would bring Brazil upon the same ground in relation to the United States which is occupied by other maritime powers, and thus would mitigate the discontent which you are authorized to express." Here, as your excellency will perceive, is not only grave cause for complaint set forth, but a mode is pointed out in which the friendly feelings heretofore existing between the two countries can be restored, viz: by a simple act of justice, reversing the decision which Brazil has hastily made. If Brazil cannot meet the reasonable expectation of the government of the United States, then the Secretary of State, speaking in the name of the President and the government, claims at least, as a concession to the past friendly relations of the two countries, that Brazil will no longer occupy towards the United States a more unfriendly position than any other power; but, by following the example of other nations, place herself "on the same ground in relation to the United States which is occupied by other maritime powers, and thus mitigate the discontent" which it is made my duty to report to this government. But this is not all. In a despatch from Washington, dated the 3d April, the undersigned is instructed to say to the government of his Imperial Majesty that the government of the United States, standing "upon the position heretofore assumed," declare "that the proceedings of the governor of Maranham are intolerable; and we cannot further debate at Rio, nor can we change the field of the discussion from that capital to Washington." And how are these complaints, remonstrances, and friendly intimations to Brazil, from the government of the United States, received by the imperial government. Why the undersigned is called upon to apprise his government that Brazil has "put an end to this discussion upon the aforesaid subject,” and is happy to perceive that "not the least alteration will result from it in the relations of friendship and good understanding between the countries." Most assuredly these are not the results which the government of the United States promised itself when it ordered the undersigned to place before the government of Brazil the despatches of the 18th of March, and the very significant extract from that of the 3d of April; and while it is the duty of the undersigned to convey to his government an answer so very different from what he anticipated, self respect demands that he should not act as a mere automaton in the matter; and an earnest desire to restore and perpetuate the friendly relations which formerly existed between the two countries compels him to remind your excellency that so desirable a result cannot be obtained by utterly ignoring our complaints, by treating them as alike groundless and unmeaning, and by assuming that nothing has occurred to interrupt the good feelings or disturb the friendly relations between the two countries. The undersigned is grateful to a kind Providence that in what has occurred the existing friendly relations between the two governments have not been disturbed; but he is not unmindful that the good feelings upon which those friendly relations were based, and which is ever the best safeguard for their continuance, have been trifled with by the conduct of the governor of Maranham, and which conduct has been defended, sustained, and approved by your immediate predecessor, speaking in the name of the imperial government of Brazil. The government of the United States, for more than a year, has been actively engaged in putting down the greatest rebellion recorded in the history of the world. A civil war, which has called into the field more than a million of soldiers, and which imposed upon the government of the United States the raising and equipping of an army of seven hundred thousand men, and a fleet of nearly five hundred vessels, to do battle for our national existence, has called forth the energies and exhibited the resources of a mighty people; and yet, in the hour of greatest peril, our government has not hesitated to tell the nations of the world which have done her wrong, when resistance to such wrong was impossible, that "the United States will not debate with other states a question vital to its own existence," but content herself with pointing out the wrong done her, leaving for the present the expiation of such wrong and injury solely to the sense of justice and magnanimity of those who once styled themselves friends. Hence, as our Secretary of State justly says, "acting on this principle, we have brought to the notice of the Brazilian government the grievance committed against us by the president of Maranham. That government, instead of giving us redress, or taking measures to prevent a repetition of the grievance, has avowed and sustained it." Hence the undersigned is instructed to say to the Brazilian government "that while the United States cannot ask Brazil for less than the absolute exclusion of pirates from her harbors, yet standing, as she does, alone among nations, in the extent of her unfriendly attitude, if she would but place herself upon the same ground in relation to the United States which is occupied by other maritime powers, it would mitigate the discontent which you are authorized to express;" and as if foreseeing the failure of this appeal to the friendship and justice of Brazil, the undersigned is ordered to say, in conclusion, that "conscious of our ability to protect all our national rights, we neither importune nor menace any foreign state which may deem it fit to do us wrong; but so fast as every such case matures we determine, with what prudence and firmness we can, the course which the emergency requires." Inasmuch as the government of the United States has definitively closed all further discussion of the affair of the pirate Sumter, either here or at Washington, nothing of the kind is intended in this despatch; its sole object being to point out to your excellency that, so far from nothing having occurred to disturb the good feeling upon which is based the friendly relations between the United States and Brazil, the whole course of your predecessor in relation to the visit of the pirate Sumter to Maranham, and the present attitude of Brazil towards the piratical vessels belonging to the rebel States and to our own national vessels, is considered by the government of Washington untenable, unjust, and "intolerable." 66 It is quite unnecessary for the undersigned to repeat his ardent desire to draw closer and render more permanent the relations between the United States and Brazil, and the establishment by them of an American policy," in contradistinction to what is the recognized policy of Europe, as is being developed by interference with the internal affairs of Mexico; and he is pained to see all his efforts in this regard, and all the wishes of his government, set at naught by the perseverance of Brazil in a course declared by the government of Washington to be more unfriendly that that of any other foreign power; and by ignoring every fact, sentiment, and position taken in the Washington despatches of the 18th March and 3d of April, and utterly refusing to perceive or admit that the United States feels aggrieved by the conduct of Brazil, and confidently expects that she will not persevere in maintaining a position more unfriendly than that of any other maritime power. Adherence by Brazil to her present unfriendly attitude is deprecated by the undersigned, not because he believes such a course calculated to cause a disruption of the peaceful relations existing between the two countries; there exists no such danger. The government of the United States has demonstrated to the world that while struggling for its national existence against a gigantic rebellion it can submit with grace and a not unbecoming humility to the irritating assaults made upon it in the hour of adversity, whether they emanate from ancient enemies or professed friends. But nations, like individuals, while they frequently forgive injuries, do not always forget them. And it is because perseverance in her present course by Brazil may induce the people of the United States to forget the friendly feelings upon which the existing peaceful relations between the two countries are based that the policy of your predecessor is deprecated. In conclusion, while the undersigned is grieved that there should be any necessity for reminding your excellency that his government does feel greatly aggrieved at the conduct of Brazil, and that there exists good cause for such feeling, he flatters himself that on becoming familiar with what has occurred in the department over which one so distinguished in the history of Brazil has been called upon by the public voice and the wisdom of the Emperor to preside, your excellency will recognize the propriety and justice of revising the action of your predecessor; and he is most happy to avail himself of this opportunity to renew to your excellency the expression of his personal regard and most distinguished consideration. J. WATSON WEBB. His Excellency the MARQUIS D'ABRANTES, Counsellor to his Imperial Majesty the Emperor, Mr. Webb to Mr. Seward. LEGATION OF THE UNITED STATES, Petropolis, [No date.] SIR: A few days after my last despatch the secretary of the Marquis d'Abrantes, a Greek of great learning and cleverness, who is a special favorite of the Emperor, and who is placed near the foreign secretary to relieve him from much of his duty, called at my lodgings in the city, and at once announced that he was sent to have an interview with me in relation to my last despatch. He conceded that the Marquis d'Abrantes had not understood or made himself familiar with the Sumter case when he wrote the despatch of which I complained; and what made it worse and peculiarly awkward for the marquis, who had authorized him to express in the warmest terms his personal friendship for me, as well as his friendship for the United States, was the unfortunate fact that he had just made a speech in the senate, in which he had used the identical language of the de sp ch. He said he was authorized by the marquis to assure me, and that I was at liberty to say to you, that the removal of the governor of Maranham was solely and exclusively on account of his conduct in the affair of the Sumter, which should have been disclaimed at once. He said that in his judgment, and, he was happy to say, in the opinion of the Emperor and the marquis, Brazil is bound by every consideration of interest and safety to cultivate the closest relations with the United States, and is prepared to do so; and he begged that I would accept of these verbal explanations and assurances, to be repeated by the marquis in person, instead of a written reply to my note, to which I was justly entitled, but which would be exceedingly embarrassing. I replied that to be content with a verbal reply was impossible; and I instanced the fact that Sr. Taques had agreed with me upon a mode of disposing of the Sumter case, which I had reported to my government, and which he had subsequently repudiated. I had resolved, therefore, not to be exposed to any similar contingency, although I well knew that the high character of the Marquis d'Abrantes rendered any such repudiation impossible. It was better, however, to have a rule upon the subject, and adhere to it; and I suggested that a despatch might be written which would, in a measure, meet the contingency, and relieve the marquis from his predicament. And inasmuch as he was authorized to assure me that this government could not comprehend wherein its position was different from that of the governments of Europe, the declaration of that fact in very precise terms would certainly be advisable, and could not be attended with any difficulty. Our conversation occupied more than an hour, and was very frank and free. In the course of our conversation I brought up the question of our claims, and actually (in confidence) read to him my intended despatch insisting upon their settlement. And I permitted him to infer that the order to me to demand a settlement of the three long pending claims was an evidence of the soreness of our government in regard to the Sumter difficulty, and its grave determination not to be trifled with longer by this government. On the following day I forwarded to the foreign office my demand for a settlement of our claims, a copy of which I enclose, marked No. 1, and I think you will admit it does not mince the matter. With this despatch before the secretary, he wrote his reply of the 24th instant to my troublesome despatch, denying that the conduct of Brazil had not affected injuriously the feelings of friendship so long existing between the two governments; and I look upon that document, the original of which I forward, marked No. 2, as being a virtual carrying out of my conversation with Calogeras. It might have been stronger, and less diplomatic; but as it is to be published in the very teeth of what the marquis said in the senate, I think it all we should demand. The assertion that "Brazil neither had nor has any intention to place itself in an exceptional position with the government of the Union," and that her position "is perfectly identical with that adopted by other maritime powers," is intended to cover all that portion of your just remonstrance. I shall now wait to receive the action of the government upon our claims; and if, as I hope, it is prompt and favorable, I shall express verbally to the Marquis d'Abrantes my satisfaction with his reply, and hand him a copy of your despatch No. 26, dated May 9, although not instructed to do so. friendly tenor cannot fail to be acceptable. I have the honor to be, very respectfully, your obedient servant, Hon. WILLIAM H. SEWARD, Secretary of State of the United States. Its LEGATION OF THE UNITED STATES, The undersigned, envoy extraordinary and minister plenipotentiary from the United States, has the honor to inform his excellency the Marquis d'Abrantes, counsellor to his Imperial Majesty, minister and secretary of state for foreign affairs, that he has been instructed by his government to call the attention of the government of Brazil to the long standing and much neglected claims of its citizens for reclamation in the cases of the bark Edna and the brigs Nebo and Caroline. The case of the Nebo extends back to December, 1851, and its justice has been fully conceded by the government of Brazil. The claim in case of the Caroline is founded on occurrences which took place in 1855, and the facts have been so clearly presented that the predecessor of the undersigned reported to his government the amount due would be promptly forthcoming. The barratry, on the part of the captain, "in collusion with the judge municipal, under whose corrupt decree a sound and seaworthy vessel, with all her cargo in a good state of preservation, was fraudulently sold and sacrificed at auction, the master himself secretly becoming the purchaser with the knowledge of the Brazilian judge," was proved in the courts of Brazil, on the trial of the captain, and a verdict was rendered accordingly. Brazil admitted the claim, and, in December, 1859, the minister of foreign affairs informed Mr. Mead that the adjustment of the amount of the claim had been referred to the minister of justice, for his immediate action, and "a prompt reply" was promised, After a lapse of nine months, that is, on the 26th September, 1860, Mr. Mead called attention to the fact that no attention had been paid by the Brazilian government to their pledge made nine months previously, and he earnestly pressed for action on the subject. The case of the bark Edna also occurred in 1855, and a demand for redress was made by Mr. Mead also. No notice was taken of the demand for four years, although it was attended by circumstances of an aggravated nature, well calculated to cause the United States to doubt the friendship and the justice of Brazil. Mr. Mead finally succeeded in procuring a hearing and consideration of the case, and he was led to believe by this government that the claim was established and would be promptly liquidated. But it appears by the records of the Department of State, at Washington, that every reasonable expectation formed by my predecessor upon the promises of the government of Brazil were.erroneous; and, in consequence, on the 3d of May, 1861, in obedience to instructions, he addressed an earnest remonstrance to the Secretary of Foreign Affairs, from which the following is an extract: 66 The undersigned hopes that his excellency the minister of foreign affairs, duly appreciating the patience manifested by the United States government towards that of Brazil, will now proceed promptly to consider and decide upon the three cases of the barks Nebo and Edna and the brig Caroline; the three together involving more than $100,000. "It is not the intention of the undersigned to argue these cases further. He contents himself with the notes already addressed to the Brazilian government. some of which, though written more than a year ago, have never been replied to. This delay has sometimes given rise to the suggestion that it may not be the purpose of the Brazilian government to take further notice of them. Such a thought, however, is so repugnant to the preconceptions entertained of Brazilian courtesy, and to the very friendly relations that have always subsisted between the two governments, that it was suffered to abide but a very short time in the breast of the undersigned. He now calls the attention of his excellency again to these questions, in the full confidence that they will be speedily attended to and finally settled. No additional lights can be thrown upon a subject that has been under examination and discussed for periods of six and eight (and ten) years." And previous to Mr. Mead's leaving this country, in July last, he reported to the government of the United States that although the principles involved in the claims of the Nebo, Edina, and Caroline, had been acknowledged, and in the two former cases inadequate compensation had been offered and declined, he despaired of any favorable action. And he added, "I am apprehensive that little attention will now be given to them. Until our own government is in a more settled condition, we may scarcely expect this to give itself much concern about our demands upon it." The undersigned is reminded by his government that the earnest appeal to the justice and friendship of the Brazilian government, made by his predecessor more than fourteen months ago, was not responded to, and to this day has been treated with studied neglect. It is not for the undersigned to assume that the cause for such neglect is to be found in the internal difficulties existing in the United States. Such an inference would be insulting to his own government and exceedingly offensive to that of Brazil; and if his predecessor had not been in sympathy with those in rebellion against the government of the United States he could not have entertained such a sentiment without demanding the immediate settlement of our long pending claims or closing his mission at a court which could thus trifle with the government he represented. It is no part of the intention of the undersigned, therefore, to look for the causes of delay on |