The republic. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1849-1853, 1849-10-10

directed entirely against the detention OF
the Eugene, under that claim" This
averment was reiterated the next day, (see
Union Of September 30. "That point
the right of our national vessels to clam
SALVAGE is not,o said the Union, 'an-
voIped in the controversy with France"
"The French government it declared in
subsequent part Of the same article,
" did not complain of Commander Carpen-
der for claiming salvage of the Eugene.
1t complained because he, as naval Off
= Ger OF the United States, did not submit
his claim to court of competent juris-
diction, but used the naval force under
his command to seize and detain the Eu-
genie within a few miles of her port Of
destination, to satisfy private and per-
sonal claim of his own and of his crew.
Tint is the ground, and The only ground
8 Of the French complaint" Notso. The
French minister did not demand that Com
mander Carpenter should be simply cen
sured for OBTAINING the Eugene under
valid claim for salvage, but that he should
be severely censured for advancing "claims
wholly inadmissible on account Of remune-
ration for his services, and to secure their
acquittal," OBTAINING the Eugene, sc.
The object of this gross Justification, by the
foreign organ, Of the true character of the
demand made by the French minister, was
to assist that gentleman at the expense of
its own Government and of Commander
Carpenter and this is rendered plainly
apparent by the closing sentence Of the ex-
tract we. have quoted above from the Union
of the 2Sth of September. !" Commander
Carpenters right to compensation" it
argued, ''might have been clear, and yet
his detention of the vessel may have been
unauthorized" Surprising, for the sake
of argument, this to be true, still the value
of the services rendered by Commander
Carpenter to the Eugene, and the va
Iidity of the claim preferred by him, in
consequence, for salvage, would necessa-
rily be taken into consideration by every
Just and impartial man, in forming All
opinion as to whether he deserved to be
severely censured or not for OBTAINING the
vessel thirty hours in the prosecution of his
claim, and by virtue of his lien, and then
voluntarily setting her free and abandoning
his rightful claims to compensation. 1t
could have been, then, only for the infa-
nous object of serving M. Poussin at the
expense of its own government and of
Commander Carpenter, that the foreign
organ, after having, i'll the first instance,
taken the ground that the validity of the
claim for salvage constituted "the real
foundation of the whole natter" aban-
doned that ground outright, and with
shameless front urged day by day that the
validity of that claim was :" not involved
in the controversy with France"
One of the main grounds of objection
taken by the Union to Mr.. Clayton's
course, in his controversy with the French
minister, is the omission Of the former to
/" argufy" the matter with the latter. In
the Union of the 25th of September there
is the following paragraph
"But leaving the dismissal of the French minis
out of view, there is another point in the nego
tatons relative TO the Eugenie, which we fear
may occasion serious difficulties. The demand
9 of the French government that Commander Car
pender should be censured for OBTAINING the Eu-
genie under a claim of salvage, was, we are sorry
10 say, not treated with the consideration which
| was due TO a demand from foreign government
The Secretary Of State should, il appears TO us,
have submitted the demand TO the President with
view To investigation of the facts of the case,
so that the Government could act advisedly, and
give to the French minister good and sufficient
reasons for refusing to comply with the request Of
his government. But he pursued different course;
and, in doing 80, he failed 10 discharge his duty
and 10 comply ,cih the strict rules Of diplomatic Ell
qtiette."
On the 26th, the foreign organ ground
away on the same tune-insisting that it
was Mr.. Clayton's duty, "when he re-
fused to accede to the demand of the
French government, at least to assign
some reasons for that refusal, and this too,
not only as an act of courtesy TO friend
ly power, but to vindicate the conduct of
the United States, and the acts Of one of
her naval officers, from censure."
On the 2Sth, the same tune was played
over again-the Union charging Mr.. Clay
ton with not treating "the French govern
ment with decent courtesy" because he
refused to enter into an argument in reply
to the demand of the French minister for
the censure of Commander Carpenter.
Now, we humbIy submit-and in this
opinion we doubt not ninety-nine hun
dredtbs of the people of the United States,
without respect to party will concur-that
the case was one which did not call either
for argument on the part of Mr.. Clayton,
or for any investigation into the facts con-