DIPLOMATIC CORRESPONDENCE AND FOREIGN RELATIONS. 



309 



of a ship completely equipped, presented to him 

 by one of his officers upon whom he had con- 

 ferred a favor. As the whale fishery declined, 

 he turned his attention to cotton manufactures, 

 and became treasurer and afterward president 

 of the Bristol Steam Mill. He was also for 

 many years president of the Bank of Bristol. 

 He always took great interest in the affairs of 

 the church which he attended, and at one time 

 was president of the " Catholic Congregational 

 Society." He was a liberal contributor toward 

 the erection of the solid and beautiful struc- 

 ture, whose granite buttresses will long stand 

 as a grateful memorial of the labors of his 

 pastor, the venerable Dr. Shepard. For the 

 greater part of his life he felt a deep interest in 

 political questions, and took an active part in 

 political contests. He was one of the conven- 

 tion which nominated Gen. Harrison for the 

 Presidency in 1850, and did all in his power to 

 effect the election of his favorite political leader, 

 Henry Clay. For Mr. Clay he cherished that 

 almost idolatrous enthusiasm which that emi- 

 nent statesman, more than any American who 

 has lived since Alexander Hamilton, seemed 

 everywhere to awaken. For many years, 

 under the old charter, Gov. Diman was either 

 a member of the General Assembly or a Sen- 

 ator, and was Lieutenant-Governor for three 

 years after the adoption of the present con- 

 stitution. He was elected Governor in 1846, 

 in the exciting canvass that attended the dis- 

 ruption of the famous "Law and Order" party. 

 Since that time he felt less interest in politics, 

 until the great issue carne up which resulted in 

 the civil war. His death was the result of a 

 severe apoplectic attack. 



DIPLOMATIC CORRESPONDENCE AND 

 FOREIGN RELATIONS. Some important 

 correspondence took place during the year 

 18G5 relative to events of interest to the 

 United States. 



Recognition of the End of the War. The 

 following letter was addressed by Earl Russell 

 to the Lords Commissioners of Admiralty, recog- 

 nizing the close of the war in this country : 



FOREIGN OFFICE, June 2d, 1865. 



MY LORDS : I have the honor to state to your Lord- 

 ships, that since the date of my letter of the llth ulti- 

 mo, intelligence has reached this country that the 

 late President of the so-called Confederate States has 

 been captured by the military forces of the United 

 States, transported as a prisoner to Fortress Monroe, 

 and that the armies hitherto kept in the field by the 

 Confederate States have for the most part surren- 

 dered or dispersed. In this posture of affairs, her 

 Majesty's Government are of the opinion that neutral 

 nations cannot but consider the civil war in North 

 America as at an end. In conformity with this opin- 

 nion, her Majesty's Government recognize that peace 

 has been restored within the whole territory of which 

 the United States of North America, before the com- 

 mencement of the civil war, were in undisturbed 

 possession. As a necessary consequenpe of such 

 recognition, on the part of her Majesty's Government, 

 her Majesty's several authorities in all ports, harbors, 

 and waters, belonging to her Majesty, whether in the 

 United Kingdom, or beyond the seas, must hence- 

 forth refuse permission to any vessels of war carry- 

 ing the Confederate flag, to enter such ports, harbors, 



and waters, and must require any Confederate vessels 

 of war, which at the time when these orders reach 

 her Majesty's authorities in such ports, harbors, and 

 waters, may have already entered therein, on the 

 faith of a proclamation heretofore issued by her Maj- 

 esty, and which having complied with the provisions 

 of such proclamation, may be actually within such 

 ports, harbors, and waters, forthwith to depart from 

 them. 



But her Majesty's Government consider that due 

 regard for national good faith and honor require that 

 her Majesty's authorities should be instructed as re- 

 gards any such Confederate vessels so departing, that 

 they should have the benefit of the prohibition here- 

 tofore enforced against the pursuit of them within 

 twenty-four hours by a cruiser of the United States 

 lying at the time within any such ports, harbors, and 

 waters, and that such prohibition should be then and 

 for the last time maintained in their favor. If, how- 

 ever, the commander of any Confederate vessel of 

 war which may be found in any port, harbor, or wa- 

 ters of her Majestv's at the time these new orders are 

 received by her Majesty's authorities, or may enter 

 such port, harbor, or waters within a month after 

 these new orders are received, should wish to divest 

 his vessel of her warlike character, and after disarm- 

 ing her, to remain without the Confederate flag with- 

 in British waters, her Majesty's authorities may allow 

 the commander of such vessel to do so at his own 

 risk in all respects, in which case he should be dis- 

 tinctly apprised he is to expect no further protection 

 from her Majesty's Government, except such as he 

 may be entitled to in ordinary course of administra- 

 tion of law in time of peace. The rule as to twenty- 

 four hours would, of course, not be applicable to the 

 case of such vessels. 



I have addressed a similar letter to the Secretary 

 of State for the Home, Colonial, India, and War Of- 

 fices, and also to the Lords Commissioners of her Maj- 

 esty's Treasury, requesting them, as I do your Lord- 

 ships, to issue instructions in conformity with the 

 decision of her Majesty's Government to the several 

 British authorities at home or abroad who may be 

 called upon to act in the matter. 



I am, &c., RUSSELL. 



Official notification having been given to the 

 Government, that the end of the war was rec- 

 ognized, as stated, Mr. Seward writes to the 

 British Minister, Sir F. "W. H. Bruce, at Wash- 

 ington, as follows : 



DEPARTMENT OF STATE, WASHINGTON, June 19, 1865. 



SIR: Due consideration has been given to a de- 

 spatch which Earl Russell addressed to you on the 

 2d of June, instant, and of which, on the 14th inst., 

 you were so kind as to leave a copy at this depart- 

 ment. The President is gratified bv'the information 

 which that paper contains, to the effect that her Majj 

 esty's Government have determined to consider the 

 war which has lately prevailed between the United 

 States and the insurgents of this country to have 

 ceased de facto, and that her Majesty's Government 

 now recognize the reestablishment of peace within 

 the whole territory of which the United States were 

 in undisturbed possession at the beginning of the 

 civil war. 



The President is also gratified to learn from Earl 

 Russell's despatch that her Majesty's Government 

 will forthwith send to her Majesty's authorities in all 

 ports, harbors, and waters belonging to her Majesty, 

 whether within the United Kingdom or beyond the 

 seas, orders henceforth to refuse admission into any 

 such ports, harbors, and waters of any vessel of war 

 carrying the insurgent flag, and to require any insur- 

 gent vessels of war, which after the time that the or- 

 ders may be received by her Majesty's authorities 

 may have already entered such ports, and which hav- 

 ing complied with the previous proclamations of the 

 British Government, may be actually within such 



