Mr. Seward to Mr. Adams
Sir. Our consul at Nassau on the 21st ultimo reported to this department that the steamship Confederate States, or Laurel, the vessel which brought out the guns and crew for the insurgent pirate Sea King to Madeira, started from Nassau on the 18th ultimo, cleared for Liverpool via Madeira; that she had no cargo on board but coal, with which she was heavily laden; that she had several passengers, all of them of the insurgent class. The consul notified the custom-house authorities that she was loading under suspicious circumstances, and they assented and agreed that prior to her sailing she should be thoroughly searched. He went to see her manifest, but was told that it was up at the governor’s. It was at first decided to start a British war-ship after her, on the day on which she left, but it was abandoned upon the plea that she had no coal on board, and had not speed to overtake her if she should attempt it; but it was said by the officials at Nassau that if she reached Liverpool she would undoubtedly be seized for her former acts.
It is stated that she changed her register at Charleston, from an English to a pretended confederate one, and is reported to belong to the insurgent authorities. Notwithstanding this state of facts, she carried out from Nassau a ship mail to Liverpool, made up at the post office of the first named port, as is admitted in the correspondence, a copy of which is enclosed, viz: a letter from Mr. Kirkpatrick to Mr. Dillet, the postmaster at Nassau, and his reply, both of the 19th January last.
[Page 178]In view of these circumstances, I must request you to remonstrate with her Majesty’s government against the receipt and clearance with mails of the Laurel, now called Confederate States, and demand her detention.
I am, sir, your obedient servant,
Charles Francis Adams. Esq., &c., &c., &c.