Lynchburg Virginian. [volume] (Lynchburg [Va.]) 1829-185?, 1849-09-27
THE LYNCaBURG VIRGINIAN.
BLACKFoRD, ToWNLEY n CO.,
LYNCmBURG. sEPTEMBER ~. 1919.
THE DIFFICULTY WITH FRANCE.
pgoPEirTops.

W. gave in our last all the particulars, which
had then reached us, of the difficulty between
the Cabinet at Washington and the French Min
lister, Mr.. Poussin which resulted in his being fur
nished with his passports. We now copy, from
the Washington Republic, what may be consid
cred a quasi official statement Of Tho whole affair
by which it will appear that the general fact
were pretty correctly given, though the addition
al particulars ageravate the misconduct oftht
French Minister, i~mplicate the French Govern
mcnt, and give a graver import 10 the whole at
fair. The N. Y. Courier and Enquirer furnishes
some further items of intelligence, which set the
conduct of our Government ia a still more favor
able light. The statemen of the Republic mere
" says that, "fnding the French Government
wholly refused to redress the wrong inflicted by
the French Minister, the President felt himself
constrained to terminate Mr.. Poussin's official in
tercourse with this Government The Courier
and Enquirer gives us some mixing OF the man
ner in which this was done. After speaking OF
Mr.. Poussin'S note of Goth May, the Courier says:
"1o this Insulting note no reply was made. BY the
President direction the whole correspondence was i'm
~mediately transmitted to Mr.. Rush. orr Minister al the
French Court, and h was lnstr Jcted Ia lay il before The
Frenci, Minister fof Foreign affairs and the President,
and 10 ask their attention 10 the language which their
Ambassador had seen iii to nsr. He was MI directed 10
ask aDy Ieparation, or any censu e Of their Minister, but
simply 10 call The attention ollhe government to the Ian
gnage IN which the despatch was couchtd. No doubt
vi course, was entertained thai immediate and voluntary
reparalion would be made. Mr.. Rush accordingly laid
the whole matter brfare W.. de Iocqneville, the French
Minister for Foreign Afliirs. He examined the matter,
AID IN n despatch addressed 10 Mr.. Rush, aud transmit
ted by him u our Government. stated that the French
Fxecu I'VE 'ae no occasion for lis action. and that there
hat eri'entIy been unnecessary reoiR'natioa and mark
cd fan s on 10Th sides thus Sc I NJ t. divide lie re-
SO sihillty. aud Directly iHcul,a.utg orr Gore,nmfat
tIG dpGbaf.It ~ sam no r 4aIpaI a nc pnI4ttt.l T..
Gen. Iatlpt, who Immediately directed that M further
correspondence should be held with the Frencl, Minister,
and ordered has passports 10 be al once made omt and pLa
eel al his disposal. AT the same fine, the Secretary u
State, under General Taylor's direction. wrote 10 Mr..
Rush 10 lnlurm VI. de Iocquevllle, the French Minister
for Foreign Affairs. that his opinion upon the conduct of
The American Government had not been solicited that
action. and not criticism, was what had been expected
from him, and that brloie this despatch should reach
nm, AlaJ'T Poussin's passports would have been placed
at his disposal"
This view of the caSe-and we doubt moi the
facts are correctly set forth-presents, in a stri-
king point of view, the forbearance OF the Amer
ican Government. Gen. Tav,or would have been
fully justified in a. once sending Nh. Poussin his
passports on the receipt of his note of the 30th
May. But, in order to afford an opportunity to
the Government OF France TO make the necessary
PREPARATION, without giving eciat TO the affair, or
interruptIng, in any degree, the friendly relations
between the two countries, the whole correSpon-
dence was transmitted, through the Legation in
Paris, to the French Secretary of State for For
eign Affairs, without even a formal demand for
the recall OF MIR. Poussin, not doubling that such
recall would be spontaneously ordered. Instead
of fulfilling this reasonable expectation of the
President, Mr.. De ToCqueville sets himself up as
an umpire, and undertakes to Judge ofthe degree
Of offence given, which he does not think sufi-
Gent ia IHStIIy his ptpr{prnpcn Rv oil tho ,r1i
nary lles OF Diplomacy and common sense, he
thus makes the French Government a party to the
quarrel. lie sustains the Minister aud refuses to
recall him. The insulting language OF Mr.. PouS-
sin is not only adopted but fresh Insult GWEN
The Minister, in fact, vanishcs from the scene, and
the French Government takes his place. Under
such circumstances. the President was, OF course,
prompt in his action. lie Immediately sent Mr..
Poussin his passports, very much, we presume, to
The surprise ofthat functionary. This took place
on Friday evening. On Monday, at the Art
Union Festival, in New York, Mr.. Poussin was
present and made a speech, in response TO a toast
in honor of the Minister of the French Repub-
lie" This, fine knew what had happened, was
a contemplate piece of bravado and in wretched
taste-if he did not know that he was no longer
the Minister, what an idea does ii give ofhis neg
ligence of duty, not to have received so impor-
tant a dispatch thee days after it was delivered
at the French Legation in Washington.
From all the information which we have been
able to gather, we are strengthened in the opin-
ion that, though the first difficulty may have OIL
ginated in the ignorance of the courtesies required
in diplomatic intercourse, and the general rough
ness of manner, of the Minister, vet that the
French Government avalled itself oftle occasion
to foment a quarrel with the United States.
And this brings us to the question on every
ones lipS-will there be war between the two
countries ! We hope Motive believe not. But,
in specializing upon the subject, we must have
reference To the national characteristics of the
French people, and to the personal aims of Louis
Napoleon. With little pride, inordinate vanity,
and intense susceptibility, the French NAV per-
ceive, in the conduct of our Government. some
thing beyond the merited chaStisement of the in
science OF their own. They may conceive that
they are cruelty insulted, and demand immediate
redress for their wounded honor. o fcourse.t there
will be no backing out at Washington, and what
may be the course of events, in such a iuncture,
we pretend not TO divine. With respect TO the
President of France, his hatred of Republicanism
at home and abroad, and his sympathy with. and
subserviency to, the despotS of Europe are as
well known as that he is openly striving TO place
The imperial crown upon his brow. With these
dispositions and objects, it is more than probable
he may think a war with the United States will
be polite. Intense selfshness debating all his
actions, we have no idea that any consideration
affecting the welfare Of his country, would, for a
moment, prevent the fur.herance of a personal