Year: 1861

mitted to interview. Agreeably to your re-
! quest handed to him a copy of the inaugural ad
dfess OF Presid mt Lincoln, and added that wa
instructed oy you to say to him that it embraced
the views OF the United States upon the ditficutie
Mhich now disturb the harmony of the American
ohion ana also an exposition of the general policy
winch 1t was the purpose of the Government &c
pursue with view to the preservation of the do
mestlc peace and the maintenance of the Fed.
eral Union.


Here M. Thouvene asked if there was not some
diversity OF opinion in the Cabinet of the President
as 10 the proper mode of meeting the difficulties
which now disturb the relations of the States and
the General Government?


replied upon that point had no inform a,ion.-
onaer our system the Cabinet was but an ADVISING
BODY; lts opinions were entitled to weight but did
not necessarily compel the action of the President
Inc Executive power was, by the Constitution.
vested exclusively in the President. | said that
was further instructed to assure him that the Pres
ldent of the United States entertains full conf
! dence In the speedy restoration of the harmony
| and unity of the Government bv a firm. vet inst
ana liberal policy, cooperating with the deliberate
and loyal action of the American people.
Nj. Thouvenel expressed his pleasure at this as
surance. ~ "
further said that the President regretted that
the events going in the United States MIGHT he
productive OF some possible inconvenience to the
people and subjects of France, but he was deter
mined that those inconvenences shall be made as


ght ana transient as possible, and so far as it ms
rest with him. that all strangers who NAV suffer
any INJURY from them shall b. indemnified | said
TO him that the President thought it not
| that an appeal would be made before long nv the
Contederaied States to the foreign Powers and
amongst others to the Government of France for
the recognition of their Independence; that no such
appeals having vet been made it was premstura
and out of place to discuss any of the noints in
vowed In that delicate and important inquiry but
the Government of the United States desired tho
iact TO be known that wherever any such applca-
ton shall be made, it will meet with opnosition
Minister shall >
Government at this Court


said to him that my mission at this Court would
very soon terminate and | should have no official
connection with the question which il was antici
pated might arise up n the demand of the Confed
Grated States for recognition of their ndependepce
Ihat my place would soon be supplied by a dis
unguiShed citizen OF the State of New jersey. A
gentleman who possessed the confidence of tho
President, who fully sympathzed in his nublic
views, and who would doubtless come fuliv in
strucied as to the then wishes and views Of the
government OF the United States and that the
onlV request which / would now make and with
which would close all | had to saw in the contro
VersY, was that no proposition recognizing the per.
manent dismemberment of the American Union
shall be considered by the French Government
until after the arrival and reception of the new
Minister accredited by the United States to This
Court. ~


N. Thouyenel in reply said that no application
had as yet been made to him by the Confederated
States in any form for the RECOGNITION of their in
dependence. That the French Government was
not in the habit of acting hastily upon such oues
tons, as might be seen by its tardiness in recog
nlzIng the new Kingdom OF Italy. That he believed
the maintenance of the Federal Union in its inta,
riy to be desired for the benefit of the naon1,
OF the North and South well as for the interests
OF France; and that the Government of the Unitad
States might rest well assured that no hssty or
precpltate action wOuId be taken on that subiect
by the Emperor. But whilst he gave utterance to
these views he was equally bound to say that the
practice and usage of the present century had fully
established the right of de acto governments to re-
cognition when proper case was made out for the
ueclsion OF foreign Powers. Here the official in
terview ended.


Inc conversation was then further protracted bv
an inquiry from NJ. ThouveneI when the new tariff
would go into operation, and whether il wac to ba
regarded as the settled policy Of the Government?
toid him that the first of the present month had
peen prescribed as the period when the new duties
would take effect; that had not yet examined its
provisions with such care as would Justify me in
Prohouhclhg an opinion upon its merits; that it
was condemned by the commercial classes of the
country, and that had no doubt, from the discon-
tent manifested in several quarters, that the sub
Ject would engage the attention of Congress at its
next meeting, and probably some important modi-
hcatlons would be made in it. The finances of the
government were at this time temporarily embar
rassed, and had no doubt that the provisions of
Ihe new tarif were adopted with view, although
probably mistaken one of sustaining the credit
OF the treasury as much Of reviving the protec-
tive policy.


He then asked me my opinion as to the course of
Po'cy 'nst would De adopted wtJh th dhg
ploYed to coerce them into submission to the Fed
eral authority | told him that | could ONLY give
my individual opinion, and that thought force
would not be employees; that ours was a govern
ment OF public opinion, and although the Union un-
quesuonably possessed all the ordinary powers ne
cessary for its preservatiOn as had been shown in
several partial instructions which had occurred
IN our history yet that the extreme powers of gov
ernment could only be used in accordance with
the public opinion, and that was satisfied that the
sentiment of the people was opposed to the en-
plnyment Of force against the seeding States So
sincere the Difference felt in that country for the
great principles of setf-government, and so great
the respect for the action of the people when adopt
ed under the imposing fnrT:s of State organization
and State sovereignty, that did not think the en-
ployment OF force would be tolerated for moment
and thought the cnv solution of our diff culties
would be found in such modification of our consti-
tutonal compact as would unite the secedinu
States back into the Union, a peaceable acoui.
escence in the assertion of their claims to a sepa-
rate sovereignty.


NJ. Thouyenel expressed the opinion that the en-
poyment of force would be unwise, and Would
tend to a further rupture of the Confederacv, by
causing the remaining Southern States to make
common cause with the States which had already
taken action the subject.


am, very respectfully your obedient servant,


CHAs j. FAULKNER


DEPARTMENT OF STATE, !


WASHINGToN, May 4, 1861.
To William L. Dayton, Esq. &c., dc.


SIR-The dispatches of your predecessor num-
bers llS, ll9 and l20, have been received.


The letter acknowledging the receipt of our
letter OF recall and announcing his intended return
requires no special notice. Number III bears the
date of 5th April last. 1t contains only an ex-
preston of Mr. Faulkner's views of the policy
which this Governmen; ought to pursue in regard
to the disturbed condition of affairs at home but
at the same time gives no information concerning
the state of affairs in France


he inSf
will show you the Presidents views on the subject
Mr.. Faulkner has discussed and these will be YOUR
guide, notwithstanding any different opinions YOUR
predecessor NAV have expressed or left on record
at Paris. No lib bears date of the fifteenth April
last, and contains report of official conversa-
tion and also OF an unofficial one, held between
Mr.. Faulkner and NJ. Thouvenel


In the former conversation NJ. Thouvenel asked
Mr. Faulkner whether there is not some diversity
OF opinion IN the Cabinet of the President as to
the proper mode OF meeting the difficulty which
now disturbs the relations of the States and the
General government. MIR. Faulkner in reply said
! that ne had no information on the subject. The
matter is of no great moment, vet it is desirable
that there be no misapprehensons the true state
the Governmant in the present emergency, Y ou NAV
| therefore, recall the conversation to NJ rThouye-
| nePs memory, and then assure him explicitly that
there Is no difference OF opinion whatever between
the President and his constitutional advisers or
among those advisers themselves concerning the pol
Icy that has been pursued, and which prosecu-





| py disturbances existing in the country. The path
OF Executive duty has thus far been too gloomily
marked out BY sheer necessities to be mistaken,
while the snemnity of the great emergency and
the responsibilities il devolves, have extinguish ed
! in the public councils every emotion but those OF
loyalty and patriotism. 1t is not in the hands O
this Administration that this Government is to
come to an end at all, much less for want of harmo
ny in devotion to the country.


! NJ. ThOuyenePs declaration that the United
States may rest we'll assured that no hasty or pre-
eipltate action will be taken the subject of the
apprehended application of the insurrectionsts for
recognition of the Independence of the so. called
Confederate Statesis entirely satisfactory although
1t was attended by a reservation of views concern
ing the general principles applicable to cases thai
need not now be discussed.


In the unofficial conversation, Mr.. Faulkner
says that be himself expressed the opinion tha
force would not be employ ed to cOerce the caeC
seeded States into submission to the Federal au
thorities. and that the only solution to the Difficult
ties would be found in such notifications of tn,
constitutional compact as would invite the seee
ding States back into the Union or a peaceablt
acquiescence in the assertion of their claims to q
separate sovereignty.


The time when these questions had any peril
nency or plausibility has passed away. The Unitet
States waited patiently while their authority wa
detied in turbulent assemblies and in seditious pre-
parations, willing to hope that the mediation OF
fered on all sides would conciliate and induce th,
disatfected parties to return to bitter mind. Blu
the case is now altogether changed. The insur
gents have instituted revolution with open, fla
grant, deadly war, TO compel the United State
to acquiesce in the dismemberment of tn


Union. The United States have accepted thi
civil war as an inevitable necessity. The constitu
ti0nal remedies for all the complaints of the in
surgents still open to them, and will remain
so. But the other hand, the land and nava
forces OF the Union have been put into activity t
restore the Federal authority and to save the Tn


ION ION rom danger. You cannot be too decided o