The republic. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1849-1853, 1849-10-04
7 H E R E ? u B l. | G.
w ASHIN GTON:
THURSDAY MORNING, OCTOBER A. ls4s.
Commander Carpenter and MIR. clifford.

Commander Carpenter and MIR. clifford.
Not word yesterday against Com
mander CARpENDER in the French organ
Mark certain condolences. Mr.. CLIFF
FORD, our late Minister to Mexico, returned
to this city and took lodgings at Wizards
hotel on Saturday, September 3Oth. He
was in Mexico all the time of the affair of
the Eugsnie He was familiar with all
the circumstances. As the attorney gen.
eral of the late administration, it is to be
presumed that he is good lawyer. The
ex-organ would not deny it, at all events.
The ex-organ vouches for his knowledge
of the Spanish language, and his expe
rence in the institutions of the MeXicans.
He has made himself acquainted, no doubt,
with the Mexican law on the subject of
salvage He knows whether or not by
that law Commander CARpENDER was
justified in the course he pursued with
regard to the French merchantmen. Now,
is there any connexion between Mr.. CLIFF
FoRp's return and the silence of the
Union with reference to Commander CAR
PENDER9
We are curious to know if the ex-organ
has not received some little illumination
from this quarter. Has not Mr.. CLIFFORD
informed its editors that the course of
Commander CARPENDER was not only in
all respects unexceptionable, but marked
with more than necessary Difference to the
mere comfy and courtesy of nations' Has
not Mr.. CLIFFORD informed them that on
an examination of the case upon the spot,
at the time of its occurrence, he was per-
fectly satisfied that no censure whatever
could justly attach to the conduct of Com
mander CARPENDER that he had done
nothing to warrant the "regret" of his
countrymen; that he had done nothing to
| violate or impair the dignity of our ma
tonal mariner Has not Mr.. CLIFFORD
informed them that they were committing
blunder, as well as a wrong, in taking
sides with the French government, and
in insisting that the conduct of merito-
rious American officer was liable to the
reproach which French ingratitude and
insolence had attempted to fasten upon it,
1t is thus only that we can account for
the fact that the Union, after daily arraign-
ing him for fortnight, closes its lips on
the case of Commander CARPENDER. But
silence is not enough. The French organ
has inflicted a grievous wrong on this
gallant officer and gentleman. 1t has
wronged and insulted our naval service.
1t owes an apology to both. The Admin
istration II claims the license to assail-
with or without cause-to "the bitter
end - but we do not know that il has
publicly claimed such license with regard
to the officers of the American navy. II
it is now convinced that it has been wrong
in its reflections upon Commander CAR
PENDFR, it owes an apology to him as
well as to the American hag-an open,
frank, manly apology-such as every gen.
tleman would desire to make when he
finds himself guilty of an injustice. In
adopting the French view Of Commander
CARPENDER's conGuct in making tha
officer the subject Of series Of articles Z
Ia PoUssN-written in his spirit, if no
with his pen or at his dictation-we con
tend that the French organ has made it
self party to the French accusations
against our naval marine, and is bound t
retract its censures and make an ampl,
public apology to all whom il has assailed