4T4 HARVARD LAW REVIEW. The same complaint was made against France, upon her recog- nition of the Confederate States as belligerent a few weeks later; but no further act of France which seemed unfriendly followed, and all bitterness of feeling against it soon disappeared.^ In curious contrast to the feeling in this country against England and France was that against Russia, though except in form she went as far as those countries. This is clear from an account by Mr. Appleton, our Minister near the Czar, of an interview with Prince Gortchacow.^ The Prince said : — ^' There was no blockade of southern ports, and any informality in the papers of ships which cleared there would be overlooked. This, he said, was the course determined on by England and France, and he under- stood it was pursued also by our own government. I told him . . . that American ships ought to carry the American flag, and be provided with American papers ; and if this was not done, or, still more, if the American character was repudiated, I hardly saw how they could be recognized as American ships. He said there were some difficulties certainly in the way; but it was better to overlook them, and to receive the ships for just wha^ they were, vessels belonging to the United States, but not provided, in consequence of existing troubles, with the usual evidence of nationality. I said they might deny that they belonged to the United States. He re- plied that this would not alter the fact. They came from ports in the United States, and the separation of the Confederate States was not yet recognized. The policy, he said, involved no recognition of nationality, but was only a concession in aid of commerce. I replied that my only interest was to prevent this recognition. We desire to be permitted to work out the pending questions in the Union in our own way." In accordance with this policy were the following instructions to the Commander in Chief of the Port of Cronstadt.^ The flag of men-of-war belonging to the seceded States must not be saluted. That there may be no obstacle in the way of commerce, m.er- chant vessels of the seceded States are to be treated according to the rules acted on by us with regard to Italian merchant vessels sailing under the Italian flag,* i. e. according to the treaties that are at present in force. . . . Should the crews of vessels belonging to the seceded States not wish to acknowledge the authority of the Consuls appointed by the Federal Government of Washington, then in case of dispute they 1 SI Br. & For. St. Pap. 1137 (June 10, 1861). « 51 Br. & For. St. Pap. 99. 8 51 Br. & For. St. Pap. 100.
- The new Kingdom of Italy was not yet recognized.
