The Sun.
London, England, 1853-07-14 00:00:00

LONDON, THURSDAY, JULY 14, 1853.

All honour to Captain STRINGHAM—aII honour
to the nation whose officers cause its flag to be
respected on whatever land or sea it may float,
and whose Ministers steadily and cheerfully de-
fend its officers for the acts which they may con-
sider just and proper in the high-minded and
chivalrous discharge of their duties. We ven-
ture to assert that there will be no attempt at
bullying or browbeating American diplomatists.
Our transatlantic brethren are too prompt and
ready to notice and resent any insult—too well
prepared for war, and too willing to re-
sort to hostilities on any fitting occasion, to
have their peace disturbed, their public tranquil-
lity invaded on any trivial or inadequate grounds.
And what is the consequence ? The meanest
citizen in the United States is respected where-
ever he goes, and treated with respect and consi-
deration. No meddling policemen—no inflated
and pompous official dares to arrest the progress,
imprison the person, or ransack the papers of the
man armed with the passport of the United States.
That is indeed a document which will enable its
bearer to travel throughout the civilised world
without let or hindrance. Time was when
a British passport was equally powerful
when the British flag was treated with
reverence, and the mere name of a British
subject insured respectful treatment, and af-
forded ample protection to those who pos-
sessed so potent a talisman. But that was before
the " excellent ABERDEEN" represented the United
Kingdom in the Congress of Nations—before the
timid and vacillating policy of the "travelled
Thane" taught foreigners that Englishmen might
be insulted and trampled on with impunity. Let
it not be supposed that we pay our own diplo-
matic or naval service so bad a compliment as to
suppose that members of either branch would
refuse to discharge their duty to an injured
fellow-citizen with energy and efficiency if certain ,
of support in higher quarters. Far from it • we
fully and completely exonerate them from all
blame. Any deficiency of spirit on their part may
entirely be ascribed to the fact, that they are but
too painfully sensible that it is only the tempo-
rising policy that will gain credit or promotion
from those under whose authority they are placed.
There cannot be a doubt that the American
Consul and the American Captain axe fully justi-
fied in the course which they have adopted in
the untoward affair that has occasioned so much
ill-blood between the Turkish and Austrian
officials, and has so materially increased the exist-
ing difficulties. There cannot be a doubt but
that the United States Government will sus-
tain and approve of the proceedings of its me-
ritorious and efficient officers, that they will re-
ceive thanks and approbation in place of cep-
sure for their manly and vigorous conduct. The
whole of the unfortunate transaction, as well as
the subsequent emeqe, which ended in the de-
plorable death of a young Austrian officer, arose
from the gross and unwarrantable misconduct of
the Austrian officials, who sanctioned so bold an
invasion of the sanctity of the Turkish soil—so
foul an insult to the Ottoman Government.
The facts of the ease are simple :—While one
of the Hungarian refugees (MARTIN •
KossTA), for-
merly an aide-de-camp of Trotsls KOSSUTH, and
who had accompanied his illustrious chief on his
voyage to America, was seated at a cafe quietly
smoking, he was assaulted by: a body of
armed ruffians. He resisted vicro
tousiv, and
had nearly effected his eseape,' but
was ul-
timately captured by his assailants, and
conveyed on board an Austrian brig-of-war
(the Hussar) which lay in the port. Great con-
sternation was excited among the numerous re-
fugees, who naturally felt indignant and alarmed