Worcester daily spy. [volume] (Worcester [Mass.]) 1850-1888, 1863-01-24

WASHINGTON, Jan. 23.-The president to-
day sent a message to the senate, in answer to
a resolution OF the 18th inst, accompanied by
very yoluminOus correspondence between the
secretary of state and the Mexican charge
d'atfairs relating to the expectation Of articles
coutraband of war for the use of the French
army in Mexico. The Mexican minister,
Senior Romeo, in the first letter asks the
government to prevent cOntraband shipments
purchased by the emissaries of the command
or Of the French expedition from leaving the
ports of the United States. Mr. Seward re-
plies, referring the minister to a letter from
the secretary of the treasury, from which it
appears that no Intervention with the mission
of the French officers is contemplated by the
treasury departmental decision in contOrm-
ty with precedentS and with the rules of inter-
national law governing the case, citations to
SUCH authority as Hamilton, Webster, and ex-
ecutive documents.
Senior romeo expresses pain and surprise
at such decision acquiesced in by the secre-
tary of state. He quotes Vattel, not to teach
the government of the United States, but to
give. his opinion of the Improperly of allowing
belligerent to provide itself with means of
warfare in a neutral nation, and reviews the
cases cited by Mr.. Seward. He refers to the
alleged shipping Of the provisions by mer-
chants of New York to the French army near
Vera Cruz, and he calls the attention of Mr..
Seward to those facts, who replied that the
United States did not recognize state of war
existing between Mexico and the allies, as
there had been no declaration of war, and
therefore the United States could not be gov
erned in their conduct by the rules of l4eu
trails. He further stated that subsequently he
made application to the secretary of the treas
ury for permit to ship some arms purchased
in New York for the use Of the MeXicanS, to
Mexican blockaded port; that the secretary at
first appeared quite ready to grant, it, but learn
ing that the number was thlrty-siX thousand,
he thought the number too great, and referred
the matter to the secretaries of war and the
navy, that the secretary of the navy made no
objection, but the secretary of war refused to
relax the order previously issued, torbidding
the expectation OF arms. In vain he showed
that they were percussion muSkets, flint locks
altered to percussion, which the Unite States
would not use, and he was compelled to be-
lieve that his ill-success was Occasioned by
desire on the part of the United States to
avoid completely with France and was after
wards astoniShed when wagons and mules
were bought here for the French army, to
find that what was denied to Mexico was freely
permitted to France.
Mr.. Seward replied that the prohibition of
the shipment OF arms was general applying
to all nations, on the ground of the military
necessity of the United States, but there was
no such inhibition of the shipment Of wagons
either for France or Mexico. A long cores
pondence on the same points occurs, which
Mr.. Seward concludes as follows 1.-THE I'M
dersigned, while seeing no cause further to
expatiate On the reasons heretofore offered in
explanation of that measure, avails himself of
this occasion to offer to Mr. Romeo a renew
ed assurance of his high consideration