Pinckney Walker to John Russell, October 15, 1863

Acting Consul Walker to Earl Russell.—(Received November 27.)

My Lord: I have the honor to transmit to your lordship herewith a copy of a despatch I have this day received from Mr. Benjamin, the secretary of the so-called Confederate States, conveying to me the orders of the president of the same promptly to withdraw from the confederacy, and in the mean time to cease the exercise of consular functions within its limits. I also transmit a copy of a despatch enclosed to me by Mr. Benjamin, to which I am referred for the reasons which have induced the president to adopt such a course.

Upon an examination of this despatch, it seems that Mr. Benjamin has concluded from certain statements made by Mr. Fullarton, and from a statement made by myself, that the consular agents of her Majesty have been instructed not to confine themselves to an appeal for redress either to courts of justice or to the confederate government whenever they may conceive that grounds exist for complaint against the confederate authorities in their treatment of British subjects, but that they assume the power of determining for themselves whether enlisted soldiers of the confederacy are properly bound to its service; that they even arrogate the right to interfere directly with the execution of the confederate laws, and to advise soldiers of the confederate armies to throw down their arms in the face of the enemy. As these conclusions and surmises are entirely inapplicable to this consulate, I have taken upon myself to reply to Mr. Benjamin’s despatch, and to controvert his positions in toto, in the most emphatic manner possible; and as he has thought proper to give publicity to the whole affair by causing it to be published in the Richmond Sentinel, I have submitted to him that justice to her Majesty’s government, and to myself, requires a like publication of my reply to him.

I have the honor to transmit herewith a copy of that reply.

I have, &c.,