1864 The Destruction of the American Carrying Trade. A Letter to Earl Russell.
This is an original copy of a letter written by Englishman Frederick Milne Edge to the English Principal Secretary of State for The Foreign Department (Earl Russell K.G.) which he laments at the continuing strain between the English government and the duly elected government of the United States. Much, if not all, of this strain is the fact that the English are supporting the South in the war by aiding in breaking the Union blockade of Southern ports, allowing Southern ships to be built in English ports and the possible acceptance of the Confederate representatives to the English court. Edge also reminds Russell that Americans were just trying to emulate the English by outlawing slavery as the English government had done in 1833 with the Slavery Abolition Act.
This, according to Edge, are some of the ways that the English government was trying to keep the United States weak and separated into two countries. He laments English interference in the war and reminds Secretary Russell that Americans are actually 'Englishmen under another name' and if the English cannot help preserve the Union, they should at least stop trying to prevent the reconstruction of the Union.
The author also mentions "The Trent Affair" which took place in November-December 1861 when the captain of the USS San Jacinto ordered the arrest of two Confederate envoys sailing to Europe aboard a British mail ship, the Trent.
Confederate envoys were headed to England to seek the support of the English government in the Civil War and this detainment became a crisis when the English government declared that the Americans had no right to seize a 'neutral ship' and declared the act a violation of international law. President Lincoln subsequently released the ship - and the envoys - to avert the crisis.
Thus began the 'destruction of the American Carrying Trade' as tensions heightened between the two countries, trade declined, and the friendship between the two countries was about to be lost again.
This is a very interesting part of the Civil War that includes not only England but France and other European countries as they tried to deal with what was happening to America in the 1860s.
This is a very interesting and impassioned letter from Edge who spent the 10 years before the war living and working in the United States.Offered with FREE DOMESTIC SHIPPING. International buyers please use the shipping feature in your shopping cart and pay through PayPal if you would like next day shipping.