Baltimore commercial journal, and Lyford's price-current. [volume] (Baltimore, Md) 1840-1849, 1849-09-29

conduct on the occasion in question:" This note
respectful to the Minister.-Thc explanation
which accompanied it showed that the commander,
seeing the French bark Eugene and her crew in
imminent peril, high up on the rocks of Anton Ii
zardo, and being appealed to for succor, FASTENED to
her assistance, with seanen from the Iris; and that
Captain of the French bark gave up the charge of
his vessel on the reef, in order that the American
officer might take the command, to her At
moment when no other aid could be procured, and
when a norther, formidable to seamen that
coast, expected, the American commander la
bored all night with his Sailors got the French bark
off the rocks and anchored her in safety alongside
the Iris. The commander asked for compensation,
in the nature Of salvage, for his who had saved
the bark and her from destruction. lie was
entitled to compensation SO it was decided by Mr..
Clifford, our Minister of Mexico, date Attorney
General of the United States,) when the matter
referred to him. Such also, we understand, is the
opinion of Mr.. johnson, our present Attorney Gene
raj. But although he had asked and expected to
receive salvage, yet Ito his words) thirty
hours having elapsed without receiving answer,
he had already resolved to let the captain resume
the charge of her. when he received a note from the
consignee saying that he could not act in the mat
ter, the vessel not yet in port and, at the
same moment, the captain OF the Eugene coming
on board he returned the vessel to him." 1t was
under these circumstances that Mr.. Poussin wrote
the note of the 30th of May last, which follows:
LEGATION or FRANCE,
WASHINGTON, May 80, 1919
| Sir: | received on the 2Sth of May the note
which you did me the honor to address to me on the
same day, in answer to mine calling upon the Gov
eminent of the United States to disavow the con-
duct of Commander Carpenter, of the American
steamship Iris, toward the French ship Eugene, Of
Ilavre, which had run upon the bank of Rise, near
| the anchorage of Anton LiZardo.
| The explanations given by Commander Carpenter
! not of nature, Mr. Secretary of State such as
to dispcl the discomfort which his proceedings have
| caused to my Government
He considered, as he SAYS and he still considers,
| that the case was of salvage; that the rights
acquired by him the saver of the vessel saved,
empowered him to keep possession OF her until his
extravagant pretensons were fully satisfied but his
| opinions have little interest in our eyes, when we
have occasion to condemn his conduct
| called the Cabinet at Washington, Mr.. Sec
retarv of State, in the of the French Govern
ment, to address severe reproof to that officer OF
| the American navy, in order that the error which
he has committed on point involving the dignity
of your national marine might not be repeated here
after
From your answer, Mr.. Secretary of State, | am
unfortunately induced to believe that your Govern
ment subscrbes to the strange doctrines protessed
| by Commander carpenter, of the war-steamer Iris
and have only to protest in the name OF my Gov
eminent against these doctrines
| have the honor to be, with distinguished con-
sideraton, your most obedient servant,
GUILLAUME TELL POUSSIN.
lion. D. vi. CLAYTON, secretary oil state
There has been, in fact no doctrine advanced in
regard to the case of Commander Carpenter, nor
was there any indication OF opinion on the sub
| ect of salvage MIR. PoussiI, If to make out a
case for denunciaion, assumed that strange doc
trines" had been adopted by the Executive, which
compromised the dignity of national marine. :"
In this note of May so, the French Minister
speaks of his previous communication [dated 18th
OF May1 in relation to this subject, as one merely
calling upon the Government of the United States
| to dsavow the conduct OF Commander Carpenter.
In point of fact, his note of the 18th of May not
only demanded such disavowal that severe blame,
at least, should be laid those who thus considered
themselves empowered to substitute arbitrary meas
ures for iustce.' The Government might have ar-
companied dsavowal of Commander Carpenters
conduct with severe censure; but disavowal OF the
principle of salvage, his right to it, would not OF
necessity have implied severe ccnsure. MIR. Pous-
sins note of the 18th OF May not understood,
nor could it be interpreted, as demanding merely
disavowal of the law under which Commander Car
pender claimed salvage for his crew. To demand
upon the President to disavow a law OF the land,
and the usage of nations under the law of nations,
it would have been a sufficient answer to have re-
piled, that it is not the province OF the Executive to
make repeal laws; it is his duty to execute them
they actually exist. Mr.. Poussin's construed
to charge Commander Carpenter with abuse or au-
thority in illegally OBTAINING the French vessel.
1t will be observed that the defence of Command
er Carpenter placed in the hands of the French
Minister with the expectation of their being for
warded to the French Government; and with the
hope expressed by the President, that inspection
of the papers would remove the misunderstanding
which existed in regard to his conduct. MIR. Pous-
sin did not give the Cabinet of France opportu-
nifty of deciding the case in its new aspect but I'M
mediately denounced the commander, without con-
sidering his defence, which he regarded as matter
of little interest IN his eyes, when he had occasion
| to condemn the conduct of an officer of the United
States. An imperious refusal to permit American
officer to be heard in his defence by the Government
which accused, was not made more palatabe to the
Executive by the contemptuous snecr that accom-
panied it. The United States Government had
asked, as an act of Justice to a mcrtorious
and faithful officer, that he be heard i'll matter al
fccting his private and official characters and it was
natural to suppose that his conduct Ill saving
French ship, and abandoning his claim to salvage,
would exempt him from censurc, though 1t might
fail to receive the appreciation of the French Gov
eminent. 1t was felt to be due to Commander Car
pender that he should not be condemned without
evidence hearing; and refusal OF so common
right was deeply felt UNJUST insolent and rude
| Mr.. Mason, the late Secretary OF the Navy, Ill a
letter to Commander Carpenter, dated Nov. IS,
1S4S had officially approved his course in this very
matter; there evidence adduced against him,
and yet Mr.. Poussin decides that he had committed
an act which derogated from &c the dignity of the
national marinc," and proceeds to duplicate the
American Government in the dscreditable conduct
of its officer. He protests against the action of the
| American Executive in the name OF the French
Government, thus presenting himself before the Pre-
sident and his Cabinet as having been commissioned
to lecture them upon what concerns the dignity and
honor of our national marine.
On the receipt of this extraordinary letter, the
President determined to submit MIR. Poussin's cor
rcspondence to the French Government, without
assuming to prescribe the course which that Gov
eminent should adopt under such peculiar circum-
stances toward friendly power; and MIR. Poussin
was duly advised of this determination. In coming
to this decision, the President actuated by a
profound regard for the existing friendly relations
with sister Republic, and sincere desire that
those relations should continue undisturbed Ac-
cordingly, the whole correspondence was communi-