John Bigelow to William H. Seward, April 13, 1866

Mr. Bigelow to Mr. Seward

Sir: In the month of August, 1865, application was made to this legation for its interference in behalf of George Schneider and J. Baptiste Cochener, naturalized citizens of the United States, who were thrown into prison to await the result of an inquest in regard to their liability to military service in France.

I have the honor to transmit copies of a communication which in each case I addressed to the minister of foreign affairs. They are numbered, respectively 1 and 2. To these communications I received a reply, of which enclosure No. 3 is a copy.

In March of this year I received another appeal from a man named Frank Pierre, who was in the service of the New England Glass Company of Boston, and who represented himself to have been the victim of brutal treatment from the authorities of his native place, which he had just revisited after an absence of sixteen years. I spoke of the matter to M. Drouyn de Lhuys, who requested me to make a written representation of the case, when he promised to give the subject prompt attention. Thereupon I sent him the annexed communication, numbered 4.

The following day I had occasion to address the minister of foreign affairs the annexed communication, No. 5, in behalf of still another naturalized citizen, who had appealed to me from prison for protection against conscription.

To these communications I received in reply two notes, of which copies, numbered respectively 6 and 7, are annexed.

Meantime Frank Pierre called upon me and gave me full details of his treatment and of his liberation. I made up my mind that if naturalized citizens of the United States, on their arrival in France, were subject to such brutalities; without the knowledge of the government, it was my duty to take such notice of them as should leave the government no such excuse for their repetition; and if, on the other hand, they were in accordance with government instructions, it was proper that the government should be required to avow it, that we may take such steps for the protection of our adopted citizens as circumstances and our national dignity may prescribe. It is certain, at least, that our adopted citizens of French origin should be notified, before leaving America, of the indignities to which they expose themselves by returning to France, unless this government is prepared to recognize in an American passport presumptive evidence of nationality, sufficiently strong, at least, to protect its bearers from imprisonment.

Under the influence of these considerations, I addressed to the minister of foreign affairs to-day a protest, of which enclosure No. 8 is a copy, thereby reserving to our government the right to reopen the subject, if it shall ever see fit to do so.

I am, sir, with great respect, your obedient servant,