New-York daily tribune. [volume] (New-York [N.Y.]) 1842-1866, 1849-09-20
VOL. TX. EO 10.


ttl lNc Iftrcb Guosssf1of. As ire MaNer l-
the topic Of the day, we give the article entire.
though We have 10 belief that anything like war
will grow out o. the alteration. 10 MATER what,
Louis Napoleon Il Co may secretly desire. Says
the Courier
Our city electrified yesterday morning BY TIE
Intelligence that Major polssin TIE Minister Of the
French Republic bad been dismissed ~ the presi.
dent sr1 that his passports had been rendered 20 n.
Private advices received during TIE forenoon confirmed
the announcement which ~ fret ID the shape only ~
rumor and vas not generally credited IT, eject upon
me stock market was very apparent and decided, a.
tnlied states securities iel from hsif - on, per
cent and other stocks 10 proportion Tho most absurd
rumors were current Gu.ng the Day the o.;
tnls most serious and startling event. Our inior-
nation enables Us % isy before readers detailed
and reliable account Of the whole sdr The facts, Ne
need scarcely remark show that our Government
would have failed 10 ts hrst snd impressive duty
that n defending and maintaining the honor Of the
courtry-had 10 failed % adopt the prompt and ener
-elic measures which nc have now % announce.
me french Minister 10 alleged tO have used language
oi ins1rersoie Incidence toward our Government not
ohy once, Dut repeatedly and this insult, Instead Of
being cisavOweo and st0ned for. has been grossly
aggravated - the Government ii which be IL the
accredited agent During the progress OF the Mexican
war frencnman In Mexico named Porte, purchased d
q1anuiy Of tobacco which had been seized and cola BY
agents o. the American army wing u private
property and as such subject the rules Of The
i-cis Of the purchase coming % the knowledge Of Col
Chids, the commanding officer, be imIne dstey caused
the tobacco 20 be restored 10 s proper and the
purchase money % be- refunded h. Porte commission
was Immediately appointed, composed q oiAcels Of
the Army 10 Investigate the matter. and having done
so II sustained Col Cnilds IN the action he had taken
This decisiou sent 70 Gen Scott, BY whom % was
confirmed
Thus ended the after At that time But in February
last Major POussin presented 20 Mr. buchanan, then
Secretary o State, claim behalf Of Porte for dam
ages 10 the amount Of the difference between the price
10 which he mad purchased and that Al which he had
IA a.. aIa.s..
Iy convened before which Colonel Childs YVES surn
moned witness. lie testimony was the main evil
dcnce before The Court ard decision rendered
unanimously that the claim uDiounded. This de
cisOn transmitted 20 the State Department, but
before any final action taken upon the cese, Nr.
Buchanan went out Of Office. Mr. Clsyton gave 1t bic
attention very after taking bic sea; A. Secretary Of
state, and alter due examination irfned The decision
and Ia answer 20 note Of inquiry from the French
Minister conveyed 10 him bis approval Of the verdict
aud bis refusal 70 allow the claim.
To ibis letter Major Poussn replied in very naughty
tone, charging Col Chlds as he had frequently done
before ia conversation, with the bssest motives, init
mating that he had p1jured himself under tseir inna
ence, and using other most offensive and nsulung Ian
gusce At the time ths letter received At the State
Department, Major Poussin was Immediately spprzcd
10y the Secretary Of State that his presence at Wash
ington was necessary. On repairing thiihcr and cell
Ing ~ the State Department bis letter PRODUCED
and he told that although such privilege was en-
lrey out Of the ordinary course and was 70 be deem
ed special favor, prompted by the earnest desire o
tLH Government OF inc lfiff states 70 prevent
Misunderstanding with the French Minisier-he was At
liberty 10 u.hdraW 10 modify the document or %
replace II In the archives OF the Departmental be-
ght see 10. lie offered 10 argue the naIier and to
defend the propriey OF the charges be hsd made and
the language he had used but he Informed 10y the
Secretary that the President did deem the point
one for argument et ALL II was matter Of etiquette,
aud be bad only 10 decide whether he would Withdraw
the letter or permit It to be placed on e Major Pous
sin then withdrew the letter and erased some Of us
most offensive expressions He then again transmitted
1t 10 the State Department and II plsccd on file
And here II WAS supposed that all difficulty would enc
SOOn however another csse occurred IA which the
action of the French Minister made 1t evident that the
discourtesy with which he had treated our Govern
ment oxcusable the ground Of inadyerience.
The circumstances OF this case these;
During the Mexican war Commander Carpenter IN
command of the slOop-o war IfuNton forming part ol
the L $ blocksdng squadron Of the barO0r of Vera
Cruz was called upon by the captain of the French
bark Eugcns 20 rescue her from pwrcck Ne che hai
struck upon reef Afer strenuous and lSoorous eX'
ertons, the part Of himself and his crew ne sue
ceedCd In doing and presented 10 the ca tain OF the
Euecnia his claim for the legal amount OF salvage
The Captain refused topsy IT, and Commander Carp,n-
tel thercupon restored the vessel which ne had de-
tanned from the time of eecuug her rescue but thirty
urs-sbandouing his claim. His conduct In the mat
elected the decided appreciation OF Mr. CLIFFORD the
American Minister, 10 whom u was siterwafd sub
mited
The French captain. however complained OF the
treatment which he sud his vessel had been SUBJECT
ed by the detention and the French Minister addressed
note the Secretary of State, representing that the
French flag had been grossly insuted and doinanohs
the punishment by dismissal otherwise. OF Com
msndcr Carpenter Nh. Clayton. deeming the matter
one Tor the action of the Navy Department referred II
TO Mr. Preston, the Secretary who procured from
Commander Carpenter a detailed statement OF AL the
facts Of the case This statement, with the Accompa
nying evidence transmitted by Mr clayton 20 inc
French Minister accompanied by snote expressing The
hone that would be from the documents taAt DO
ofenss was intended and that II would prove entirely
satisfactory to the French Government
Instead Of submitting these documents 10 the French
Government, the Minister wrote to the Secretary oil
sste letter in which he characterized the action OF
the Drpartm the sube ctin highly offensive terms
and said that he was very sorry 20 tnG ne AmSloaN
Gorernnfnf 50 suriy bsens6s 70 The agAi'y ana 50 q
n0rdHf Of tst aftsfs ~ as Hdrtht seriee ds " rae '
nself % be "a this transaction
To this insulting note reply was made. by the
President direction the whole correspondence was
Immediately transmitted 10 Mr.. Rush our minister 81
the French Court and he Was instructed 70 LAY De-
e,re the French Minister icr Foreign Affairs ani iae
President and 10 ask their attention 70 tne
which their Ambassador had seen NJ 70 use ne VS.
not directed 70 ask any reparauon or any 0e"s. ~
their Minister but simply 10 Call tne s1iehuVu "a .o
Cove eminent 10 the language IN which the dispatch W.
couched No doubt. of course was enter ,Hineu ms
immediate and voluntary reparsuon "ou.u - - A.
Mr. Rush accordingly laid the whole mstter before "a
40 Tscoueve the Preach Minister Tor Foreign Nnafs
He examined the msiter. and ~ dipateA aoStvsst"
10 Mr. Rush and transmitted by him 10 V1r uo'ei''
ueut stated that the French Executive sax 10 oees-
r ~ rior and thai Acrs had srdC7ty be rNsseesso's
rtr-qiu1t;on and rsarsed fgnifs sorH sides-tnus
seeking TO divide the responsibility aud directly u
cupdffne G0rerRmcnf' TT, ..
M dspatch a. soon AZ received. submitted to
Gen Tsylor who directed that no iurthrf
CORES pOndence should be held WITH the french NH,
.ter and 0rsd Ais passports % b a oHc< naSt 'A %.
piscsd a, he disposal Al the same tine, the SeeFeisy
of State under Gen TsylOrs direction wrote 70 PIT
Rush 10 inform de Toccueyille. The French Nihi'ieI
for Foreign Affairs that his opinion upon the eunoSe'
~ the American Government had not been solicited
that action and not criiclsm, was what hsd oevn eN
neced from him and tina, before this dispatch saoel
reach him. Major PCgssns passports Would cave ooeD
placed q, his disposal - p...-,
Accordingly on Friday night last MAJOR foussln
passports were prepared, and on SATURDAY toey See
transmitted 10 the Legation IA Washington HAlo.
poussiu MAS Al that time this city snd wss preseh'
ON Monday evening al the Art iesiivA wneie ue
responded 10 compl mentSry toast oterta IN noau4
OF The Minister II the " French RepuoAc No'nIs
could have been In worse taste than such an scL ns
hsd been aware # his dismissal And u must be sun
GENTLY obvious that be have been eulPsosy mat
tent,ye 10 the affairs his Mission 10 allow so import
ant a document as his own peremPiosy dlsfn'ssA' oy
the Government to which he was accredited 10 re II
his oihce only eleven hours distant from nc PSI
where he wss visiting. from Saturday morning NM
Tuesday morning without the least inumsnon as ~ rs
consenis-ani that. too, upon the eve OF the
OF q steamer for Europe.
We understand, however that up 10 YESTERDAY N.ei
noon he had no krosledse OF tee matter exeePt "HW
h. hsA derived from public rumor HE !eit tns elsy
ve.,-riay in the siteraoon train for Washington