The daily crescent. [volume] ([New Orleans, La.]) 1848-1851, 1849-10-13
Relaflonn viii Franco.


the nature Of the existing difficulties would war
rant. The feeling arises out of supposed precon-
ceiyed intent and disposition on the part Of the
French President to strengthen his position with
the absolutiSts Of Europe, by establishing hostile
relations with the republicans Of America. Be
sides this suspicion Of nfrendiness Of temper, and
thesupport which it evidently acquires from the te
nor of NJ De TOcquevies dispatches, explicit testi-
mony is saidto exist in despatch from Mr.. Rush,
dated on the Sd of May, at Paris; wherein Mr..
Clayton is informed of late declaration made by
the French President, that eff France were to
engage in war with any power, it would be with
the United States" The New York Courier and
Enquirer is precise in its statement that such des
patchifas been received by Mr.. Clayton rom Mr..
| Rives We suppose it would not hazard such an
assertion without certainty Of the fact, but we can
not, nevertheless, quite understand how the con-
1 tents of she official letters between cur foreign
ministers abroadsand the Department of Stale, on
questions so delicate as the reported conversations
4 OF the head Of the French Government could be
made known for publication in the newspapers of
| the day.
But to give any strong Specification to such an,
expression of Louis Napoleon. something more is
necessary than we have yet heard. II was evil
IDENTIFY no official comPunication perhaps souly a
casual remark, the meaning of which the context
Of the conversation might alter considerably 1t
might be mainly in anticipation of the future, con
tanning no iatimadon of design. AT the worst, it
is pure individual confession of spleen, by gdd4
and shallow man, elevated,to a. position, of the
responsibilities Of which he does not understand
the gravity. We are not induced by this report,
snpposing it to be accurately repeated, to believe
Tbara is q
the French Governmental provoke or make war
with the UniiedaStates. The motives Of policy to
which such desire is traced ,-are too complicated
and the issue too uncertain, and French relations
towards the European Statesy too precarious at this
time to give ground for SO, bold stroke Of abso-
lutism, as to make war upon the United States,
wantoniy, upon such slight pretences of complaint
Whatever may be, the Presidents strength in the
cabinet and the Chambers theres ne doubt that the
sentimentof the popular masses would be strongly
| against him in such a war; and the republican
| opposition would make tremendous use of the
| enormity of this conflict with, republicanism in
America, At the moment that France, in sympathy
| with Austria and Russia, had crushed the Roman
Republic, and congratulated tyranny on the extin-
punishment Of Hungarian independence and liberty.
| Weak and presumptuOus as we believe Louis Ma
poleon to be, are not prepared to believe him 80
foolish as to hope for protin his ambitious schsm.
tngs from any hasty war with America.
A new explanation Of the Poussin difficulty has
been published in the Baltimore American, which
relieves NJ Peussin and diAconneots the French
| Government with the matter, laying the whole
/ blame. Of the Encouragement of the diplomatic
correspondence upon NJ, De Tocqueville himself.
The explanation appears in the Baltimore Ameri-
can, and is contained in a letter from, New York
i w6iehi described as from source Of Information
which is to be relied upon. ~
/ The informant claims to have seen the instruo
tons of NJ De Tocqueville to N. Poussin, and saw
that they direct NJ Poussi to address to the Afneri
can Government a protest ggafnstthe law Of sal
wage and against the seizure and detention Of the
Eug@nie, as iavolviHg he dignieg of the American
marine; and he adds, there is not an insulting ex,
preston in the letter Of M. Poussin, for which he
was to be intercommunioated, which is not to be
found in almest the same words in M, De Tocque-
ville's instructions" -
| Thus far NJ De Toequeville stands in the place
of M, Poussn, and the indignity would seem to be
| only the mors grave, inasmuch as NJ De Tooque
ville-is the Minister for Foreign Affairs in tn,
/ French Cabinets and so far'fepresens the Govern
/ ment. But the writer goes on to e1oulpate, tb
| Government by considering M. De Tocqueville a
acting on his own mere motion, and excuses hin
on the ground that he was misinfermed Of the fact
and ignorantOf the lawl ~.
Itsaysth M. De Tocqueyille, WHO'S unacquainl
ed with law, got his information from Mexica1
sources, and particularly from the French Charge
Mexico, who furnished 20 him the Mexican view
of the subject, which was that there could be n
claim for salvage unless the vessel was bilged, an
that salvage is never claimed by national vessel
oflwar These were great errors, for by the Mex
lean law not only has a national vessel the right
claim salvage in such case as the EugGaie, bu
it is settled that the salvor can deain the vesst
saved until bond is given. The French charge
however, sent over all the abusive Mexican ART
Giles, and endorsed them, and NJ. De TocqueVill
framed his instructions and demands accordingly
4 not doubling that he had a perfeor ease, and wa
I extremely surprised when he found there was an
thing to be said on the othersid Hence, in nc
censufing NJ. Poussin he was only declining t
censuts his own act, which,, it is inferred he com
mitted entirely through mistake
Such is the last explanation, and it seems to gail
credit with intelligent men, If true; it rejects a
once all idea of design to offend ,.and dismisses
once the whole of Louis Napoleon's scheme o
helping himself to a throne by a war on the Uniet
States. But it must be confessed that it places th
French Minister Of Foreign Affairs in a light verl
different from that in which he has been commonl,
considered by Americans, He has been thought I
man of signal abhty-ap acute observer, a diaen
student, and writer of careful and profound re
search. The story above would represent him a
extremely ignorant and reckless.
We are bound to place this story with that O
Mr. Rush's dispatch, as containing something tina
may be true, but nothing upon which reliance cal
be placed in the forming of judgment on the tru
aspects of the case.
= FRoM CLEVELAND FOR CALIFoRNIA-The bar
Eureka has sailed from Cleveland, Ohio, for Cali
fornia. Her course lies through Lake Erie tn
Welland Canal, Lake Ontario, and the river S
Lawrence 20 the Atlantic . The Eureka is tn
second merchant vessel that has sailed from til
Lakes for the ocean.