swer of the minister of marine dressed him, as I have had the the 23d of last month, in regard to Rappahannock. It appears from it ted the attention of M. le Cte. de Chas1 hastened to give the necessary orders referred to might be able solely to put it and revictual with provisions, and coal. It ry which was entered into on the spot, that port of destination of the Rappahannock when England; that unforeseen accidents only led her waters, and that we could not under the circuman asylum any more than to any other vessel placed tion. This vessel has been, however, and continues to of special surveillance, and you yourself will be satisfied with which watch is kept that no suspicious object be inboard, by reading the report on this subject addressed to tment of the marine by the competent local authority, and herenexed in copy. I will add that M. le Cte. de Chasseloup Laubat ting the facilities accorded to the Rappahannock to what is deed for the equipment and seaworthiness of an ordinary vessel of neree, has besides given directions not to authorize her to prolong stay at Calais, so soon as she shall be in a state to go to sea. Receive the assurances of the high consideration, &c. DROUYN DE LIUYS. Mr. DAYTON, Minister of the United States at Paris. [312] Mr. Dayton, United States minister, to M. Drouyn de Lhuys, minister of foreign affairs. PARIS, February 2, 1864. MONSIEUR LE MINISTRE: I have just received information from our consular agent at Calais that the confederate war-vessel Rappahannock 5. I inclose likewise copies of two affidavits sent to me from the United States legation at London, proving that the vessel left the Eng lish port to go to Calais; that she was then incomplete; that she waits at the port of Calais for her crew, and that she is, as her captain says, a confederate privateer. It is quite evident that this vessel occupies a position which differs from either the Florida or the Georgia. She has left her port on the other side of the channel, voluntarily, without papers, and run directly across to a neighboring port, within which she hopes to be protected until her equipment is completed, and her officers and crew ready. On this statement of facts no argument is necessary to show that permission from the French authorities to carry out her purpose would be a violation of neutrality. [309] *May I beg the attention of your excellency, therefore, immediately to this question. I have the honor to be, &c., His Excellency Mr. DROUYN DE LHUYS, WM. L. DAYTON. Minister of Foreign Affairs, Paris. Mr. Dayton, United States minister, to Mr. Seward, Secretary of State. PARIS, December 25, 1863. SIR: My dispatch No. 387 incloses to you a copy of a note recently sent to Mr. Drouyn de Lhuys, in reference to the rebel vessel called the Rappahannock, lying at Calais. I now beg to inclose to you a translation of Mr. Drouyn de Lhuys's reply. I should add that in the course of conversation had with him yesterday he admitted that this vessel was, in his judgment, an exceptional case, inasmuch as she was not driven in by stress of weather or necessity, but came voluntarily, to complete her equipment; and that, in this respect, her case was unlike the case of either the Florida or Georgia. He said, further, that he understood the minister of marine agreed with him in this view, but nothing has yet been done. I am daily expecting some orders from the minister of marine in reference to this vessel. I am, sir, &c., Hon. WILLIAM H. SEWARD, WM. L. DAYTON. Secretary of State. [310] *M. Drouyn de Lhuys, minister of foreign affairs, to Mr. Dayton, United States minister. [Translation.-Extract.] PARIS, December 23, 1863. SIR: I have received the letters which you have done me the honor to address me, dated the 4th, 12th, and 19th of this month, to communicate to me the information which had been transmitted to you in regard to the vessel Rappahannock. I have taken care to give notice of them to the minister of marine, whose information was still incomplete, and I await the result of the inquiry into which our authorities are obliged to proceed, in order to judge of the difference which you point out between the position of the vessel and that of the Florida and of the Georgia. I think, indeed, with you, that it is desirable to avoid giving an equitable base for future reclamations. It is with this feeling that the gov ernment of the Emperor has always been studious to act, and it will not depart therefrom in this circumstance. Accept, sir, the assurances of the high consideration with which I have the honor to be, &c., Mr. DAYTON, DROUYN DE L'HUYS. Minister, &c., &c. Mr. Drouyn de Lhuys, minister of foreign affairs, to Mr. Dayton, United [311] States minister. *PARIS, January 13, 1864. SIR: I have just received the answer of the minister of marine to the communications which I had addressed him, as I have had the honor to inform you by my letter of the 23d of last month, in regard to the stay at Calais of the vessel the Rappahannock. It appears from it that this matter has already attracted the attention of M. le Cte. de Chasseloup Laubat, and that he had hastened to give the necessary orders that the captain of the vessel referred to might be able solely to put it in a state of navigability, and revictual with provisions, and coal. It results also from an inquiry which was entered into on the spot, that Calais was not at all the port of destination of the Rappahannock when she left the shores of England; that unforeseen accidents only led her to take refuge in our waters, and that we could not under the circumstances refuse her an asylum any more than to any other vessel placed in the same situation. This vessel has been, however, and continues to be, the object of special surveillance, and you yourself will be satisfied with the care with which watch is kept that no suspicious object be introduced on board, by reading the report on this subject addressed to the department of the marine by the competent local authority, and herewith annexed in copy. I will add that M. le Cte. de Chasseloup Laubat in limiting the facilities accorded to the Rappahannock to what is demanded for the equipment and seaworthiness of an ordinary vessel of commerce, has besides given directions not to authorize her to prolong her stay at Calais, so soon as she shall be in a state to go to sea. Receive the assurances of the high consideration, &c. DROUYN DE LHUYS. Mr. DAYTON, [312] Minister of the United States at Paris. * Mr. Dayton, United States minister, to M. Drouyn de Lhuys, minister of foreign affairs. PARIS, February 2, 1864. MONSIEUR LE MINISTRE: I have just received information from our consular agent at Calais that the confederate war-vessel Rappahannock has completed her repairs and equipment, and is about to leave that port; and he further says that it appears by a shipping gazette that a ship has gone out of the Thames laden with munitions of all kinds for the Rappahannock. If this be true (and it is probable) its effect upon the public mind of my country, and the view likely to be taken of it by my Government must be obvious. The Rappahannock is a confederate cruiser, and not a vessel of commerce. To equip her in one neutral port as such, when it is well understood she is to be immediately supplied from another neutral port with arms to prey upon our commerce, is, I submit, to aid directly in the principal wrong. The ports of England and France alternating in the character of their aid, might in this way be made the easy means, or base, of military operations against us. It is perfectly certain that the United States Government will never acquiese in the justice or legality of such proceedings. And I now, with great respect, give formal notice that reclamation will be made in [313] due time for all damages which shall be done by the Rappahannock to our commerce, in case she be permitted under the circumstances to go to sea. Accept, sir, the assurance of high consideration with which I have the honor to be your excellency's very obedient servant, His Excellency M. DROUYN DE LHUYS, WILLIAM L. DAYTON. Minister of Foreign Affairs, Paris. Rules in regard to belligerent vessels in French ports. [Translation.] MINISTRY OF MARINE AND OF THE COLONIES. The minister of marine and of the colonies to the maritime prefects; general officers, superiors, and others commanding at sea; commandant of marine in Algeria; governors of colonies; commissaries general of marine; chiefs of the marine service in secondary ports; and administrators of the maritime inscription. FIRST DIRECTION-SECOND BUREAU.-MOVEMENTS. Rules to be observed in regard to vessels of belligerents. PARIS, February 5, 1864. GENTLEMEN: By its declarations of the 10th of June, 1861, inserted in the Moniteur, the Emperor's government has made known the [314] principles which serve as a basis to the neutrality it intended to observe in the war which insanguines North America. Since then, these principles have received their application as well in our colonies as in the ports of the mother country. But the continuation of the war having led the belligerents to carry 'the theater of maritime hostilities into the neighboring waters of the neutral states of Europe and brought them to seek in our ports the means of repairs or of provisioning, the Emperor's government has deemed it useful to remind you again of the rules to be observed in order to maintain its neutrality, conformably to public law and to the traditions of the French marine, and to determine consequently on the treatment which is to be applied, without distinction of flag,to the ves sels of the belligerents. You will therefore have to attend to the strict execution of the following regulations: 1st. No vessel of war or belligerent privateer will be allowed to stay more than twenty-four hours in a port of the empire of the French colonies, or in the adjacent waters, except in the case of a forced putting in on account of bad weather, of injuries, or of exhaustion of provisions, necessary to the safety of the voyage. 2d. In no case can a belligerent make use of a French port for a purpose of war, or for there supplying himself with arms or muni[315] tions of war, or for there *executing, under pretext of repairs, works whose object is to increase his military power. 3d. There can only be furnished to a vessel of war or belligerent privateer the provisions, stores, and means of repair necessary for the subsistence of her crew and for the safety of her voyage. 4th. No vessel of war or belligerent privateer allowed to take in provisions or to make repairs in a French port can prolong her stay there beyond twenty-four hours after her supplies shall have been shipped and her repairs finished, except in the case hereinafter provided for. 5th. When vessels of war, privateers, or merchant-vessels of the two belligerent parties are found together in a French port, there shall be an interval of not less than twenty-four hours between the departure of any vessel (of one of the belligerents, and the subsequent departure) of any vessel of war or privateer of the other belligerent. This delay shall be extended, in case of need, by order of the maritime authority, as long as may be necessary. You will take care to make known the foregoing regulations to every vessel of either of the belligerents which may come into the ports, roadsteads, or waters subject to your command. Accept, gentlemen, the assurance of my very distinguished consideration. COUNT P. DE CHASSELOUP LAUBAT, Minister Secretary of State, of Marine, and of Colonies. Inserted in the official bulletin, 1864. 容 316] Mr. Dayton, United States minister, to Mr. Seward, Secretary of State. PARIS, February 19, 1864. SIR: I yesterday communicated to Mr. Drouyn de Lhuys the contents of your dispatch No. 468, and I did this the more readily as, in its main features, it was a reiteration from you of views that I had individually already expressed to him. I read to him that part of your dispatch in which you state that the decision of the French government in respect to the Rappahannock, co-operating with other causes, will be a trial to the friendship of our country toward France, for which, after the protests we have made, not our Government, but "the Emperor, will be responsible." He said, in reply, that we must deal with things as they |