The republic. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1849-1853, 1849-09-24
Spirit of the f)tess.
From the ". Y. Commercial advertiser.
The Amir with the French Minister

The Affair with the FTehch minister.
We transfer 10 our columns from those of tn
Washington Republic long and minute accoun
of the quarrel-for il is more than misunderstood
ing-got up by the diplomatic representative a
Washington of the French Republic with the Gov
eminent of the United States; doing this not as
matter of necessity for the information of our read
ers the essential facts having been truly presente
in the account we published on Wednesday but 70
the sake of completeness, the Republics narrative
being evidently from official source
very general interest Is naturally awakened
touching the resolution of the question whether h
diplomatic quarrel is to become national-that Is
whether a war between France and the United
States is TO be the consequence We are habituaily
no great believers In the probability oil war Dul IL
seems 10 us that the remark generally made by the
journals, and adopted in the quasi official article
rom the Republic, suggesting It's lmprobaplnty IN
ne present case, proceeds from an erroneous OASIS
Every body says that this is merely diplomatic
arrangement, out of which no necessity Tor war
an grow But we take il that the question is not
whether there is any necessity for war There was
necessity for Major Poussin to be discourteous
and offensive in his intercourse with our Govern
ment there was necessity for the French Gov
eminent to add the slight of paying no attention TO
the delicate appeal of our Government against his
rudeness; there was no necessity for any of the
multiplied assaults of the French Government upon
the principles of republcanism. The true question
is, according 10 our Judgment, whether the French
Government does not manifest AN unfriendly, an
aggressive spirit in its recent conduct towards the
United States.
The point to be considered is, not what necessity
now requires the Government of the United States
10 do or what necessity may require the Govern
ment of France TO do hereafter, but what the Gov
ernment of France is likely TO do; what its dispo-
sition and temper or Its views of policy may prompt
it to do And 1t Is here We find reason to suppose
that the issue may be serious, for suppose there
can be no question in the mind of any rational man
that the existing disposition Of the French Govern
ment towards the United States is unfriendly, whe
ther arising from views of European policy, or, as
is suggested by some of our Journals, from the Sc
verify with which the actions of that Government
have been almost universally censurcd in this
try. Various indications leading TO this conclusion
have been pointed out; but without referring TO
them, the conclusion may be arrived at We think,
from the conduct Of Major Poussin himself. Even
supposng that his first dscourtesy, in the affair of
Monsieur Port was the result merely of petulance,
originating perhaps in fit of indigestion, we can
hardly believe that second, more offensive, would
be committed at so early day. unless there was
reason to believe that it would not be displeasing
to his own Government; especially when il is borne
in mind that Major Poussin did not receive his APP
pointment from that Government, but from its pre-
decessor
We infer, therefore, that Major Poussin had little
fear of displeasing his Government by assuming a
high and offensive tone in his communications with
the Government of the United States. But we are
not to be understood as believing that the latent
hostility OF the French President or of his cabinet
will be pushed to the extremity of war. Their OBJ
ject may be gained at point considerably short OF
that; and even were the case otherwise, there are
various weighty considerations and contingencies
by which their action may be controlled. BEHIND
them stand the French Legislature and the French
people, whose interest and whose prudence, TO say
nothing OF their better feeling toward this country
will doubtless go for something in the premises.
Reference has more than once been made TO tn,
quarrel between the Governments of Spain ano
Great Britain, which led TO the dismissal Of Mr.
Bulwer from Madrid; and the inference is drawn
that, as Great Britain did not make that dismissal
occasion for war, so there is no reason sup
pose that the dismissal of Major Poussin will be-
come occasion for war Ii is not improbable,
think, that the result may attend our case,
namely, condition Of arrangement and diplo-
matte distance which may sufficiently work out the
purposes of the French President, without, we may
add, proving any more detrimental TO the United
States than the continued arrangement between