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Circular. No. 13.
Washington D.C.: Department of State, 30 May 1862. 4to (330 x 210 mm). 4 integral pp. A rare circular issued by Secretary of State William H. Seward during the Civil War, transmitting to U.S. Consuls the “stringent restrictions” imposed upon U.S. vessels by the Secretary of the Treasury. These restrictions sought to prevent articles of contraband from reaching Southern ports and ultimately the Confederate Army. This circular communicates further information, guidance and instructions concerning Circular No. 12 of May 12, which disseminated President Lincoln’s Proclamation relaxing the blockade of certain American ports and set forth regulations by the Secretary of the Treasury concerning trade with the ports thus opened. It relates that a letter has been sent by the Secretary of the Treasury to the Collectors of Customs at ports in the “loyal States,” which prohibits the shipment of certain articles to the Southern ports of Beaufort, North Carolina, Port Royal, South Carolina, and New Orleans. Specified here are the numerous articles of contraband, including cannons, firearms, grenades, flints, swords, percussion, military persons in the service of the enemy, dispatches of the army, and so on—with the exception of “the quantity of the said articles which may be necessary for the defense of the ship and of those who compose the crew.” The document further relates that the Collectors of Customs has been instructed to “require bonds, with sufficient sureties, conditioned for the faithful fulfillment of all the conditions imposed by law or Departmental Regulations from shippers of the following articles to the ports opened, or to any other ports from which they may be easily be, and are probably intended to be, reshipped in aid of the existing insurrection.” These articles include: liquors of all kinds, telegraphic instruments, zinc, boilers, any article that may become applicable for the manufacture of marine machinery or for the armor of vessels, and so on. In addition to these “stringent restrictions,” Seward instructs the Consul to refuse licenses to any and all vessels that are suspected of being bound for ports or locales under control of insurgents against the U.S.—regardless of their ostensible destination. Seward further exhorts his addressees to apprehend any goods, wares or merchandise that they perceive as potentially aiding the Confederates. Any vessels carrying cargo included in the lists furnished by the Secretary of the Treasury, are to be denied licenses. The circular concludes with the final stipulation: “security by bond is required from all American shippers of goods to the designated ports against any abuse of the privilege, and you will readily understand that foreign shippers cannot be placed on a more favorable footing than American merchants in the loyal ports of the United States.” No copies recorded in OCLC. CONDITION: Very good, some darkening at edges.
Item #4623
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