LORD WHARNCLIFFE AND MR. SEWARD.

Lyttelton Times, Volume XXIII, Issue 1364, 23 February 1865, Page 3

LORD WHARNCLIFFE AND MR. SEWARD.

The Mowing letter appears in the Times of December 23 : e; r _-Will you oblige me by inserting the t i wine correspondence ? As I feel pre- ? writing to Mr. Adams m reply tothe contents of Mr. Seward's dispatch, I take this opportunity of answering some of its statements. xr, Seward asserts that the Confederate „risonere are not suffering »nu 3 u«l privations. E leads me to quote the following exacts from a letter published in the Northern bearing date the 14th of October, LS written by a Unionist of New England, whose name in full is at the foot of it: j " From every priwn in the North, from Rock Island to Fort Warren, goes out this wail of suffer- ?! humanity . . . Those 1500 pale faces are before S I saw them pass me at the depot. Those ghastly, pleading faces !-I saw them here iff, £w the pile of dead-dead from want of Srlhing food'. . . . Hot tears of shame for my countrymen who permit these outrages upon humanity, tears of pity for these poor sufferers blind my eyes." Testimony of this kind has armed continuously in this country. If believed to be true, it naturally creates a desire to alleviate such misery. If untrue, the best means to disprove it would be the visit ot a third narty, who, accompanied by witnesses, would report the real facts. This test Mr. Seward declines. , , Mr. Seward would make it appear that the sura obtained at the bazaar was mainly contributed by those who had been engaged in trade with the South. So far from this being the case, contributions were received from all parts of the United Kingdom, from the Continent, Canada, even from the Northern States. The movement originated with and was all but entirely carried out by the Southern ladies now in England. It cannot be supposed that these ladies aie engaged in foreign trade, or that out of more than°lo,ooo persons who attended and contributed to the result there could be any appreciable proportion who had any concern in the trade of the South. I cannot pretend to understand what Mr. Seward means by the assertion that the war was promoted by British subjects. If they or other foreigners have protracted, it, are not these the Irishmen and Germans who have been induced by Northern agents to take a part in it? Is it not probable that without their aid, so eagerly sought, the war would have been over before this time ? If either side has wandered from loyalty and patriotism, is it not rather the North, whose loyalty to its Constitution is now exchanged for obedience to a despotic Government, and whose patriotism is now exhibited in the destruction of fellow-countryfnen because they assert that right to self-govern-ment which has ever been declared inherent in all the people of America ? To Mr. Seward's epithets, " unnatural and hopeless," as applied to the action of the the South, it might be replied, that when the people of the North were rebels against those to whom they owed existence, there was really something " unnatural " in the fact; and it might be added that, at the end of a similar period, their prospects were hopeless indeed, if contrasted with the position of the Southern armies this day. Mr. Seward, however, appears still to cling to the fallacy so often exploded already —that the affair will be over in ninety days. As to the attempt to represent the efforts of the Southern ladies on behalf of their suffering brothers as a " grave insult" to their own people, it cannot be a proper employment of your columns to reply to matters so unworthy. I have only further to assure your readers that the refusal of the Federal Government will not practically affect the distribution of the fund, for which,'unhappily, we can find too many recipients.

I am, Sir, vour obedient servant,

Whabkcliffe

Wortley-hall, Nov. 12.

" Tour Excellency, —A bazaar has been held in St. George's-hall, Liverpool, to provide a fund' for the relief of Southern prisoners of war. It has produced a clear sura of about £17,000. In preference to any attempt to reach the intended object by circuitous means, a committee of English gentlemen has been formed to address you on the subject.

"As Chairman of this Committee I venture to ask your Excellency to request the permission of your Government that an accredited agent may be sent out to visit the military prisons within the Northern States, and minister to the comfort of those for whom this fund is intended, under such supervision as your Government may direct. " Permit me to state that no political end is aimed at by this movement. It has received, support from many who are opposed to the political action of the South. " Nor is it intended to impute that the Confederate prisoners are denied such attention as the ordinary rules enjoin. But those rules are narrow and stern. Winter is at hand, and the clothing which may satisfy the rules of war will not protect the natives of a warm climate from the severe cold of the North.

" Sir, the issue of this great contest will not be determined by individual suffering, be it greater or less ; and you, whose family name is interwoven with American history, cannot view with indifference the suffering cf American citizens, whatever their state or their opinions. " On more than one occasion aid has been proffered by the people of one country to special classes under great affliction in another. May it not be permitted to us to follow these examples, especially when those we desire to solace are beyond the reach of their immediate kinsmen ? I trust these precedents and the voifce of humanity may plead with your Excellency, and induce you to prefer to the Government of the United States the request I have the honour to submit.

" I am, Sir, " Your most obedient servant, " Whabncliffe " The Hon. C.F.Adams."

" Legation of the Uitfted States " Nov. 18.

"MyLord, —I have the honour to acknowledge the reception of your letter of the 12th uist., asking me to submit to the consideration of my Government a request of certain English gentlemen, made through your Lordship, to send out an accredited agent, to visit the military prisoners held by the United States, and afford them such aid'additional to that extended by the ordinary rules of war as may be provided by the fund which has been raised here for the purpose.

"I am very sure that it has never been the desire of my Government to treat with unnecessary or vindictive severity any of the misguided individuals, parties in this deplorable rebellion, who have fallen into their hands in the regular course of war. I should greatly rejoice were the effects of your sympathy extended to the ministering to the mental ailment, not less than the bodily sufferings, of these unfortunate persons, thus contributing to put an end to a struggle which otherwise is too likely to be only procrastinated by your labours. " Be this as it may, I shall be happy to promote any humane endeavours to alleviate the horrors.6f this strife, and in that sense shall very cheerfully comply with your Lordship's desire, so far as to transmit, by the earliest opportunity, to my Government a copy of the application which has been addressed to me.

" I beg your Lordship to receive the assurance of my distinguished consideration.

" Charles Feancis Adams."

" Legation of the United States, " London, Dec. 20,

"My Lord, —I have the honour to inform you that I have submitted to the consideration of my Government a copy of your Lordship's note to ,me of the 12th of November, and of my reply of the 18th of that month, and I have now to apprise you of the conclusion which has been reached.

" I am instructed to say that permission for an agent of the committee described by your Lordship to visit the insurgents detained in the military prisons of the United and to distribute among them £17,000 ot British gold, cannot be granted. " I am sorry to be further constrained to signify to your Lordship that with this note my correspondence on this subject must be brought to a close. " I have the honour to be, my Lord, your Lordship's most obedient servant, " Chables Francis Adams. " To the Lord Wharncliffe."