Staunton vindicator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1860-1896, 1863-10-23

compelled to enforce it, Lest also the Gov
ernment of His Imperial Majesty should be
misled into the error Of supposing that the
rights Of French citizens are many manner
involved IN the action Of the President
which has been rendered necessary by the
reprehenslble conduct Of the British Consu
lar agents, who are requested to taken early
occasion for giving such explanation to NJ;
Drouyn de L'Huys as will obvia!e all risk
Of misrepresentation
am, sir, respectfully.
Your ob't sery't.
j. F. BENJAMIN,
Secretary Of State.
Hon. John SlideH, Commissioner, &C., &c.
Paris, France.
MR. BENJIMINsT TO Mr.. FULLARToN.
Mr.. Benjamin, writing Oct. 9Th, 1868,
to Mr.. Fullarton, British Consul at Savan-
nab, refers to the correspondence which has
passed between that Consul and Governor
Brown, Of Ga, already published by the /
press, and says:
1t thus appears that the Consular Agents
OF the British Government have been in
structed not to couffne themselves, to an APP
peal for redress, either to courts of justice
or to this Government, whenever they may
conceive that grounds exist for complaint
against the Confederate authorities in their
treatment Of British subjects, Gan appeal
which has in 10 case been made without re-
ceiving just consideration } but that they
assume the power Of determining for them
selves whether enlisted soldiers of the Con-
fedcracy are properly bound to its service
that they even arrogated the right to inter-
fere directly with the execution Of the Con-
federate laws, and to advise soldiers Of the
Confederate armies to throw down their
arms 10 the face of the enemy.
This assumption ofjurisdiction by foreign
officials within the territory Of the Confed
eIacy, and this encroachment on its sover-
EIGHTY, cannot be tolerated for moment,
and the President has had no hesitation in
directing that all Consuls and Consular
Agents Of the British Government be noti-
fed that they can no longer be permitted
to exercise their functions, or even to reside
within the limits of the Confederacy.
lam directed, therefore, by the President
to communicate to you this order, that you
promptly depart from the Coufederacy, and
that in the meantime you cease to exercise
any consular functions within its limits.
Mr.. BENJAMIN TO Mr. MASON.
Writing June 18th, 1863, Mr. Benja
min tells Mr.. Mason that Mr. Cridland
who had occasionally acted as Consuls in
Richmond during the temporary absence of
Consul Moore" called at the State Depart
ment on the 18th Of May, and assured him
that be was going to Mobile to attend unof
Rcialy to some business affecting tho Brit
ish Government there, which had been left
unprotected by the withdrawal Of Consul
Magse, and adds:
! I was therefore, quite surprised at rcceiv-
ing from the Secretary Of the Navy official
communication Of telegraph received by
him from Admiral Buchanan, informing the
Secretary that Mr. Cridland had been off :
cially introduced to him by the French
Consul at Mobile, aud had shown the Adj
nirsl an afficial document signed by Lord
Lyons, appointing him Acting English Con-
sui at Mobile"
Mr.. Benjamin then proceeds to give a
full history Of the Shipment oftbe $685.
900 in specie from Mobile to pay the Ala
bama State debt interest in England, and
comments upon the course Of The British
Government in removing Mr.. Magee for
forwarding it. If the British Government
holds that Alabama is still one of The Un-
ted States, then the United States had no
right to prevent its payment Of a foreign
debt; but if, on the contrary, the State Of
Alabama be regarded Gas in right aud fact
she really isl an independent State, ensag-
ed IN war against the United States as
foreign enemy, then the President caunot
refrain from Observing that the action of
Her Britannia Majesty's Minister ut Wash
in yton savoret on this occasion rather of
upfriendly co-operation With an enemy than
of Just observance of neutral obligations -
Mr.. Benjamin concludes:
The President has, in the facts already
recited, seen renewed reasons for adhcriDg
to his dcterminatiop, mentioned in my pro-
ceding dispatch OF prohibiting any direct
communication, between Consuls or Consul
lar Agents residing within the Confedcracy
and the functionaries Of their Governments
residing amongst our enemies. lie further
INDUCES the hope (Which Her Majesty's
Government cannot but regard as reasona.
bic, and which he is, therefore. confident
viii bejustided BY its actiopo that Her
Maiesfy's Government will choose some
other mode of transmitting its orders and
exercising its authority over its agents with
in the Confederacy then by delegating to
fuuctionaries who reside among our enc
mics the power to give orders or instructions
to those who reside among US.
Finally, and in order to prevent any
further misunderstanding in Mr.. Cridiand' $
case, that gentlemen has been informed
that he cannot be permitted to exercise Con
suar functions at Mobile, and it has been
in,imated to him that his choice of some
other State than Alabama for his residence
would be agreeable to this Government.
This intimation has been given in order to
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