The daily crescent. [volume] ([New Orleans, La.]) 1848-1851, 1849-09-29
The French Affair.

i is only just to say that Major Poussin is ]
gentleman Of ability, courteous and highly intelli-
gent, having full share of French 5rusglsrie in
manner and in temper, and far more republican in
ms sentiments than the government which he rep
Eesents. lie came TO this country about the wear
1913, and for fifteen years served in the United
SIates corps OF typographical engineers as aid-de-
camp Of General Bernard, and during that time
made himself familiar with the character Of our
country, and became warm admirer Of our insti.
tutlons. He was engaged on the Chesapeake and
ONO canal, and took great interest in all our pub
lie works. Returning TO France, he was actively
engaged IN railways, ETC., there, though from his
well known dislike to Louis Phppe's government
he obtained no public employment. Alter the revo-
luuon OF February, he became candinate in the
Department du Nord for the Constituent Assembly
with the understanding that if successful hevvould
be appointed minister of the public works; butfail-
ing IN this, ne was appointed Minister to the United
States by the Provisional Government, and was
continued IN that position upon the accession of
Louis Napoleon. He is the author of works Of
merit upon various political and other subjects and
has taken deep interest, during his official resi-
deDce here, in the Panama railroad in improving
the lighthouse system, in the promotion of recipro
city commercial treaties, and in the DEVELOPMENT
OF American resources and institutions. He has
secured the warm friendship of many of our most
estmable citizens, who will regret extremely the
inexcusable conduct which has brought upon him
SO signal a rebuke."
The Washington correspondent of the Phiadel-
phia Ledger thus refers to NJ. Poussin, and what
may be the character of his successor:
He is undoubtedly very excitabIe man, and a
trenchman in the bargain but the insinuation
thrown out in some of the papers that NJ Poussin
IN common with the present infamous government
OF France, abhOrs a republic, and especially that
OF inc United States, is base calumny. NJ. Pous-
sin Is a republican, much more sincere repubi-
can, trust, than any Of those from whom he now
holds his commission, and can assure YOU that SO
lar from being offended with the Presidents request
to the President of the French Republic to with
draw his obnoxious Minister from Washington,
Louis Napoleon will eagerly seize the opportunity
ct replacing him By more willing creature of his
own.
NJ. Poussin's antecedents are all republican.
lie once held commission in our Engineer CORPS,
subsequently became collaboration to several Jour
mails in Paris, and dllDays sided with the liberal
! cause. In 1876 he published, in Paris, a pamphlet
entitled Question de P0regOn' in which he proved
himself a thorough $40 40 man, and enthusiastic
| ally in favor Of the United States He also pub
lished a large work on the rapid growth and pro-
/ gress Of the United States, which, I believe has
| gone through a second edition; and he was busy
/ actor in the French. revolution of February, and
one Of the agtatOrs who most strenuouslY defended
/ and supported the Republic He had no inconsid-
cradle part in the transaction which led to the inn
mediate recognition Of the French Republic by the
United States, and the brilliant reception given to
our ministers by the Provisional Government at the
Hotel de Vile. He was, in fine, appointed Minister
to the United States in consequence of these ia CTS
as special compliment 10 the United States; hav-
ing, as 1t was thought given sufficient proof OF his
devotion and attachment to the United States to be
peculiarly acceptable to our government.
Again, say, the matter will lead to nothing
but change of Minister. The question is, shall
| we get a better and more acceptable person than
Major POussin, a fellow who win receive his in
structions from the new Holy Alliance! The mat
| ter merits some attention"
THE Tone OF THE PREss.-The Philadelphia
North American, usually very staid and peace
able paper, talks very valorousy about war in sup
port of the Presidents position, before he knew
what it was. The following is the tone of its
| Washington correspondent:
| The future is shrouded in doubt M De
| TOcqueve, the Minister of Foreign Affairs, must
resign; government must apologize, or a rupture
must ensue. The administration here will not adj
| vance an inch or retract a word and if France
wishes war-as there is good reason to suppose she
does-the responsibility is on her own shoulders.
This case admits of no diplomatic -cObbling 1t is
question of honor in which the United States
cannot abandon its high POSITION
The editor, after expressing his ignorance of that
matter, is confident that there has been wrong
of some kind done to, or an insult of some kind in
hicted on, the United States, and that the French
Government has been appealed to for PREPARATION,
and refused to grant it )" and thereupon adds:
" In such a,difficulty as this or in such omar
rel, if it be QUARREL there can be but one feeling
in the United States and throughout the whole
length and breadth of the land we shall hear but
one voice of indignation, and the stern determine
ton of all men of all parties TO stand by the honor
of the country, and by those who stand, like men,
by it, 1t is not to be supposed that we have more
patriotism to expend in resenting the wrongs of a
petty Captain-G General of a Spanish island than
one offered at the hands of of the most power
ful rulers on the earth. We shall be sorry-verv
sOTry-should any Interior consequences grow oGi
of this difficulty; but, even in that case, we shat
have the consolation of remembering that the
wrong is not ours-that the gauntlet has been wan
tonly, without any provocaton, flung in our teeth
and that he who filings it. if our foe has been alss
the fce-the renegade and apostate foe-of Euro
pean freedom We should all stand, and we will
all stand by our country.2
The Philadelphia Evening Bulletin (neutral) thu
rebukes the warlike haste of the North American
"The French Government evidently does no
| intend to censure NJ. Poussin, nor do we think i
| will make an apology but, on the other hand we
have no idea that it viii declare war. A cessation
OF diplomatic intercourse will, we fancy, be the
worst that will happen between the two nations
"We confess that the tone Of the North Ameri.
can itself surprises us not less than that Of its
respondent. To see a journal which processes to
he moderate in its character, and which represents
a conservative Administration Inducing on such
vOring to get up war-fever, appears to neither
consistent with its own position, nor likely to be
beneficial to the country. In the Mexican war our
contemporary had nothing TO say about insulted
honor" but during one period at least, was openly
opposed to hostiliies. lis is exactly that
which it censured then, and has been adopted, we
fear, for nothing but partisan purposes. An cleo
| ton is at hand, cry of some kind is wanting and
to raise an uprOar about France is, we suppose,
considered capital political trick.
We are as ready now as in 1876, and We're as
ready then as now-can others say as much ITO
vindIcate, if necessary, the nsulted honor of the
nation; but we are not disposed to see the people
alarmed, the interests Of trade made to suffer- and,
perhaps, hostilities themselves brought on, solely
| for the triumph Of party. Neither can we allow
| ourselves to endorse hasty and ridiculous threats
like that DIMINISHING on M DeTocqueville's removal
for that is thing which we have no right TO ask,
and which itsis mere buncombe to talk about.
| In word, we arc astonished that any journal OF
reputation, in sober, peaceful, and sensible com
munity like this should thus lose its euuipOise