To further illustrate this fact, the Confederacy failed to gain recognition from any country in the world, whether de facto or de jure.
De facto recognition as a legal necessity-
Lord Russell to US ambassador Adams (in reference to the CSA), November 26, 1861:
"Her Majesty's Government hold it to be an undoubted principle of international law, that when the persons or the property of the subjects or citizens of a State [Britain] are injured by a
de facto Government, the State so aggrieved has a right to claim from the
de facto Government redress and reparation; and also that in cases of apprehended losses or injury to their subjects, States may lawfully enter into communication with
de facto Governments to provide for the temporary security of the persons and property of their subjects."
There's also an interesting story about Consul Robert Bunch. The British government instructed him to contact the Confederates to gain their assent to certain provisions of the Treaty of Paris. When the US government found out about it they revoked his authority. Charles Adams (US Ambassador to Britain) in protest referred to the affair as
"diplomatic negotiation."
Recognition as a
Belligerent Power-
Speech of Ebon C. Ingersoll (R-Illinois), February 7, 1867:
"Gentlemen in the argument of this question seem to forget the history of the rebellion. They seem to forget that the rebellion organized a de facto government; that the States that went into secession repudiated by a solemn act in convention the act by which they ratified the Constitution of the United States, thereby becoming members of the Federal Government. Gentlemen seem to forget that they formed a government which from the very necessities of the case was recognized by our Government as a de facto government.
By the laws of war and by all international law we were bound to recognize them as a belligerent power, as a de facto government. We did do it for over four years. Not only were they recognized by us, but by most of the civilized Powers of the world as a de facto government, authorized to issue letters of marque and reprisal, to make captures on the high seas, and one whose flag protected those sailing under it.
But for that recognition the character of their cruisers would have been changed to that of piratical crafts. They were expressly recognized as a de facto government by the Roman Government in an official communication addressed "to the President of the Confederate States of America"....
Under what civilized Government was there ever a rebellion that rose to the power and the dignity of a de facto government? Was there ever a rebellion that made such head against the established Government as to create a new Government, occupying and controlling absolutely one third of the territory of the entire country? Was there ever before a rebellion that was recognized as a belligerent power by the civilized Governments of the world? Never, sir. You will search history in vain to produce such an illustration. There never has been before this in any country a rebellion which was recognized as a de facto government by the Government, it was contending against, or recognized by the civilized governments of the world as entitled to belligerent rights. But in this case
the recognition was complete at home and abroad. The rebel government was recognized as a de facto government, entitled to belligerent rights and protected in those rights under the law of nations."
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