The Mississippi Creole. [volume] (Canton, Miss.) 1841-1851, 1849-10-06
80 Ne N o. BnIleAn.
TMn FRENCH D|IFFLCULTY

ter and the Government Of the United States.
The account! is extremely circumstantial, but
we will endeavot 10 give its essence. II APP
pears that Mr.. Port had claim against the
United States for damages sustained by him
in consequence Of the acts Of certain agents
Of our Government, The case was submitted
to a military court Of inquiry, at Puebla, and
a decision made unfavorable to the claim,
which decision was afterwards sanctioned and
approved by General Scott. Mr. PoussiN OBJ
iects to this decision, and animadgerts in very
severe language on the testimony Of a distin-
guished officer Of the American army in Mex
leo. Mr.. Clayton controverts the position Of
the French Minister, who in return, INDUCES
in q strain Of invective, highly offensive to the
American Government. One offensive pas
sage was the following: The Government
of the United States must be convinced that
il is more honorable to acquit, fairly, a debt
! contracted during war, under the pressure OF
necessity, than to evade its payment by endcGu-
oring 10 brand The character Of an Onest man ,
The Minister further charges in his note, a
high military officer with perjury before the
military court, and in strong language calum-
mates the whole court; it also intlmates that
the Secretary of State was an accessory. Sub
! sequently, this offensive note was Withdrawn,
and mere the matter dropped. Some time after
wards, in May last, il appears that the French
ship Eugene struck on the rocks Of Anton
Lizardo, and that she was relieved from her
p~erilous condition b.. the U, S. steamer Iris,
whose Captain, Carpenter, claimed remuner-
alton for services rendered, and to secure their
a%cquittal detained the EHgenie fer two orthree
days. Subsequently,, Commander Carpenter
desisted from his pretensiohs. AT this time
Mr.. Poussin writes a diplomatic note to the
, State Department, in which no says: SThe
Minister of Foreign Affairs Of France reques-
ted him to address to the Cabinet at Washing
ton the most serious observations on the abuse
of authority committed by this officer in ille-
gaIIy OBTAINING the ship Eugenie' He conclh
ded his note with the following remark F; 8 You
will easily comprehend; Mr. Secretary ofState,
how important it is that such occurrences
should not be repeated, and that severe blame,
at least, should be laid on those WHO thus con-
sidered themselves empowered to substitute
arbitrary measures for justice and doubt not
that you will without delay, give satisfaction
to the Just complaints Of the French Repub-
lic.'
The affair was Immediately investigated, and
Commander Carpenter fully justified. His
conduct has been approved BY Mr.. Clifford,
our late Minister to Mexico, and Mr.. johnson
our present Attorney General. II was Under
these circumstances that Mr.. Poussin wrote
the note Of the 30th Of May last, which fol-
lows:
LEGATION OF FRANcR,(
Washington, May 3d. I849.
Sic: i rtceivedson the 2Sth Of May the note
/, which you did me The honor to address to me
on the san day, in answer to mine calling
; upon the Government Of the United States 10
disaVow the couddct Of Commander Carpenter
: or The American steamship Iris, towards the
French ship Eugenie, of Havre, which had run
upon the bank Of Riso, near the anchorage Of
: Anton Lizardo.
J The explanations given by Commander Car
pender, are not Of a nature, Mr.. Secretary Of
State, such as to dispel the discomfort which
his proceedings have caused to my Govern
ment.
" He considered, as he says, and be still CON
elders, the case was one Of salvage; that the
y rights acquired by him as the saver Of the
vessel saved, empowered him to keep possession
, Of her until his extravagant pretensiohs were
y fully satisfied; but his opinions have little in
lerest in our eyes, when we have occasion TO
condemn his conduct.
9 / called on the cabinet at Washington, Mr..
! Secretary Of State, in the name Of the French
u Government TO address a severe reproof to
! tina, officer of the American navy, in order
= that the error w.ich he has committed, on
point involving the dignity Of your national
marine, might not be repeated hereafter.
From your answer, Mr.. Secretary Of State,
/ am unfortunately induced to believe that
Your Government subscribes to the strange
doctrines protested by Commander CarpeudeI
. Of the war steamer Iris, and i have only e
p~rotestin the name Of my Government, against
these doctrines. IS oa5a
i have the honor to be,
! With distinguished consideration,
T Your obedtent servant,
GUILLAUME TELL P0USSIN.
Hon. J. M. CLAYTON, Secretary IF State.
Upon the receipt of this offensive letter tn,
whole matter was submitted to the FrencI
government, and upon its refusal to redress
Y the wrong inflicted by the French Minister