Foreign Consuls — Dispatch to Mr. Mason.
We copy into our columns this morning, from the
Sentinel, of yesterday, an important communication from the
Secretary of State to
Mr. Mason, our
Commissioner to
England.
This paper relates to the matter of the revocation of the Exequatur of
Mr. Moore, British Consul at this city, and explains the policy of the
President in his course with reference to the question of consular agencies generally in the
South.
The President has regarded the Exequatur given to the Consuls of foreign States by the
United States prior to the establishment of the Southern Confederacy as valid, upon the ground that the
Federal Government was then the constitutional agent of the
Southern States, and that "an act done by an agent while duly authorized continues to bind the principle after the revocation of the agent's authority." This will be readily concurred in even by those who disliked to see received here agents of Governments which persisted under circumstances somewhat aggravating in their refusal to recognize our own representatives to their Courts.
Acting under this view, foreign Consuls have received at the hands of the
Government of the
Confederacy all due consideration and official courtesy.
It seems from the letter of
Mr. Benjamin, however, that under the tolerance of our Government there had grown up an abuse.
Lord Lyons, it appears, has been from his post in
Washington exercising authority over Consuls in the
South, and even appointing agents to supervise British interests in the
Confederacy.
This our Government has thought it its duty to prohibit, and therefore requires that hereafter all communications and instructions to British Consuls shall be restricted to vessels arriving from or dispatched to foreign ports.
The
Secretary makes a pointed hit by intimating that this restriction is imposed with the less reluctance by the
President because of the ample facilities of communication afforded by the vessels continually plying between the
Confederate and neutral ports, in spite of the paper blockade "upheld by her Majesty's Government, in disregard" "of the rights of the
Confederacy"and "the dictates of public law!"
The letter of
Mr. Benjamin is a frank and dignified paper, and will give general satisfaction to our own people.
We suppose we are to understand from this communication that no new Consuls will be received here bearing the Exequatur of the
Federal Government.
Are we to infer that no Minister residing at
Washington and accredited to the
Government there is to be permitted to exercise authority over Consuls here, and that they must receive their instructions from home direct or through a neutral port?
The letter relates especially to the
English Minister.
Is the policy on the subject to be general?
We hope it is.
