Dupasseur & Co to The Count Mejan, July 24, 1862

Mr. Dupasseur & Co. to Count Mejan.

Sir: On the 14th of April last we purchased of the Citizens’ Bank an amount of coin amounting to $716,196, which we settled for by our drafts, at four months’ sight, upon sundry bankers in Paris, and upon our house in Havre.

With your consent we deposited this coin at the consulate of France, and carried the bill of sale of the bank, receipted for by the cashier, to be sworn to at your chancery, as French property. About one month since we were summoned, in your presence, to appear before General Butler, who interrogated us upon this purchase of coin. We replied to him that we had only intended making a purely commercial transaction, advantageous to us, because it offered us a profit of from three per cent. to four per cent.; and that, as he had appeared to suspect, this money was in no way intended to purchase arms in Europe, but really to pay the drafts which we had drawn against it. We added, furthermore, that we had never run the blockade, nor made any contract with the confederate government or with its officers. General Butler requested us, and also yourself, not to take this coin from the consulate until the arrival of the honorable Reverdy Johnson, the commissioner of the United States who was to settle the matter; to which we acceded.

Last week we were interrogated by the honorable Reverdy Johnson, who made a record of our answers. We communicated to him and gave him copies of the letters addressed to our different bankers, and to our house, in relation to this transaction, and also as to its entry in our books. We added thereto a statement of facts, of which you will find, enclosed, a true copy. We went, this morning, to see Mr. Reverdy Johnson, and to ask him for his decision; he replied to us that he had no authority to release this coin here, but immediately on his arrival at Washington he would make his report, a report which, according to his own words, he left us to infer would be favorable. We asked him, at the same time, why General Butler had prevented us from withdrawing this coin from the consulate; he replied to us that he did not know. Such are the facts Mr. Consul which we take the liberty to relate to you, asking the favor of you to have the goodness to submit them to the ambassador of France at Washington.

We protest, in the most solemn manner, against any insinuation or suspicion whatever which should tend to have the government of the United States to suppose that this coin is destined to any other object than the one of covering the drafts which we have drawn to meet it. We repeat that we have only intended to make a purely commercial transaction, and cannot account for the reasons which have caused its seizure.

We beg you to insist with the ambassador that this coin be returned to us immediately, for not only does any delay in its transmission seriously injure our interests; but further exposes us to the dangers inherent to the state of war, and the complications which may arise therefrom.

We have the honor to be, count, your very obedient servants,