Richmond enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1815-1867, 1863-02-20


the resolution of the Senate Of tho 10th inst.
requesting the President, if not in his judg
ment incompatible with the public interests
70 lay before the Senate any correspondence
which has taken place between this Govern
msnt and the Government of France on til,
subject Of mediation, or other measures look
ing to the termination Of thu existing civi
war, has tho honor to lay before the Prosi
don't copy of the correspondence called fol
by the said resolution.
Respectfully submitted.
WILLIAM II. SEWARD.
MIR. DAYTON TO an. SEWARD.
Extract.
PARIS, Nov. Is, 1862.
Sir-IIer ewith enclose to you tho copy
of communication juat made 10 Drouyn dt
Lhuys. ain, sir,
Your obedient servant,
WM. l.. DAyroN.
Mr.. DAYTON 70 NIX. DROUyN DE IHuYs.
PARIS, Nov. 10, 1862.
Monsieur 10 Ministre-In recent conver
sstion had with your Excellsncy, you asked
some questions in relation to the population
Of the Southern States Of tho United States
and tho position Of the SEVERAL divisions O
our army. This, in connection with state
ment in your despatch Of the Both of October
to his Msjesty's Ambassadors at London anG
at st. Petersburg, officially published, induced
mo to make to you this communication.
Although that despatch was not addressed
to me or to my government, yot it so init
mately concerns tho lattor, that am sure
shall be excused if | refer TO it in connection
with tho subject matter of your conversation
do this, not with view to any criticiam
or to tho exposition Of any opinions beyond
those already givou by mu, but to correct sc
much as can, what aeein3 To mo miaap-
prehension of facts. l do thin in tho hope thnt
should tho question presont itself for con
sideration III the future. your ESccnllonoy
may bo induced TO revise yaar opinions as to
the strength Of the parties involved in the
war now existing in the United Statc1. Your
Excsllency says there haB existed hntwser
the belGgerents from the very outset Of The
war an equality of strength which has been
almost constantly maintained over since; and
s4er go much bloodsbod thoy arc now in
this respect very nearly in the sa,ne position
ss at first. Nothing j.wtifIes the expectation
of any more decided military operations at
IN early day. In answerto yeur questions
in our conference Of tbs llth list. | endea.
YoFed, with the aid Of map, to point out
the districts of country occupied at present
by the several divisions of our army. II
your Excellancy can, from memory recall
these questions, and compare them with the
condition of things at tho very outset D!
the war. or even as it has beon within the
past year, you will find cause, I am sure, fol-
grave doubt as to tho accuracy Of opinion
expressed 10 the above extract.
A little moro than year ago tho whole ofthe
slave States south of the Potomac, and almost
to tho Mississippi, thirteen in all, were in pos
session of the insurgents, except only small
locality in Virginia opposite to Washington
9 tract of country in the same State to tht
west of the Alleghsny Mountains an which
there Was = moral possession, the northern
parts of Kentucky, and perhaps half of Mis-.
souri,. With these Conceptions they held un
disputed sway Of the entire country Of the
South. They possessed at tho same time
the military arsenal at uarper's Forry ant
the vast naval arsenal and dockyards ut Nor.
folk and Pensacola. They had likewise pos
session Of tho eastern shoro Of the Chesapeake
bay, which, in connection with tho command
OF the Potomac, gave them control over the
access by water to Washington, tho capital o.
the nation. Thoy have lost during tho veal
the eastern shore of tho chesapeake and the
command Of tho Potomac, tho city Of Nor
folk, with its arsenals and dockysrds, and
the neighberins country and the dockyardf
at Pensacola. They, have lost all Virginia wes
of the Alleghanies, Kentucky and Missouri
and part of Tennessee, comprising among
other points Nashville, the capital, and Mem
phis, its commercial port on the Mississippi
They have lost evory port, harbor and forti
Gcstion on the Atlantic coast Of any value
those at Charleston alone excepted, from tht
mouth Of the Chesapeake to the aouthern poin
of Florida, and thence around the Gulf coast
to Pensacola. But, moro important ever
than this, thoy lave within the year lost New
Orleans, the great commercial metropolis o.
the South, with the humorous Notifications es
tablished for it's defence. They have likewise
Lost the Mississippi, with every island and rivei
fertilization, save that at Vicksburg, by which
it WAS defended. This river, which drain!
the entire valley of tho West, and cuts in two
the slave States from Cairo to tho Gulf, ant
on which could float tho navies Of The world
which can neither bo forded nor bridged
must forever separate tho four slave States
and their contiguous territories on lis wos
side from thoas On tho east. The losG Of thi:
river was moro injurious to tho canss OF tht
than the loss Ofmany battles
Conscious that this would bs SO it ~as for
tilted, your ExcelIency will remember, mol
only at its mouth, and below. and at New
Orleans, but at over ava jlablu point upwards
yet;with its many fortihcations, Vicksburg
alone excepted, it has within the year beer
lost to the South. The Tennessee ant
Cumberland, great interior rivers of tht
Wess, with their defences and Notifications
have bkewiee boen takon; after hart
struggle, by the arnies Of the Union. In s
word, the insurgents do not now hold a foo
of ground which they did not hold carly il
the war, while the flag of the Union has
been constantly advancing, and it floats some
where on the soil or over tho forIfcatioDs o
every slave State save one. Their srmes
have, in the meantime, been driven from an
area of country embracing in tho aggregate moi
less than 100000 square miles, aud occupied
by . population ranging from L5OO,0O0 te
2OOO,OOO or people.
But in war equality in strength consiat'
not 10 these things. Permit me, therefore, t:
remind your Excealency that, while al
the incipient efforts on the part of The South
to create navy have been defeated, and hel
vessels destroyed, the navy of the United
States hss, within tho year, grown from 8
very small to very great power, closing al
the ports of the South, precluding, save will
our consent, all enterancu to OF exit from
them, unless by stealth or accident. Thisp power
which the South has little to meet, is almost
exclusively the growth of the year, and OIL
opr own ooasts, and in tho ports, harbors and
rivers ofthe South, it cannot but be in the fu
ture most efficient means Of attack or de-
fence.
There are two other elements Of stxengtt
which specially require considsration-mer
and money. The armies of the South have