342 
 
DIPLOMATIC CORRESPONDENCE. 
 
Mr. Wood to Mr. Boernstein. 
LEGATION OF THE UNITED STATES, 
Copenhagen, June 17, 1864. 
SIR: I have received your note of the 10th instant, enclosing the letter
of 
C. Gottfried Kohler, of the firm of T. M. de MUller, at Altenburg, Saxony,
re- 
questing information in relation to the Sophie, a Bremen ship, "bound
from Mat- 
amoras to Bremen, with one hundred and fifty bales of cotton on board, sent
by 
a brother of the said Kohler, an alleged citizen of the United States, residing

at Houston, Texas, and which ship was said to have been captured by a Danish

cruiser on the 19th April last." 
In reply, I learn that said ship has been condemned, and all the cargo, ex-

cepting two hundred bales of cotton. You do not say in your note which of
the 
brothers owned the cotton. If it belonged to the German American, the invoice,

I suppose, would show that fact; and if he has not renounced or forfeited
his 
American citizenship, I should not apprehend any difficulty in the case.
He, 
of course, must show his citizenship, and show his right to the property
so cap- 
tured, to avail himself of the provisions of international law in such cases
; and 
our courts have held that proof of ownership should accompany the goods seized.

At all events, there must be unquestionable evidence to whom the property

seized belonged. 
I remain, sir, your obedient servant, 
BRADFORD R. WOOD, 
Mlinister Resident. 
HENRY BOUNSTEIN, Esq., 
United States Consul, Bremen. 
Mr. Seward to Mr. Wood. 
No. 77.]                           DEPARTMENT OF STATE, 
Washington, February 3, 1864. 
SIR: Your despatch, No. 138, dated January 11, has been received. The 
sentiments expressed by his Majesty on the occasion of your delivering to
him 
your credential letter from the President are such as were anticipated, and
are, 
of course, highly satisfactory. 
I am, sir, your obedient servant, 
WILLIAM     H. SEWARD. 
BRADFORD IR. WOOD, Esq.,  c., jc., 4-c., Copenhagen. 
Mr. Seward to Mr. Wood. 
No. 78.1                             DEPARTMENT OF STATE, 
Washington, March 9, 1864. 
SIR: You are aware that this government has a contract with the owner of

the line of steamers which plies between Bremen and New York for the carriage

of the mails between these points. The service is of great importance to
this 
government itself, and to the large interest concerned in trade and intercourse

between the United States and Germany. During our late war with Mexico 
the English line of mail steamers to Vera Cruz was allowed to continue its
trips 
unmolested. Though England was then a neutral, and, therefore, in a very