Daniel E. Sickles to Hamilton Fish, July 11, 1873
No. 411. General Sickles to Mr. Fish.
No. 649.]
Sir: Learning from the colonial secretary, in the course of a conversation about the case of Mr. Criado, that the government had under consideration a decree modifying the action of the authorities in Cuba, respecting embargoes, and restoring certain embargoed estates to the widows and children of deceased proprietors, I suggested to the minister the expediency of a more comprehensive measure, that should at least include an additional article revoking all embargoes decreed against the property of the citizens or subjects of foreign states. For the information of Mr. Suñer, I sketched a narrative of my negotiations with former cabinets on this subject, pointing out the difficulties which this government had always encountered in Cuba in the execution of the engagements it had made for the restoration of estates belonging to American citizens.
The colonial minister did not hesitate to evince his disapprobation of the embargo proceedings in Cuba. The government had derived no advantage from them. They had benefited certain private interests at the cost of gross administrative irregularities. And, so far as related to embargoes, decreed by mere executive authority against the property of citizens of the United States, he agreed that they were indefensible in view of the seventh article of the treaty of 1795, not to speak of the rules of international law, which prohibited such measures against the citizens or subjects of friendly countries.
Finding Mr. Suñer disposed to consider favorably the suggestion of a general measure revoking all arbitrary embargoes against the property of non-resident foreigners, I lost no time in bringing the matter to the notice of the minister of state. His excellency received my proposition cordially, and assured me he would commend it to the favor of his colleagues. Besides the inclosed correspondence on the subject, I have since had a conversation with Mr. Maisonnave, in which he promised that the measure should have careful and prompt consideration.
I am, &c.,