Year: 1862

curely established. The South would
then deem it its interest that great
country like Spain should continue q slave
Power. The two together with Brazil,
would have the monopoly of the system
of labor which alone can make intertropi-
cal America and the regions adjoining it
available to the uses of man, and to a
great extent of the rich products of that
labor Nothing in the past could give
an idea Of the career of prosperity and
power which would thus be opened to US.
The time at which our recognition should
take place was of course exclusively with
in the discretion of her Majesty's Govern
ment But could not be assured that
when that time arrived our recognition
would not be made dependent upon the
action of other Powers ? AT the time of
the insurrection of the Spanish Colonies
the United States had recognised their
independence long before any other Pow
er, and there is no doubt that the moral
and material influence derived from that
recognition greatly aided them in achiev-
ing their independence. Could / assure
my Government that her Majesty's Gov
ernment would follow this example in
their own good time without regard to the
course of other nations?


To this question he would not make u
positive answer. but simply said; Spain,
as you are aware, is slow-slower, per-
haps, than other nations in coming to a
decision in matters of Importance, but,
after she does, she carries that decision
through without regard to consequences.


He left me under the impression that
this Government would not be the first to
recognise us


then observed that the threat of Mr..


Seward that our recognition by foreign


Powers would be considered q cdsaS Jeth


had been falsifed by the subsequent de-


elaration of Mr. Lincoln that he could


not carry on two wars at time, and that


if her Maiesty's Government had been


accessible to such fears it would not have


reannexed San Domingo to the Gown


and taken the lead in the Mexican expe


dition that those measures had created


in the North Il deep feeling Of hostility


against Spain; and that while the recog


milton of our Government would not in


yolve this country in war, no delay woulc


diminish the intensity of that feeling.


He said they had no fear from tina


quarter, and were fully prepared for an.
emergency as they had done no act whicl


was not in strict conformity with the lay


of nations.


After he had explained to me the cir


cumstances which led to the annexation


of San Domingo and the object of tn
Mexican expedition, l handed him
printed list sent to me by Mr.. Helm G
the vessels which flad entered the ports q
Cuba after breaking the blockade, and @
those which left Cuba and entered South
ern ports, and stated to him that tn
blockade was surely Ineffective, both iror
the number of vessels which had violate


it and from the fact that it was a blockad
- maintained by cruisers, and not by ship
{ of-war permanently stationed at the mout
of Southern rivers and harbors.
: He said differences of opinion migl
: be entertained as TO its effectiveness, hr
this was one of those questions in whiC
1 one nation could not act alone, and {
: England and France agreed in opinio
4 that the blockade could not be considere
e ineffective, Spain would not differ fro
/ them.


1 Before taking leave l handed to NJ


Collantes copy of the communicate
/, to Earl Russell and his answer, whit
C had been published in the Parliamenta
d papers, and also copy of my instru
st tions, for which he was thankful: /
o expressed the hope that we might ha
d frequent conversations together, and a
rs peared anxious to obtain correct inform
le ton through Southern sources He W
IN astonished that our Government had n
he provided means for transmitting that
is formation, and requested me, when
of ceived any that was important, to impi
q it to him.


as This is the substance of what may
N, considered of some Importance in a 10
sh and cordial interview. j infer from
Mt that this Government will not act SCI
it rately from England and France Owl
d, to the enormous preparations made by
ld North to subjugate us, l believe Il
se nothing is now to be expected from q
re. of them until the Northern Goyernm


is ready to treat with us as an indep
ed dent Power. If it be so and the wa
er- to last many years, as the President il
nd mates in his Inaugural, it will be for


to determine whether it is consistent "
no our dignity to keep longer abroad o.
M missioners who, he knows, are under
nd circumstances to be received or listel
to to.


me have the honor to be, sir, very
nr- spectfully,


mn. Your obedient servant
nv by P. j. ROS1