Charles Francis Adams to Right Hon. Earl Russell, April 4, 1863

[Enclosures.]

1. Mr. Adams to Lord Russell, with Mr. Yonge’s deposition, dated April 4, 1863.

2. Lord Russell to Mr. Adams, announcing the arrest of the Alexandra, April 5, 1863.

3. Mr. Adams to Lord Russell, April 6, 1863.

4. Mr. Adams to Mr. Dudley, April 6, 1863.

5. Mr. Adams to Lord Russell, April 9, 1863.

6. Lord Russell to Mr. Adams about the Sumter, dated April 4, 1863.

7. Mr. Adams to Lord Russell, in reply, April 6, 1863.

8. Lord Russell to Mr. Adams, on the Japan at Alderney, April 8, 1863.

Mr. Adams to Earl Russell.

My Lord: I have the honor to submit to your consideration the copy of an affidavit, voluntarily made by Clarence R. Yonge, being, in the nature of cumulative evidence, to show the execution of a deliberate plan to establish within the limits of this kingdom a system of action in direct hostility to the government of the United States. This appears to corroborate in all essential particulars the evidence heretofore adduced from other quarters. I append the copy of a paper, marked A, showing the extent to which her Majesty’s subjects, many of them alleged to belong to the naval reserve, have been enlisted in a single example of illegal enterprise.

I pray your lordship to accept the assurances of the highest consideration with which I have the honor to be, my lord, your most obedient servant,

Earl Russell to Mr. Adams.

Sir: I have the honor to acknowledge the receipt of your letter of yesterday, enclosing a deposition made by a person named Yonge, respecting the Alabama and her proceedings.

I have, at the same time, the honor to acquaint you with reference to your letter of the 30th ultimo, and to mine of the following day, that orders have been sent to Liverpool for the seizure of the Alexandra, the vessel to which you called my attention, as intended to be employed in the naval service of the so-called Confederate States.

I have, accordingly, to request that you will have the goodness forthwith to instruct the United States consul at Liverpool to place at the disposal of the persons who may be employed in collecting evidence on the part of the crown all such information as he may now possess, or may hereafter acquire, leading to establish the guilt of the parties concerned in the Alexandra, against whom proceedings may be taken under the foreign enlistment act.

I have the honor to be, sir, your most obedient, humble servant,

Mr. Adams to Earl Russell.

My Lord: I have the honor to acknowledge the reception of your lordship’s note of the 5th instant, in answer to mine of the 30th ultimo, making certain representations in regard to the character of a vessel in Liverpool known as the Alexandra. It is with the most lively satisfaction that I learn the decision of her Majesty’s government to detain that vessel. Believing that such an act, at the present moment, is calculated to defeat the sanguine hopes of the common enemies of both nations, to sow the seeds of dissension among them, I shall remit no effort to procure all the information possible to support it. To that end I have, agreeably to your lordship’s suggestion, sent the necessary instructions to the consul of the United States at Liverpool to put himself in communication with the authorities designated at that place to pursue the subject.

I pray your lordship to accept the assurances of the highest consideration with which I have the honor to be, my lord, your most obedient servant,

Mr. Adams to Mr. Dudley.

Sir: I yesterday received a note from Lord Russell, in answer to my representation concerning the Alexandra, of the 30th ultimo, announcing that orders had been sent to Liverpool for the seizure of that vessel. It ends with the following paragraph, to which I ask your immediate attention. I do not doubt that you will remit no exertion to obtain evidence in aid of this first effort of her Majesty’s government to obtain the condemnation of one of these vessels. The moral effect of such a result could not fail to be great on both sides of the ocean:

“I have, accordingly, to request that you will have the goodness forthwith to instruct the United States consul at Liverpool to place at the disposal of the persons who may be employed in collecting evidence on the part of the crown all such information as he may now possess, or may hereafter acquire, tending to establish the guilt of parties concerned in the Alexandra, against whom proceedings may be taken under the foreign enlistment act.”

I have the honor to be, sir, your obedient servant,

Mr. Adams to Earl Russell.

My Lord: Having received an opinion from eminent counsel that the evidence in the case of the Alexandra is sufficient to sustain proceedings for condemnation, under the 6th section of the enlistment law, I pray your lordship to have the kindness to inform me whether the measures thus far adopted, or intended on the part of her Majesty’s government in that case, would be, in any way, deranged by simultaneous action on the part of the United States in a different form. Should no inconvenience be apprehended, I am informed by the lawyers that they are ready to proceed.

I pray your lordship to accept the assurances of the highest consideration with which I have the honor to be, my lord, your most obedient servant,

Earl Russell to Mr. Adams.

Sir: My attention having been drawn to a paragraph which appeared in the “Daily News,” of the 17th ultimo, in which, under the head of “confederate war vessels,” is included the Sumter, now called the Gibraltar, as having been horoughly repaired at Birkenhead, and being ready for sea, I deemed it advisabtle at once to request the proper authorities to cause particular attention to be paid to this vessel.

I have now the honor to acquaint you that it appears from a report which has been received from the collector of customs at Liverpool, and which has been communicated to me, the lords commissioners of her Majesty’s treasury, that, since the arrival of the Sumter at that port on the 13th of February last, she has been carefully watched by the custom-house officer and that, although the vessel has received some repairs, nothing has taken place regarding her of a suspicious character.

The Sumter appears to be laid up in the upper part of the great float at Birkenhead, and there seems to be no sign of her being at present intended for sea.

I have the honor to add that the authorities at Liverpool are instructed to continue to observe this vessel, and to report, without delay, any circumstances of an unusual character which may happen to take place with regard to her.

I have the honor to be, with the highest consideration, sir, your most obedient, humble servant,

Mr. Adams to Mr. Russell.

My Lord: I have had the honor to receive your note of the 4th instant, in reference to a paragraph which appeared in the Daily News of the 17th ultimo, respecting the immediate preparation of the Sumter for departure from the port of Liverpool. I must confess that the information received by me from Liverpool from wholly independent sources had led me to believe the newspaper statement to be true. It is, however, with very great satisfaction I receive the contradiction of it from your lordship, as well as the assurance that the movements of that vessel are under the observation of her Majesty’s government. I am the more led to indulge this that the notice appears to have been spontaneously furnished to me, with a degree of courtesy which I should be wanting in my duty if I were to fail properly to appreciate.

I pray your lordship to accept the assurances of the highest consideration with which I have the honor to be, my lord, your most obedient servant,

Earl Russell to Mr. Adams.

Sir: I have the honor to acknowledge the receipt of your letter of this day’s date, acquainting me that you had reason to suppose that a steam-vessel, named the Japan, or the Virginia, has just left the Clyde for Alderney, where she is expected to receive on board an armament brought to the island for her by a small steamer, the Allar, and a considerable number of British subjects who have been enlisted to serve on board of her; and having done this, to proceed and depredate on the commerce of the United States.

I have to state to you, in reply, that copies of your letter were sent, without loss of time, to the home department and to the board of treasury, with a request that an immediate inquiry might be made into the circumstances stated in it, and that if the result should prove your suspicions to be well founded the most effectual measures might be. taken which the law admits of for defeating any such attempts to lit out a belligerent vessel from a British port.

I have the honor to be, with the highest consideration, sir, your most obedient, humble servant,