No. 12.-Lord Lyons to Lord J. Russell.-(Received January 28.) (Extract.) Washington, January 15, 1861. The events which have actually occurred during the last eight days would seem to indicate a rapid progress in disunion.

Three more States, Mississippi, Florida, and Alabama, have formally seceded.

Forts, arsenals, and other Federal property, have been seized by the State authorities in States which are still nominally members of the Confederation.

A steam-vessel, the Star of the West, despatched by the Federal Government with reinforcements to Major Anderson at Fort Sumter, has been fired into from the batteries in the hands of the South Carolinians, and has retreated to New York.

Lord J. Russell.

LYONS.

No. 13.-Lord Lyons to Lord J. Russell.-(Received February 6.) (Extract.)

Washington, January 21, 1861. THERE seems to be an undefined impression that the prospects of this country are rather less gloomy than they were a week ago; it has probably been occasioned by some appearances of hesitation in various Southern States, and by symptoms that even in those States which have already seceded the people are neither so enthusiastic nor so unanimous in favour of disunion as they were represented to be by the party leaders.

It can hardly, however, be thought that the actual events of the week are calculated to inspire increased confidence.

The State of Georgia has formally seceded; the Ordinance was passed by the Convention, the day before yesterday, by 208 votes to 89.

The proceedings of the Legislature in Virginia, the most important of the slave-holding border States, are less reassuring than was expected.

. so as to afford

The House of Delegates in that State has, indeed, passed a resolution inviting all the States, slave-holding or not slave-holding, which "are willing to unite with Virginia in an earnest effort to adjust the present unhappy controversies to the people of the slave-holding States adequate guarantees for the security of their rights, to appoint commissioners to meet on the 4th day of February next, at Washington, similar commissioners appointed by Virginia to consider, and if practicable, to agree upon some suitable adjustment." It is to be feared, however, that the Legislature of Virginia will not consider anything to be an adequate security for the rights of the slave-holding States, which does not amount to a complete surrender by the North of all points in dispute

on the question of slavery. In the Senate of Virginia a resolution has been passed unanimously that "if all efforts to reconcile the unhappy differences between sections of our country shall prove abortive, then every consideration of honour and interest demands that Virginia shall unite her destinies with her sister slave-holding States."

Lord J. Russell.

LYONS.

No. 14.—Lord Lyons to Lord J. Russell.—(Received February 11.) MY LORD, Washington, January 29, 1861. On the 26th instant the State of Louisiana formally withdrew from the Confederation. The Convention of that State passed, simultaneously with the Ordinance of secession, a resolution declaring the navigation of the Mississippi to be free to all friendly States.

Thus six States, South Carolina, Georgia, Florida, Alabama, Mississippi, and Louisiana, have quitted the Union. Lord J. Russell.

LYONS.

No. 16.-Lord Lyons to Lord J. Russell.-(Received February 18.) (Extract.) Washington, February 4, 1861. THE Convention of Commissioners from slave-holding and nonslave-holding States, which was invited by the Legislature of Virginia to meet at Washington, is to hold its first sitting to-day in this city. A considerable number of States, both Northern and Southern, have sent Commissioners. Great hopes are entertained by some people that a compromise may be devised by this Convention, which will satisfy both North and South, keep the Border States in the Confederation, and bring the seceding States back to it. Less sanguine men trust that the Convention will at least have the effect of preventing the risk of bloodshed for the moment, and of giving time for angry passions, both in the North and South, to cool. Lord J. Russell.

(Extract.)

No. 17.-Lord J. Russell to Lord Lyons.

LYONS.

Foreign Office, February 20, 1861. THE success or failure of Mr. Seward's plans to prevent the disruption of the North American Union is a matter of deep interest to Her Majesty's Government. But they can only expect and hope. They are not called upon, nor would they be acting prudently were they to obtrude their advice on the dissentient parties in The United States.

Supposing, however, that Mr. Lincoln, acting under bad advice, should endeavour to provide excitement for the public mind by raising questions with Great Britain, Her Majesty's Government

feel no hesitation as to the policy they would pursue. They would, in the first place, be very forbearing. They would show by their acts how highly they value the relations of peace and amity with The United States. But they would take care to let the Government which multiplied provocations and sought for quarrels, understand that their forbearance sprung from the consciousness of strength, and not from the timidity of weakness. They would warn a Government which was making political capital out of blustering demonstrations, that our patience might be tried too far.

If this tone is taken, when necessary, and only when necessary, I have no fears that the American Republic will seek a quarrel with a nation sprung from the same parents, and united by language as well as by ties of kindred and a long period of friendly intercourse. Lord Lyons. J. RUSSELL.

No. 18.-Lord Lyons to Lord J. Russell.-(Received February 25.) (Extract.) Washington, February 12, 1861. THE hopes of the supporters of the Union are very much raised by the results of the elections in Virginia and Tennessee. But it must not be forgotten that the success of the "Union" party in those States means no more than that men in favour of consideration and consultation have been returned in opposition to partizans of instantaneous action. It is still doubtful whether any concessions which the North can or will make, will satisfy even the most moderate of the men elected in the two States. Time has, nevertheless, been gained; and, at all events, Mr. Lincoln's inauguration is not now likely to be interrupted by an attack upon this capital.

The "Congress" of the seceding States at Montgomery appears to be disposed to bid for European support by the insertion of an article in its Constitution, to prohibit for ever the African Slave Trade, and by the immediate promulgation of a comparatively low tariff of import duties.

The Commissioners from slave-holding States, who have assembled here by the invitation of Virginia, hold their sittings with closed doors. Commissioners have been appointed by the States of Maine, New Hampshire, Vermont, Massachusetts, Rhode Island, Connecticut, New York, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Delaware, Maryland, Virginia, North Carolina, Tennessee, Kentucky, Missouri, Ohio, Indiana, Illinois, Iowa, Wisconsin. It is considered very doubtful whether Congress would accept any such plan. The States which have already seceded have not sent Commissioners, and loudly declare that their own secession is final and irrevocable; that upon no terms whatever will they consent to a reunion.

The present plan of the northern politicians appears to be to avoid coming into actual collision with the seceding States, but to force them back into the Union by subjecting them to such inconveniences as shall make secession unpopular, if not intolerable. The principal engines to be employed are, cutting off postal communication and stopping foreign trade. It seems to be taken for granted that all foreign Powers will acquiesce in the exclusion of their merchant-vessels from the ports of the South.

Lord J. Russell.

No. 21.-Lord J. Russell to Lord Lyons.

LYONS.

MY LORD, Foreign Office, March 22, 1861. THE American Minister called upon me yesterday afternoon, and read to me a despatch of Judge Black, dated the 28th of February. In this despatch Judge Black expresses his conviction that States which have separated from The United States without any legal or constitutional right to do so will not be acknowledged as independent States by Great Britain. Her Majesty's Government have shown, he said, so friendly an interest in the welfare of The United States that it is due to them to state that The United States have not acknowledged the right of the seceding States to claim independence, and do not design to do so.

I replied to Mr. Dallas shortly and verbally, stating that, even if the Government of The United States had been willing to acknowledge the separation of the seceding States as founded in right, Her Majesty's Government would have seen with great concern the dissolution of the Union which bound together the members of the American Republic. That the opposition of the Government of The United States to any such separation, and the denial by them of its legality, would make Her Majesty's Government very reluctant to take any step which might encourage or sanction the separation. That, however, it was impossible to state, at the present moment, in what shape the question might present itself; nor was it in my power to bind the British Government to any particular course of conduct in cases of which the circumstances and the significance were at present unknown to us. I am, &c. Lord Lyons.

J. RUSSELL.

No. 22.-Lord Lyons to Lord J. Russell.-(Received March 24.) (Extract.) Washington, March 12, 1861. THE 36th Congress of The United States came to an end at noon on the 4th instant.

The only step taken by it towards a pacification of the country was the passing a resolution, by a majority of two-thirds of each [1860-61. LI.]

N

House, for proposing in constitutional form to the several States the following amendment of the Constitution:

"No amendment shall be made to the Constitution which will authorize or give to Congress the power to abolish or interfere, within any State, with the domestic institutions thereof, including that of persons held to labour or service by the laws of said State."

Such an amendment does not appear to be regarded by the southern States as likely to afford them any additional security to that which they already have under the Constitution as it stands. Congress is accordingly held by them to have done nothing towards satisfying their demands. It may be doubted whether they would have accepted, as sufficient, anything less than the Crittenden Propositions. Even the plan of the Peace Conference was regarded as inadequate in several of the border States. The States which had already quitted the Confederation declined to take any proposals into consideration, declaring their own secession to be final and irrevocable.

So soon as the clock announced the end of the 36th Congress, a special session of the Senate of the 37th Congress was held in virtue of a summons issued some days previously, according to custom, by the President. Having received the President and President Elect, the Senate accompanied them to the portico of the Capitol, where Mr. Abraham Lincoln read his inaugural address, and was sworn in as President for 4 years, in the usual form. The ceremony passed off with perfect order and tranquillity. There was a display of regular troops, not customary in this country, but no necessity for their presence was apparent.

I have the honour to inclose two copies of the inaugural address. It very much disappointed those who expected to find in it a clear and detailed exposition of the intentions of the incoming administration. The violent party in the south denounce it as a declaration of war; the violent party in the north, as an abandonment of principle. Calmer men look upon it as a skilfully-worded document by which the President has avoided making inconvenient pledges concerning his own conduct, without giving cause for any great irritation either to his own party or to the south. Like his predecessor, he declares, "that in view of the Constitution and the laws, the Union is unbroken; and that, to the extent of his ability, he shall take care that the laws of the Union be faithfully executed in all the States." He goes on to say, "that the power confided to him will be used to hold, occupy, and possess the property and places belonging to the Government, and to collect the duties and imposts." He deprecates bloodshed, but he does not declare, as Mr. Buchanan did, that the Government has absolutely no right to use force to bring a State back into the Union.

Lord J. Russell.

LYONS.