Richmond enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1815-1867, 1849-10-05
RICHMOND, VA.
Thursday Morning, October 4. 1910.
"rHE ENoUIRER AND MR.. PoUssIN."


The Times reads Us lecture on our lnconsis'
tency in having first said thai, sit, in his onc'ai
capacity, he (Mr Poussin) has offended the no.
nor of this country, we must have ]ushce u
France al all hazards" ard afterwards, on Mon
day last, employing such language as me ioho"'
ing:
ain view OF all hi, history fine Enquirer sums
Nd in lis issue on Mundayl il is impossible maj
he should have deliberately INTENDED insult 10 our
. government ia his diplomatic course. he Is saiu
10 be VI an eXci,able temperament. II So Inc III
considered expressions ne used 10 advocating .ne
interests Of his countrymen, should De aIlriouiea
10 lha, source, rather than 10 motive al war
with MS whole lite and character. He promptly
wilhdIew The expressions objected To in one paIl
OF his correspondence; and The report OF MS
friends is that he deeply regrets The occurrences
bel ween himself and our Cabinet, IS well upon
national grounds, as upon his personal account.
In every aspect If the case, therefore, he deserves
the sympathy OF all liberal men,"
The Times, thereupon, charges US win mol
having taken ''he right Democratic cue, @neh
the Misunderstanding with Mr.. Poussin was nfs'
announced" and with 'ncw viewing The ma'er
with quite different eye" Our first 'npree-
sions were based upon The positive assertions o.
The mock.valant Taylor semi.offcial organs
such as The Philadellh ia Nor'h American;
which, we thought, would not have dared 10
misrepresent the facts, aud. unless "ihe nohof Oh
The country" had really been "cffenced," would
nc, have iadulged in such rhodomonts dc as Inc
| following:
an. de Tccqueville, the Minister OF fo!e,g1
Affairs. mus. resign; NJ Poussin must De k'cHec
| IL. oh
The administration here will moi advance an
inch or relrac, word; and il France wishes war;
and there is good reason 10 suppose she Goes, 'he
/ resnonsihiy is ON her shoulders. This case
| admits OF no diplomatic cobbng. II is ques'
ticn OF honor in which The UuiIed States cannot
abandon its high position"
We sill firmly adhere 10 what we al MS
said, ta, If The honor OF the country mas oeen
offended, We, as an humble exponent OF Inc
Democratic party, will Stand 81 the government
10 the bil,er end. We 60 farther and say, 'ha'
should war ensue, whether justly or unIus'ly,
~, ,hal make no reasonable cayiings or o.
iectiops. but will see The honor OF the country
yipdcated before We shall inquire into its origin.
gu,. while i, is admitted on almost every hand,
tina, no war ought 10 spring from this mere
poin. OF diplomatic etiquette. il is our Priv
eee and duty TO review The acts oil lhts. who
unfortunately have The control OF the national
deslinies.
After our frs, article however, The Official evil
dence was published showing that, SO lar from
the honor of The country having been assaied, The
quarrel turned on diplomatic finease and words
and tina, The bellicose psonuntiant:n'os OF the
"peace-loying" administration were NOT JUSTIFIED
BY the facts. The language u Mr.. Poussln, rs
true. was hasiy and l-considered-but when
We have The evidence of leading Taylor or.
cans, that il was not his intention 10 insult our
government, lha, be had expressed his regrets a,
the occurrence and had in vain appealed 10 our
government through the British embassy for
an explanation and reconciliation when we are
informed tho lesl lellcr OF NJ. de Tocqueville
expressed very concilia,ory sentiments and a
.,svug desiro to remov" =" A-"ou""o' -
reoard 10 M. Poussins notes, and the
character of this communication was in-
formally made known to our government
We were irresistibly led to believe That
the honor of the country was not at siaKe'
but that our rulers had made bo'ch OF Inc
whole business, and that what might have been
EASILY and promptly settled, had been blown up
through tho Taylor organs, and with the conni-
vance Of the Regency, into monsrous dIffcul-
t., calculated Gas they ooDtended) to endangef
The peace of the two countries. Some Of these
important facts are admitted 10 is credit Do II
Mid. in the N. Y. Courier, which has evinced
the most marked championship of Mr. Clayton
and opposition to MIR Pous'iu;
Major Poussn, late minister from the French
renublic at Washington, is now IN This cry,
where he will await The orders OF his government.
We know that no one reyes more lnan himseh
The unhappy Misunderstanding which has arisen
between himself and the government OF The U.
States. Having been for years an ardent ao-
mirer of lie American character and people, do
well AZ OF our political institutions, ana having
made himself familiar with Ihem during former
rrofacled residence here ne had iookrd upon an
official residence here as ii some sofl feslola-
t,on TO old friends, and TO country which ne
considered hall his homt; and he had cherished
win strong enthusiasm the hope that he would
h, able TO bring the TWO countries into silli closer
and mutually advantageous relations oil recipro-
DIAL friendship.
pre. We understand that he claims 20 nave Simply
followed the instructions ol his goVernm ,n'; "hhe
he frankly Acknowledges that his ensfe wan. Q,
familiarity with diplomatic forms, and lack OF
nroner alien.ion 10 the language and tone oil MS
corr, snondence, have occasioned the errors mo
which he has. SO much 10 his ohagrin and morll-
| fca,ion. unfortunately been betrayed. de DIS
| claims. however, in The mos, explicit ami en-
nha,ic manner, all thought OF Offering insult or
intentional disrespect TO the government. Oh .ne
| Uniled States or 10 any member OF It's executive
He expresses, also, the fullest confluence ihal Toe
sentiments of the French government ana esPes
c;aIIv of The French people, towards the unItd
S','es are of the most friendly character; and
deems il impossible that any serious or prclract-
"A Iunure should take place between me Two
We understand lha, previous 10 leaving WASH
;neton he made repeated efforts 10 have an lnler>
yiew with The President and Secretary OF S'a'e,
and that for this purpose the iIiendiy sels'ceso VI
Mr.. Champion, the British eAargs, ~ere .n'.,
nosed. They were unsuccessful, however, az
neither General Taylor nor Mr.. Clayton thought
!, proner. after the steps that had already been
lasen 10 hold any intercourse which mlgnt De-
come Of an official character with NJ. pouss'n'
The same facts have been stated 10 various
on,r,ers The Washington correspondent oil
The Charleston Courier says OF Mr. Pou'sln:
ale has left Washington in no spirit Of nm
t;ndness towards this country, It's institutions,
or his numerous friends. He distlalms al al
IN feeling towards the admins lop. oa'
h. saws Ina, be is chaerned at The soPposl-
ton that he has insulled this Government
~ insult America" he says when ! am
hall an American and when LOOK 10 At,,cs %.
has said. in private, but not confidential remark,
iha, he had done what was right but, perhaps,
wSa! was no, pomaic. He has declared here
,ha, he did not expect rapture till he saw The
Geographic dispatch in New York paper an-
nouncing his dismissal.
I'M Pcus,IN is very sincere and very en'nusias.
tic He is very clever man. AID gocd mar;
bu, do not think that 10 all respects ne mas
mild ,ess ana composure which, when he was a
member Of The family Of BERNARD. SO much dis
| snSA. = 1-~...axahax time UhPn