Burlington hawk-eye. [volume] (Burlington, Iowa) 1845-185?, 1849-10-04

handing merely disavowal of the law nm.
der which Commander Carpenter clsim.a
salvage for his crew. To demand mr.
the President 10 di.avow a law Ollie lanJ
and The usage Of nations under the Law ~
nations, il would have Teen a sufici.n.
answer 10 have replied, that il is moi n.
province Of the Executive 10 make or :.
peal laws it is his duty 10 execute then
as they actually exist. Mr. Pou,sin's w..
construed to charge Commander Carmen.
der with abuse Of authority in illegally d..
taining the French vessel.
II wiil he observed that the defence y
Commander Carpenter was placed in II.
hands of the French minister with the ~.
pectation Of their being forwarded 10 IN.
French Government and with The han.
expressed by the President, That an IN
spection Of the papers would remove N.
misunders standing which existed in regard
to his conduct. Mr. Poussin did nc, siy.
the cabinet of France an opportuniiy of
deciding the case in lis new aspect. bm
Immediately denounced the commander
without considering his defence, which h.
regarded as matter Of lille interest in Ii,
eyes, when ne had occasion to condemn III
conduct OF an officer of tile United States.
An imperions refusal TO permit an Ane.
rican officer TO be heard in his defence bv
the Government which accused, was nct
made more palaiable to the Executive bv
the contemptuous sneer that accompanied
it. The United States Government had
asked, as an &C: Of common justice 10 1
meritorious and faithful officer, thai he Be
heard in matter affecting his private and
official character and it was natural 10
suppose that bis conduct in saving 4
French ship, and abandoning hi. claim 10
salvage, would exempt him from censure,
though it might fail 10 receive the appro-
baton OF the French government. Ii was
felt to be due TO Commander Carpenter
that he should not be condemned without
evidence or hearing; and refusal Of 50
common a right was deeply felt, as unjust,
insolent and rude. Mr. Mason, the late
Secretary Of the Navy, in letter to Com
mander Carpenter, dated November 18th,
ls4S, had officially approved his course in
this very matter; there was no decision
that he had committed anact hich derogat-
ed from ''the dignity Of the national ma
rine," and proceeds 10 implicate the Ame-
rican Government in the discreditable
conduct offs officer. He protests against
the action OF the American Executive in
the name of the French government, thus
presenting himself before the President
and bis Cabinet as having been commits
stoned to lecture them upon what concerns
the dignity and honor OF our national ma
rine.
On the receipt Of this extraordinary
letter, the President determined 10 submit
Mr. Poussin'> rre>pondence TO .heFreIch
Government, without assuming 10 pre-
scribe the course which that government
should adopt under such peculiar circum-
stances towards a friendly power; and Mr.
Poussin was duly advised Of this determi-
nation. In coming 10 this decision, the
President was actuated by profound re-
gard for The existing friendly relations
with sister Republic, and sincere de-
sire that those relations should continue
nndisturbed. Accordingly, the whole cor.
respondence was communicated To his
Excellency, the Minister Of Foreign Af-
fairs Of France, on the Hh Of july, by Mr.
Rush.
At length, finding ]. apparent that the
French Government wholly refused TO re-
dress the wrong inflicted by the French
Minister, the President felt himself con-
strained 10 terminate Mr. Pou>sin's official
intercourse with this Government, and
thus preclude an opportunity which might
be again abused.
The relations thus terminated between
the Minister OF France and the American
Government, do not imply or necessarily
lead TO cold or hostile intercommunication
between the two Governments. In the
case of Mr. Jackson, Minister of Great
Britain, whose relations with this Gov
eminent were terminated by MIR Madison
in 1909 in more peremptory manner and
for less pointed insult, no difficulty arose
between this country and England. At
another time we may refer TO that nisun-
more at length bu. suffice it
10 say for the present, that, unless France
is cmulous OF difficulty with this conn-
try-of which we have no evidence in
anything that has hitherto transpired-
no disturbance Of the friendly relations
between this and that country can possibly
occur.
In putting an end 10 the official relations
of Mr. Pous>in with the United States. the
Executive has informed both the Govern
ment Of France and the late Minister Of
France, that any communication through
any other channel will be respectfully re-
ceived and considered.
From the Gazette.
THE RAPIDS CONVENTION.
Mr. Edtor:-The two last numbers Of your
paper contain articles signed an y in which the
" rifer atfernpts to discuss the mode Of mprOrinS