August Is, 1867. )


| have the honor to acknowledge the receipt, on the
18th nit, of your l~ordship's dispatch Of the 5h Of July,
together with its enclosure, viz: a dispatch from Lord
! John Russell, OF the 18th day Of May last on the subie {
of the proposed adhesion Of tie Confederate States Of
| America TO the four Articles of the Declaration OF Paris,
and Of the neutrals in the contest now raging IN this
country. 1 proceed to reply to your iordships commu-
/ uicatiOn.
In So doing. I begin by requesting your lordship to con
vey to Lord John Russell the expression Of my sincere
gratitude for the horo- which he hssbeen pleased TO con
fer upon me by selecting me as tao organ Of her nales
: tvs government in the negotiation to which your lord
4! ships Dispatch aud Is enclosure hive reference. l beg
leave, also. 20 offer to your lordship my grateful acknow
Judgments for the kind manner in which you have placed
the matter in my hands.
Immediately upon the receipt Of your ~Iordship's dis-
patch, I proceeded to put myself into communication
] with my French colleague, Mons. de BeuigrYi who, as /
found, had received Instructions from Mons Mercier Of a
character precisely similar TO those with which 1 was
honorcd. After the fullest and frauSest interchange of
our respective views, we determined upon the line of
action which L am now about TO report 70 your 10 dship.
Our attention was first directed to the suggestion con
tanned In your l~oriship's dispatch that. as it would be in
expedient for US 70 go % Richmond, our n~egotation might
probably be advantageously conducted through Mr..
PicSens, the Governor of South Carolina, with whom
you naturally supposed that we were in frequent com
nunicstion. But Notwithstanding our earnest desire to
meet in every way the desires of our chiefs, we We're
forced to the conclusion that It would be inexpcdisnt to
approach him, for several reasons, amongst which IL may
suffice 10 mention bis absence from Charleston He has
been for some weeks past on his plantation in the inte-
But we were 50 far fortunate as to secure the valuable
services OF an agent in the person OF d.. --, who is
Il vel known 10 your lOT0hulpr ana whose f01lEluu seemed
admirably to adapt him for the duties when lie was 50
Obiging as 90 undertake.
Nj. - left for Richmond On the Goth Of July. Ar
irving on the 29d, be found that the President was with
the army, whittier Nj. - followed him, but meet
ing him half way between Richmond and Manassas, re-
turned with hHa TO the Capital on the 23d On the next
dag nj. - had an interview with HIS Excelency,
aud communicated 70 him the mission with which be was
charged. bfr. Davis expressed nc uuwilliueness to en-
terrain the matter, although he dgni6ed his regret that
it should not have been more formally brought before
him, as it seemed TO him that if the declaration which it
was sought 70 obtain from the government Of the Con
federste States, was Of sufficient Importance to require
the overture now made % him, It was Of equal con
sequence that it should be made in a more regular
manner.
His Excellency, a. we understand. at once summoned
a meeting Of the Cabinet and the matter was placed in
the hands Of the Secretary Of State, Mr.. Hunter. who
has been appointed in the place Of Mr.. To0mbA 1t was
soon determined that Congress should 0e invited to issue
a series Of resolutions, By which the second, third, and
fourth articles Of the declaration of the treaty of Paris
should be accepted by the Confederate States. These
on the same day by the President, and I have the honor
70 iuclOss herewith TO y0u7 l0rdship the copy Of them,
which has been sent 20 Mr.. - by the Secretary OF
STATE, TO be delivered 10 Mons. de Belligny and myself.
Your LOrdship viii observe that by these resolutions,
the Confederate States accept the second, third end fourth
Articles OF the Deei5rat on Of Paris, but by their resolU-
ton declare with reference TO the first Article that they
maintain the right Of privateeriug, as L has been long
established by tie practice and recognized by hs taD OF
nations
With respect to this resolution. I beg to remark that
the wishes of her m2iesty's government would seem to
nave Oceh Lully NET Iot as no proposal was maze mai
the Confederate government saould abolish privateerng,
it could not be expected that they would do so Of their
own accord. particularly az il is tie arm upon which they
most relv for the injury Of the extended commerce Of their
enemy. But the SecFeta y Of State has placed in the
hand Of Mr. -- for communication to US, the inclOsed
copy OF the instructions issued for the guidance Of priva-
teers, and eppeslAt TO them as we'll as 70 the character Of
the government, for a proof of their deter rinati0n, that
the priTateers shall conform themselves to the ordinary
practices sanctioned by the law Of nations We think
that we may rely on the assurances thus given, supported
as they are by the language Of the resolution.
The fact is, that tae President and the government are
a good deal annoyed AZ the refusal of France, England,
and other nations, to allow prizes to be conGsnned in
their ports, which they consider as somewhat of a de-
partIrs tom a strict neutrality, and which hey still
hope may be rec0nsidered a. the contest advances.
They also confidently expect that the same anxiety for
the mitigaton Of the evil consequences of the present
war, which has rendered the accession OF tie Confsder-
ate Sta'es 70 the declaration Of Paris. a matter of inter
est 10 France and England, viii induce these nations to
Insist upon the rigorous mlhllmenJ by the United States
Of tue principle contained in the fourth article, viz: The
effectiveness of the blockade instituted by that power.
The negotiation having thus been brought to a close,
the Pre-idrnt expressed to Mr. - his hope that the
existence Of hose extended relations of commercial in
tereourse, which had rendered the application now made
70 hin by the governments Of France and England a
necessity in The view Of those nations, would materially
contribute 20 hasten the formal recognition Of the new
Gmfe deTscy, which was disposed on its part to show its
full appreciation Of a cordial and friendly understanding
between itself and the other nations Of the earth, with
which it was prepared to enter into association on terms
Of equality.
Il only remains for me to express my hope that the
manner in which this negotiation has been conducted
may meet with the approval of your lOrdship and of her
majetys government. In common with my French cot
league, / am fully sensible Of the obligations under which
we are TO Mr. - who has carried out what we con-
ceiyei to be the views Of our respective governments.