The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1867-09-11
The Official Correspondence Between
England and the United States.
The Question Thoroughly
Discussed.
a Mixed Commission to Adjust Gen
eral Claims Proposed.

x,
BsR-A copy or despatch wrlisn by Lord Stanley on
She S0h OF No ember last has been submitted TO me by
Der Majestvs Minister Peupoteniiay here SIR Frederick
". A. orucer. II contains . review Of my despatch NO.
1885, CONCERNING socaed Alabama claims.
You VII please lay before Lord Stanley this reply.
The Presid- mt appreciates the consideration and
courtesy manifese cd by her Nsjesty's government
eha DO content on this OCCASION with defending such
Amy former statements as Lord Stanley has disaewed
think II Unnecessary 10 disclaim purpose Of i'm
pagning the motives Of the late or Of the present
Cinls,ry. Governments like Individuals necessa-
MY taso their measures with reference 10 facts
and circums' ances they at the time appear. The
aspect often changes with further developments OF
events II Is with ascertaued facts and not int 'nons
that we concerned: and IL Is Of Great Britain
STATE and not of any Minis ar or ministry that We COM
Lord Stanley justly reminds mo that the Sumter was
~ American not Of British origin, and that she began
her career by escaping from New Orleans and not from
British port think, however, that the correction
does not substantially AFFECT the case. The Sumter,
osongng to loyal owners, was employed in trade be-
tween New York and New Orleans Insurgents seized
and armed her there, and sent her through the
Blockade. She captured several United States mer.
sSsnt vessels and sent them into CIonluegos On the
dad. In the West Iodies SYSTEMATICALLY displaying
tnsureen' nae which bad not then has since,
been recognized as = national ensign either by tho
United States by Great Britain bv other State
Being challenged sho presented pretended commits
but BY Jefferson Davis insurgeat chief The Cover.
nor OF Trinidad exhibited the British standard a. COM
pnment 70 tho insarSsnt visitor the Sumter was
After renewed depredations, took shelter, the
10th Of January 1862 in the British port OF Gibraltar
q Continental Europe Being erectuay locked In there
for months by United States cru,sers was against
The protest of this government allowed TO be sold to
British buyers tor tho account and benefit OF the In
surgents She then hois ed the British Tag and under
vas received al Liverpool within the British realm.
Il Is indeed, true. Lord Stanley has observed that
the Alabama when she left England, wholly I'M
armed and not fully equipped vessel. II is also
srae that she recewed an armament further equip.
Ment, immander and a crew 10 Angra Bay, Azores
posses ion of the of Portugalwhere the British
government had jurisdiction and could exercise DO
ON the other hand it 10 to be remembered that only
was the vessel built Liverpool but tho armament and
the supplemental equDmeot was built and provided
Shere also. simultaneously and by the same British
hands, and also that the commander and crew were
gathered aud organized at the and the Same
place. The whole vessel. armament, equipment, com.
mander aud crew adapted each part the other,
And all were prepared for one complete expedition.
me me, parts were ir.uduIently separated in Liver
wore fraudulently conveyed thence to Angra Bay,
and thers put frauduIsntly together BY her
q Portuguese obligations to the United States The
offenders brought justice by her Maiestys
ne Queen Of Portugal the Alabama from the laying
her tnbers in Liverpool until her destruction by the
Aearsase OF ohsrbourg, never once entered any por.
commission she ever had q ship Of war must have
been acquired either in Great Britain or some other
1oren country at peace with tho United States or on
the high seas Nevertheless the Alabama received,
protected en- 'ertaued and supplied in her devastating
career 10 the British ports OF Capetown and Singapore
enamel. her commander and were with fraudulent
connvance, rescued by British subjects and ostenta
6ousy entertained ana caressed meritorous but
fortunate heroes at Southampton. With these expana.
lions, ave the ana OF the Alabama whore il was
placed In the representation OF Mr.. AdamA
Lord Stanley say that tie Florida, undor the original
Aamo Of Oreto, left England unarmed and unequpped
she was denounced TO hor Majesty's government BY
Mr.. Atams. Lord stanley also says that the Shenan.
tioned, and, for anything that had TRANSFERRED on a
legitimate voyage, and that she was only armed,
equipped and manned as vessel OF Funchal, with
unnecessary refer TO that building
Of the Florida, the Georgia and the Shenandoah in
British ports. and the arning and equipment OF them
outside British Jurisdiction fraudulent the same
that has been specially described In regard to
Che Alabama The Shenandoah was received. protected
and supplied, in defiance OF protest. NJ Melbourne,
In Australia. She proceeded thence TO the Arctic
seas whore she destroyed twenty nine United states
She rebel hostiiities here. she returned to
Liverpool. the place from which she had first
gone forth and there surrendered herself to her
Isjesty's government as to an ally or superior.
Lord Stanley excuses her haiesty's government, In
part UPON The ground that suic en-. evidence or notice
ground OF accidental hiudrances cmbarrsssments,
while in one place he seems TO imply that the only de-
vasatpg vessels OF which We complain are the SUMTER
Che Alabama. the Florida and tho Shenandoah. In
gard TO the frat excuse, have to say that British
plants of lack of vgor on our part would, under any
circumstances, be unreasonable International well
municipal laws depend for their execution In Great
Britain upon her Maesiy's Cove nment end not upon
by referring TO unpublished records In the Foreign
ONCE what certainly in confidential archives,
that tho time when the fraudulent building arming
equippng Of those vessels going in England
ured out Of tenderness to British sensbi-
20 rather than increase vigilance then called
BY the repulsive mans OF espionage.
In relation TO the second excuse think that the al
legged bindrances and embarasscnts were nothing else
thanlhe skfu Vaccinations OF toe Offending parties
themselves. In enumerating certain vesseis in my
former comm unication, wroo OF them not all the
cOruplained of. but by OF describing IN
class OF which complained. There many others.
The Nashville stolen from loyal owners at Charleston,
after having evaded the blockade and after having
cured the Harvey Biroh arrived at Southampton TIM
30tn OF November. 1851 she entertained there
81 February 1862 and thon lett the harbor projected
from the United States cruiser Tuscarora by her Aaes-
Tvs war frgae shannon. She was Afterwards hospta-
Nassau in tho West Indes Inc Alabama improved her
s~n crafty experience Having In one Of her cruises
captured the ,faied States merchant snip Con-
rad, near the Cape OF Good Hope on the 2lst
Or June, 1865, sue commissioned the Conrad
'confederafen pirate the high seas, under
thc name Of the Tuscsloosa In like the Florida
szoured the merchan, ship Clarence upon and
commissioned he and gave her an armament forco and
s,rI P shs men Sns
authority armament and equipment TO the Tacony on
the high seas, which vessel captured bonded aud de-
40 coast.
Having recalled these facts mus, now beg leave 70
realrm substantially correct my former statement
che statement 10 which Lord Stanley has excepted
namely. The Sumter, the Alabama, the Florida, the
Bhenandoah and other ships OF war we're built, armed,
@ gipred and tcd out IN British ports and despatched
thereom by through the agency Of British subjects
and harbored sheltered provided and furnished
required during their devastating career In ports
u ports Of the british colonies In nearly
Ill parts OF the globe.
Lord stanley excuses the reception OF the vessels
planed OF in British ports subsequently 10 their frandu-
lent capes aud armament, on the ground that when
the vessels appeared in those ports they did SO In the
character Of properly commissioned cruisers OF the
gos erneut OF tho so called Confederate states and that
shey received shelter proys ons, or facilities
ehap was due 10 them in that character ihls position
taken by his iordship in fun ves OF the iact thst
vito the exception OF the Sumter and The Florida none
~ the vessels named were ever found IN any place
where Lawful beliigerent commission could either be
conferred or received IL would appear therefore, that
IN mo opinion OF her Nsestys government, British
vessel IN order TO acquire begerent character sseins,
where sac VAS built clandestneiy and 10 DO frsuda.
yenily afmed equipped, and manned anywhere ir
ereat britain or IN any foreign country, OF Oh
6e bigh seas and IN some foreign country or
vpon the high seas 10 set up and the title and