Staunton spectator, and general advertiser. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 183?-1849, 1843-10-19
DIR. HOWE.
From the New York Correspondent of the National
lntelligencer.

III viii be Il curious piece OF news to you tina; |
our countryman ir. Howe Oaiely married and
gone abroad) has been stopped on the borders of I
Prussia by Cabinet order and Of course is shut |
out from SO much of the Rhine lies (if my |
geography serves mc) between Coben,z and CO.
logne. This special edict on the part of King |
with standing army of two hundred thousand
men is no small compliment 10 DR.. Howe's con- |
sequence; but perhaps i, would interest your rea-
ders TO be made acquainted with the c0iera fnfus.
About len years ago had the honor (and as |
such shall always treasure the memory of siar |
ing DIR. flowes lodgings at Paris Tor some !
months. lie was then employed in learning that |
system OF instruction for the blind upon which !
he has since grated improvements that have |
made him separate fame among phianthropists. !
Philanthropy seems TO be his engrossing and only
mission in life, however,; for, though giving the
most Of his day TO the objects of his special err
rand, he found time TO make himself the most
serviceaOle man In France to the cause OF Poland
The disasters Of Warsaw had filled Paris with
destitute refugees, and distinguished men who
had shared IN that desperate battle literally
houseless in the streets. Our common breakiasi
room was thronged with these unfortunate pa
trlots, and, with noble libcrality, DIR. Howe kept
! open table for all who came to him-many of
them 10 my ledge getting no food elsewhere,
] and, among others, Lelewel, the distinguished
poet and patriot, coming in one morning to ask
| breakfast, as well recollect after having slept
out winters night In the street. Lafayette was
at mat tme at the head of the Polish committee,
and Kenmore Cooper (whose generosity TO the
| Poles should be chronicled as well as the devo-
uon oil ms line and talents to the cause) shared
with DIR. Howe the counsel and most efficient
agency OF the benevolent old man. At this time
sum OF money was raised to be sent, with some
Important and secret dispatches, TO the Poles who
had fled into Prussia and DR.. Howe offered to be
The bearer. went with him TO the Messagerie
and saw him off In the diligence, very little sus-
pecting the dangerous character of his GRAND.
tie arrived at Bern and, after passing the even
ing abroad, returned to his hotel and found cou
PIE oil Sens-d' drnieS IN his room. They informed
MIN That he must accompany them to the police.
The Doctor understood his position in moment.
by sudden effort he succeeded in pitchinr both
me soldiers out OF the room and closing the door,
Tor II was ail-mportant that he should gain time
TO destroy papers that he had about him. The
SenS-d'G commenced a parlev with him
through the bolted door, which resulted in COM
pact That he should be let alone till morning, on
condition OF his agreeing to 90 with them peace
ably at dayught-:hey keeping sentry outside.
lie had no light but he passed the night in tear
ing into the smallest possible fragments the i'm
Portant papers and soaking them in water. A
mong his papers, however, We're two or three let
tiers from Lafayette to himself which he wished
10 preserve, and after examining the room he Sc.
creted these IN tie hoio,O Of plaster cast of the
h'nS which CHANGED TO be there, and so saved
them; for, though the minute fragments were
picked out and put together again, Gas he suisse
quently discovered.I he wrote to a friend a, Ber-
I'm SIX months after, who went to the hotel and
found the secreted letters safe in the plaster
Kings Keeping!
AT dawn DIR. Howe opened his door, and was
marched immediately to prison. BY chance, on
the evening of his arrival he had met an Amer-
can In the entry of the hotel who had recognised
him. and the next day came to call. From the
mysterious manner in which the people of the
house denied all knowledge of what had become
Oh MIN, thus gentleman suspected arrest, and
! wrote TO Mr. Hives, our then Minister to France,
stating his suspicion. Mr.. Rives immediately
| demanded HIM of the Prussian Government, and
! was assured In reply that they knew nothing of
the person in question Mr.. Rives applied a Sc
cond lime. DIR. Howe had now been six weeks
In solitary confinement, and the end Of this pc
riod he was taken out in silence and put into
carriage with closed windows. They drove off,
and twas his own terrible belief for the first day
mat he was on his way TO Siberia. BY the light
through the covering of the carriage, however,
lie discovered that he was going westward. The
sudden transition from close confinement to the
raw air threw him into fever, and on the third
day OF his silent journey he begged to be allow
ed 10 stop and consult physician. They
iused. on the next morning, while changing
norses, physician brought TO the carriage
door, VINO, alter seeing the prisoner, wrote a
! iihcate that lie was able 10 proceed, and they
again drove on. That day they crossed a corner
j OF me fianoverlan dominions, and, while stop
! ping lor moment In village, DIR. Howe saw
The red coats of some officers, and by bold at
'o'' ~ eSCdptu from MS guards and threw himself
| on their protection. They quietly restored him
! TO The russians, and the carriage drove on once
moFe-his guard finally setting him down at
Metz, on the borders of Prussia, with orders ne
I yer TO enter again the Prussian dominions. At
present he Is at Baden Baden, and Mr.. Everett is
engaged IN negotiation, through the Prussian
Minister at London, (Chevaler Bunscn,) for the
revocation OF the Cabinet order and permission
for simple citizen of the United States to show
his bride the Rhine! Mr.. Greene, our Consul at
Rome, who Is now in New York. informs me
that DR.. Howe is also the black list of the
Ming OF NapIes--of course as a general cham
piOn of liberty.
DR.. Howe's first reputation, as is well known
was made as Phihellene in the Greek revolu-
ton. He left this county entirely without MEANS
having just completed his studies in surgery, and
worked his passage to Greece. He entered the
service as surgeon, and soon gained the highest
Pfomo'lon--serving part of the time board the
armed steamer commanded by IIastings--the on
~ fault found with him being las a Hanoveran
comrade of his told me at Paris) that he acoud be
IN the fight, and was only a surgeon when the
battle was over. His whole career in Greece
was one of gallant acts of bravery, Gcnerosity
ana SeIi-sacriilce, as represented by his compa-
Mons there-and if he could ever be made to
overcome the ua"ilHgness with which he speaks
oil himself, his history Of personal adventure
would, without doubt, be one of the most curious
~ Interesting narratives in the world. Dr. Uowe's
slight person, delicate and beautiful features and
soft voice would give the impression that he
was more at home in his patient labor of winding
light through the labyrinth of fine spnsr-irunri.