The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1849-11-13
INTELLIGENCE ~ THE NAILS.
Our Washington correspondence.

Cabinet Mysteries Er7aained-A"other Sharp
Co,resyomdence''-BiOw Up Betueen Mons de
TocquecWe and DIR Ctayton-Proba6e Rejection
fir. Rives-Another Chance for a War Panic.
There is yet chance for brush with Louis
Napoleon. There have been, within the last week,
several lengthy and mysterious sittngs Of the cabi-
net, and nobody could pretend to conjecture what
the long faces of Meredith and Ewing signi-
fled, as they came out at the close of those
mysterious closetings at the White House.
From conversation with Mr.. Clayton, I am at
length qualified 10 throw some light upon these sus-
picious and long-protracted cabinet council. The
Poussin difficulty is the secret That is where the
shoe pinches. II seems that De Tocquevllle, not
wishing 10 risk the safety OF another minister In as
signing to HIM the unsettled business OF NJ Pous-
SIN, gave that business IN charge TO M Montholon,
the French Consul General at Richmond, and that
M. Bots lie Comte, NJ Pousslns successor, was 10
wait the presentation Of his credentials until the
consul had removed the salvage case, and the five
hundred bales of tobacco, out of the way. This
was, perhaps, prudent expedient, as it was not
impossible that M Bois lie Comte might bark his
shns among these obstacles, as his predecessor
had done before HIM, especially on the tobacco
claim
To this point IN the game, every thing since the
discharge of Poussin, has gone smoothly enough.
But the last steamer but one brings dispatches from
Paris which put entirely new face upon the mat
ter M. De Tocqueville, the French Foreign Minis
reply to the letter of Mr. Clayton to the French
Minister In which our Secretary took occasion to
admensh the government of France that the
United States were competent TO take care of
themselves and their own dignity as nation,
without the gratultous advice which M De. Toe
4ueville had condescended 10 give to Secretary
OF State which was not wanted, or called tor, and
could be very well dispensed with.
From the dispatches received by the steamer,
week ago, and other information, 1t appears that
the French cabinet had had this letter of MIR. Clayton
dali a had ..lxra1
Hence MIR. Clayton has received reply to it from
N. de Tocqueville, or Mr. Rives, of which am not
authorised to speak as to the contents, further
than it is as sharp as pepper, and makes distinct
demand upon Mr.. Clayton TO retract certain oten-
siye expressions In his letter to De TOcquevle,
which are supposed to be the words in italics, in
the following extract
THE sEoRKrARr UNITED STATES TO THE
MINISTER FOREIGN AFFAIRS FRANCE.
DEPARTMENT OF STATE,
WAsHINGro,, September 8, 1919.
Minister of Foreign Affairs of the French Republic
sIR-l have received despatch from MIR. Rush, the
covering note from you him dated the 9th of that
month. Both have been submitted to the President,
with the correspondence to which they relate As Mr.
Rush is returning home and MIR Rives, who has been
appointed to succeed him Minister to France has
probably not yet arrived in Paris hasten to avail my
sef q the only meaps communication between the
governments We represent by addressing you directly
On the subject Of your note
You acknowledge the receipt of the correspondents
(which took place between the Secretary of state for
Foreign Affairs Of the United States and the Minister
of France at Washington from which ii must have
been obvious to mind that the latter had repeat
eddy and grstuiteusly addressed communications to
this government highly offensive and dscourteous both
IN manner and In substance.
d. That correspondence submitted simply to enable
your to decide upon the proper to
be taken in regard to its minister You appear 10
hare considered the occasion uheh called upon you
10 construct apology ion that minister ~ iniiserim
nste eensyinx both parties TO the correspondence. You
,nred 10 decide ar6itr upon the mode in
apIsA ne 9m.rrean eorerneai conducted that correspond
QofO
but entirely uneseepsnabis IN spft and could NOT
hare failed 10 sbsre that his apartment had not, any
instance, Descended 20 recrnstion whether useless
ohervise viM NJ. Poussin
should the CORES pondence any minister of this
republic prove insulting to the friendly government Of
Erance that government is confident of desire
TO maintain kind relations with it to doubt that the
President of the United States would feel to be high
duty to examine the complaint and to render prompt
and proper atonement for the Injury. But the issue
yvesen'sd the correspondence 81 M Poussin cannot be
srosedby any charge Of reerim'naons n that charge
10 made 9th any shad0p Of ruta let be sepsra,iy
pres,teS and AZ aH be po%Ptiy aud most respectfully
The President instructs gay yeur Excellency
that, as from the whole tone of your communication
to Mr. Rusb, which has struck sim with much
prise II would seem that the dsrespecu language Of
the French Minister at Washington has been received
aih indulgence, aud held uorfhy ~ paiaiisn BY The dis
nnguishsd Minister Of Foreign .i6ars Of France, rho
has manifested dispoiion 70 redress ne wrong he as
the Chief Magistrate Of The Ubited States feels him.
self now at perfect liberty and In fact constrained
with view TO preclude opportunities which might be
again abused. to perform without any further delay,
an unpleasant duty. from which he had hoped his
friendly appeal to the French government would have
relieved him.
This government is the guardian Of its own honor,
and all occasions II seeks 70 AVOID giving
By the time this letter reaches your Excel.ncy Mr.
Iousfin will have been informed that no further cor
the nitsd States and that every proper facility will be
afforded him, should be desire to return to France.
When we come to read over those passages in
iaiics, IL will be seen that they are sharp enough
10 provoke sharp retort The reply OF De
Tocqucyllle, therefore, ~ simply "a Roland for AN
Oliver" lie practices upon the old maxim, Of
what is sauce for the goose is sauce for the gan
DER" and the example Of Mr. Clayton with Mr..
Poussin, Is followed up by NJ DE Tocqueyllle in
demanding the Secretary Of State TO retEaci, mo-
diiy, apologize, m respect 10 those offensive ex
presslons IN his very independent letter 10 France.
Really, it would seem that Clayton, Poussin, and
De Tocque,lle are all OF niece IN the science OF
Diplomacy. 10 ~ the meTest trilng oi school boys.
The French minister has now put the chip GA his
own shoulder, and dsres our Secretary Of State 90
knock II off. Well there have been several cabi-
net sessions upon the subject. Mr.. Clayton was
disposed 10 compromise; bat old lack. as ! under.
stand InteTposed his veto, and protested against
the Secretary abandoning hls posiion--dHd Ne
question beng taken, the cdbtnt Unanimously re-
sir,d that 40 rcfractioR, MOD lhoailOH or apology
IOr che letter shall b. made.
In the meantime, Il further appears by letters
Iren Pans, by the last weeks steamer, that Mr..
Rives had not yet been received, and that his re-
ception will be delayed until the answer TO the
demand of NJ de Tocqueville Is received by the
French government. The neat steamer to Europe
will take out the emphatic reply OF old Jack and
the return steamer will probably bring back Mr.
Rvcs and the recall Of NJ lios le Comte, the first
preliminary step to a state of war.
The letter writers 90 the outside organs have all
received their Instructions To raise the "hue-and-
cry as in the teapot panic bout Poussin; bat
being somewhat IN advance Of them, by a lucky
accidental meeting with Mr.. Clayton, ] have
thought proper TO give the facts to the Herald.
without consulting Mr. Harvey, who has promised,
however, TO write to the North Amotcan furious
article against Napoleon, and on the subject, in a
dsy ortwo.
The bold stand Of Mr.. Clayton on the Nicara.
siortnlght ago, mist be modified a little, until we
can get this French Business of our hands That
question, therefore, will remain for a while in statu
9so. We cannot, Just now, undertake 10 fight
John Bull and Louis Napoleon at the same time -
PM Erarcn scnrr. 20 h. -. H..