Amongst other equally bold
statements this document asserted that the Confederate cruiser had not
been permitted to enter the ports of any other European power.
Assertions like these were of course easily disposed of, and it was
agreed that the question should be discussed at the morrow's interview.
The account of this discussion had, perhaps, better be given in Captain
Semmes' own words:--
_Tuesday, September 11th_.--Called upon the President at twelve, and was
admitted to an interview; the Chief of Police and Captain Pinto being
present. I exhibited to the President my commission, and read to him a
portion of my instructions, to show him that it was the desire of the
Confederate States to cultivate friendly relations with other powers,
and to pay particular respect to neutral property and rights; and the
better to satisfy him that he might supply me with coal without a
departure from neutrality, and to contradict the false sentiments of the
United States Consul, I exhibited to him a newspaper from Trinidad,
setting forth the fact that the question of the propriety of supplying
me with coal in that island, had been formally submitted to the law
officers of the Crown, and decided in my favour, &c.
The President then announced to me that I might purchase whatever
supplies I wanted, coal included, munitions of war only excepted. I then
stated to him that this war was in fact a war as much in behalf of
Brazil as of ourselves, and that if we were beaten in the contest,
Brazil would be the next one to be assailed by Yankee propagandists.
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