No. 97. 7. Juli 1831. FRANKREICH. No. 97. Min. d. Ausw. an den königl. Botschafter in London. schlag zu einer gemeinsamen Vermittelung Frankreichs und Grossbritanniens zu Gunsten Polens. Vor Paris, le 7 Juillet, 1831. Mon Prince, Le Roi, touché des maux qu'a déjà causés la guerre de Frankreich, Pologne à deux nations qui lui inspirent un si vif intérêt, jaloux d'assurer le maintien de la paix chaque jour compromise par une lutte aussi prolongée, et non moins occupé de préserver l'Occident de l'Europe du terrible fléau que cette guerre traine à sa suite, s'est adressé avec confiance à l'Empereur de Russie pour mettre un terme à tant de malheurs, et faire cesser une effusion de sang dont l'humanité n'a que trop longtemps gémi. La pensée du Roi était aussi de conserver l'existence politique d'un peuple qui s'en est montré si digne par tant de courage et de patriotisme, et qui a pour sa nationalité la garantie des Traités de Vienne. Jusqu'ici les efforts du Roi n'ont pas obtenu les résultats qu'il était en droit de se promettre. Malgré leur peu de succès, Sa Majesté ne pense point qu'elle doive renon. cer à le généreuse et pacifique médiation que lui conseillent ses sentiments personnels et que lui prescrit la situation de l'Europe. Elle croit surtout que si l'Angleterre agissait d'accord avec la France pour donner à cette salutaire intervention toute la force dont elle est susceptible, l'effet pourrait en être assuré par l'union de ces deux Puissances. Le Roi connaît assez les sentiments qui animent Sa Majesté Britannique pour espérer qu'elle ne refusera point de donner sa franche et complète adhésion à nos démarches et de joindre à nos efforts son action puissante, lorsqu'il s'agit aussi souverainement du bien de l'humanité et de l'intérêt général de l'Europe. Le désir de Sa Majesté, mon Prince, est que vous fassiez à ce sujet des ouvertures immédiates et pressantes au Gouvernement Anglais : nous en attendons le résultat avec une vive impatience. ¶ Agréez, &c. AS. E. le Prine de Talleyrand, Londres. Horace Sébastiani. No. 98. FRANKREICH. Der königl. Botschafter in London an den königl. grossbritannischen Min. d. Ausw. Ueberreichung der vorstehenden Depesche des Grafen Sebastiani. Londres, le 20 Juillet, (Received July 20.) 1831. No. 98. 20. Juli 1831. Secrétaire d'Etat au Département des Affaires Etrangères, la copie d'une dépêche qu'il a reçu de M. le Général Count Sébastiani, relativement à la situation actuelle de la Pologne, et aux démarches de conciliation que le Gouvernement du Roi aurait le désir de faire de concert avec le Gouvernement de Sa Majesté Britannique. ¶ Cette communication, dont le Soussigné a déjà fait connaître la substance à Lord Palmerston, dans plusieurs entretiens, notamment dans celui du 14 de ce mois, a pour but de 20. Juli 1831. satisfaire à la demande qu'il lui a fait de recevoir, à ce sujet, une pièce No. 98. sur laquelle il serait à portée de fixer l'attention spéciale du Conseil de Sa Frankreich, Majesté Britannique. Le Soussigné prie Lord Palmerston de vouloir bien lui faire part de l'opinion que le Gouvernement Anglais se sera formée sur la communication qu'il est chargé de lui faire, et il saisit, &c. A Lord Palmerston. Le Pce. de Talleyrand. No. 99. GROSSBRITANNIEN. in London. Min. d. Ausw. an den königl. französischen Botschafter Ablehnung des Vorschlags einer gemeinsamen Vermittelung zu Gunsten Polens. Foreign Office, July 22, 1831. Gross 1831. The Undersigned has the honour to acknowledge the receipt of a No. 99. note of the 20th instant from the Prince de Talleyrand, inclosing the copy britannien, of a despatch dated the 7th of July, addressed to his Excellency by Count 22. Juli Sebastiani, which the Undersigned has lost no time in laying before the King. The Undersigned is commanded to express the sense entertained by His Majesty of the frank and conciliatory manner in which this communication has been made. It is His Majesty's sincere desire to cultivate the most friendly and confidential intercourse with the Court of France, more especially when the end in view is the preservation or the restoration of peace. As far, therefore, as regards the desire of the French Government to secure to the Poles the national and political existence which it was one of the objects of the Treaty of Vienna to establish, the Undersigned has to state, in the most distinct terms, that His Majesty could not consent to see Poland deprived of the advantages of that arrangement; nor has the Undersigned waited for the present communication from the Princede Talleyrand to make such representations upon this point to the Russian Cabinet as, without indicating any suspicion of the intentions of that Government, might prevent future misunderstanding. ¶ The object of the communication which is now proposed that France and England should jointly address to Russia, is an immediate cessation of hostilities, with a view to negotiations for the purpose of re-establishing peace between the contending parties by some lasting arrangement; and it appears from Count Sebastiani's despatch that a proposition to this effect has already been made to Russia by France, but hitherto without success. If His Majesty had reason to think that the Emperor of Russia was disposed to avail himself of the good offices of the two Courts, and that their intervention might lead to an accommodation, His Majesty would willingly co-operate in a friendly endeavour to restore peace between Russia and Poland. But there are, on the contrary, too many reasons for fearing that a simple offer of mediation, so far from being desired by His Imperial Majesty, would, at the present moment, certainly be refused. ¶ Can it then be expedient to make a proposal which there is no ground to hope would be accepted; and which, if refused, would leave to the two Governments the embarrassing alternative No. 99. of either acquiescing in a determined rejection of their proposal, or of takGross- ing measures to enforce it by means of a more direct and effectual inter22. Juli ference? The British Government certainly is not prepared to adopt the latter course. The effects and bearing of the contest upon the security of britannien, 1831. Staaten, 6. August other States have not hitherto been such as to warrant measures of such a description; nor has the conduct of Russia towards England been calculated to excite any unfriendly feeling: she has, on the contrary, performed towards this country all the offices of a good and faithful ally, and, in the late difficult negotiations for the purpose of effecting a settlement between Belgium and Holland, she has acted with perfect fairness in her co-operation with the other four Powers. Under these circumstances, His Majesty, deeply lamenting the calamities of a disastrous and desolating contest, does not think the time has yet arrived when he could be justified in adopting a proceeding which, however conciliatory in form, could not fail to alarm an independent Power, naturally jealous of its rights, and sensibly alive to everything which might appear to affect its national honour. For these reasons His Majesty feels himself under the necessity of declining the proposal which the Prince de Talleyrand has been instructed to convey. But the Untersigned is at the same time commanded to repeat to his Excellency that there exists on the part of His Majesty a sincere and earnest desire to co-operate with the King of the French in promoting the general interests of humanity and peace. The King can never look with indifference on such a state of things as that which now exists in Poland. His anxious attention will be constantly directed to the progress of the contest, and though h finds himself compelled at present to withhold his assent to the proposed offer of a joint mediation, His Majesty will not be the less anxious to avail himself of any favourable opportunity which the friendly relations subsisting between the Courts of Great Britain and Russia may afford, to lend his assistance to the benevolent work of putting a stop to the further effusion of blood, and of restoring to the countries now suffering under all the evils of war, the enjoyment of the blessings of peace. ¶ The Undersigned, &c. To H. E. the Prince de Talleyrand No. 100. Palmerston. VEREINIGTE STAATEN. No. 100. Staaten, 1861. shall purchase or acquire, sell or give, any property of whatsoever kind or Nr. 100. description, with intent to use or employ the same, or suffer the same to Vereinigte be used or employed, in aiding, abetting, or promoting such insurrection or 6. August resistance to the laws, or any person or persons engaged therein; or if any person or persons, being the owner or owners of any such property, shall knowingly use or employ, or consent to the use or employment of the same as aforesaid, all such property is hereby declared to be lawful subject of prize and capture wherever found; and it shall be the duty of the President of the United States to cause the same to be seized, confiscated, and condemned. ¶¶ Section 2. And be it further enacted that such prizes and capture shall be condemned in the district or circuit court of the United States having jurisdiction of the amount, or in admiralty in any district in which the same may be seized, or into which they may be taken and proceedings first instituted. Section 3. And be it further enacted that the ¶ Attorney-General, or any district attorney of the United States in which said property may at the time be, may institute the proceedings of condemnation, and in such case they shall be wholly for the benefit of the United States; or any person may file an information with such attorney, in which case the proceedings shall be for the use of such informer and the United States in equal parts. Section 4. And be it further enacted that whenever any person claiming to be entitled to the service or labour of any other person, under the laws of any State, shall employ such person in aiding or promoting any insurrection, or in resisting the laws of the United States, or shall permit him to be so employed, he shall forfeit all right to such service or labour, and the person whose labour or service is thus claimed shall be thenceforth discharged therefrom, any law to the contrary notwithstanding. No. 101. VEREINIGTE STAATEN. -Staatssecretär, Erläuterung der Confiscations-Gesetze. Staaten, 1861. Sir-In order to prevent seizures of property belonging to citizens No. 101. of insurrectionary States not warranted by the acts of Congress relating to Vereinigte that subject, it is thought advisable to direct the special attention of Mar- 21. Septbr. shals and District Attorneys of the United States to the provisions of these acts. The fifth section of the act of July 13 provides that all goods and chattels, wares and merchandise coming from or proceeding to a State or place declared to be in insurrection, together with the vessel or vehicle conveying the same, or conveying persons to or from such State or place, shall be forfeited to the United States. This section obviously applies to all property in transit, or purchased or provided with a view to transit between loyal and disloyal States, and especially to property forming the subject of commercial intercourse. Such property, wherever found, is liable to seizure, and the only redress of parties who think themselves aggrieved is by appeal to the Secretary of the Treasury, who is invested by law with Staaten, No. 101. full power of mitigation and remission. The first section of an act approVereinigte ved August 6 declares that if any person or persons, his, her or their agent 21. Septbr. attorney or employé, shall purchase or acquire, sell or give any property 1861. of whatever kind or description with intent to use or employ the same, No. 102. Staaten, 1861. or suffer the same to be used or employed in aiding or abetting or promoting such insurrection, or any person or persons engaged therein, or if any person or persons being the owners of any such property, shall knowingly use or employ, or suffer the use or employment of the same as aforesaid, all such property is hereby declared to be lawful subject of prize and capture wherever found. ¶ No doubt can be entertained that this section was well considered, and that its operation was intended to be limited to property used in furtherance of the insurrection only. Seizures under the act of July 13 should be made by the officers or under the direction of the officers of the Treasury Department; and all District Attorneys and Marshals of the United States should afford all practicable counsel and aid in the execution of the law. ¶ Seizures under the act of August 6 should be made by the Marshal of the district in which such property may be found, under the general or particular direction of the District Attorney or other superior authority. ¶ For such seizures there is no power of mitigation or remission in the Secretary of the Treasury; but the District Attorney, or other superior authority, may direct the discontinuance of any proceeding in relation thereto, and the restoration of the property seized. ¶ It will be seen, from an inspection of these provisions of the acts of Congress, that no property is confiscated or subjected to forfeiture except such as is in transit or provided for transit to or from insurrectionary States, or used for the promotion of the insurrection. Real estate, bonds, promissory notes, moneys on deposit and the like are therefore not subject to seizure or confiscation in the absence of evidence of such unlawfulness. All officers, while vigilant in the prevention of the conveyance of property to or from insurrectionary States, or the use of it for insurrectionary purposes, are expected to be careful in avoiding unnecessary vexation and cost by seizures not warranted by law. W. H. Seward, Secretary of State. VEREINIGTE STAATEN. Nr. 102. Proclamation des Präsidenten, den Verkehr mit den abgefallenen Staaten betr. Whereas, on the fifteenth day of April*), the President of the United Vereinigte States, in view of an insurrection against the laws, constitution and the govern16. August ment of the United States, which had broken out within the States of South Carolina, Georgia, Alabama, Florida, Mississippi, Louisiana and Texas, and in pursuance of the provisions of the act entitled an act to provide for calling forth the militia to execute the laws of the Union, suppress insurrections and repel invasions, and to repeal the act now in force for that purpose, approved Fe *) No. 43. |