James S. Pike to William H. Seward, October 16, 1861

Mr. Pike to Mr. Seward.

Sir: I have the honor to enclose you the reply of the minister of foreign affairs to the communication I addressed to him on the 8th instant, in regard to the reappearance of the Sumter at Paramaribo. He states therein the character of the orders which have been sent to the colonial authorities, to which I referred in my last despatch, of October 12, (No. 22.)

The British minister here, Sir Andrew Buchanan, expressed incredulity and surprise when I informed him this government had issued the order in question. He declared the British government would not do it, and that the United States would not under similar circumstances. He said it was giving us an advantage, and was not therefore neutral conduct. He added that Russia asked Sweden to close her ports against both belligerents during the Crimean war, and England would not permit it, alleging that as Russia did not want to use them, and England did, it gave the former an advantage to which that power was not entitled. The British government held that Sweden, as a neutral, had no right to alter the natural situation unless it operated equally.

You see herein how thoroughly English officials (and it seems to me all others) are imbued with the idea that the rights of a mere belligerent are the same as the rights of a nation, in cases like the one under consideration.

I have received to-day a letter from our consul at Paramaribo, dated September 20, in which he says the United States steamer Powhatan arrived there on the 14th in search of the Sumter, and left for Brazil the same day; also that the Keystone State arrived on the 18th on the same errand, and left on the 19th for the West India islands.

Your despatch of the 28th of September, acknowledging receipt of mine of the 4th, has arrived. As you make no mention of mine of the 11th, it would seem another mail has missed. I wrote our despatch agent at London on the subject several days ago.

He replies that my despatch of the 4th of September went on the 7th, and that of the 11th on the 14th, which was in regular order.

I have the honor to be, with great respect, your most obedient servant,