The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1849-06-19


not be but has received the first notice BY the
of the honorable Secretary state Of the United
faith had determined that was his bounden duty to
respect the rights Of friendly power and IL absolutely
necessary even to enforce to the very letter all the
provisions Of the laws of the United States which
passed and intended to protect those rights The note
finally states that whilst thus firmly resolved to dis
charge duty which due to Denmark the President
is equally deirous nay anxious to convince the Ger
anS spps "a his Of wishes TO
will with them and to evince most clearly the friendly
spirit which apimates him by exhibiting signal mark
of the confidence he poses In the honor and integrity
Of the undersgned to which end the honorable Secre-
tary of State authorised by the President to say to
the undersigned that the moment he Is prepared to
communicate to the honorable Secretary of State, in
writing the solemn assurance that the vessel in ques
ton, fitting in the harbor Of New York is not
designed and intended be- and will not be- employed
by the German government against any power with
rance on the part Of the undersigned will be deemed
and taken by the President a sufficient pledge and
security to remove all doubts from his mind, and to
justify him In suffering the steamer to quit the port of
New York, and to proceed, without interruption or
hindrance to- her destination whatever that destina-
ton may be; 1t being distinctly understood that the
said steamer, whilst the property of the German
government or of her agent shall thus proceed in her
true character Of q German vessel
The undersigned, duly approaching the confidence
which the President places in him. will 3 hms self the
honor to answer the note of the honorable Secretary
of State without reserve, and with all the frankness
which he trusts has characterised his conduct during
the whole Of this affair In the struggle of the
people of Germany for legal liberty and unity the
sire to have navy in order to protect their commerce
and navigation it bcLooves great nation has from
the beginning of the movement cuped prominent
place among the objects Of national interest For that
purpose, the National Assembly of Germany. after
their meeting voted a large sum of money and the
Central Power Of Germany immediately took the
sary steps to effect that object. Vessels of
ordered to be built and to be purchased, and prov-
sional navy department was established. 1t was but
natural that Germany being In so many respects, ST.
milarly situated the United States when they con-
verted their conlederacy of States into federal GO
vernment, should in ehecting her new organization,
look to the United States for aid and advice. The
Central Powe hailed with the most lively satisfaction,
the mission of Envoy of the United States to Frank
FORT and Of the first requests submitted to that
functionary. was to secure from his government tho
temporary services of number Of United States naval
officers in building up German navy. The then Pre-
sident Mr. Polk. up.n being informed of this desire
of the German government, by the United States Mi
mister in the month of December of last year. sent
Commodore Parker to Germany, to obtain correct in
formation in detail as to what was desired, that it
| might be determined whether he would ask authority
from Congress to allow of the United States navy
officers furlough to engage in the German service.
1t is matter Of regret that Commodore Parker in
report to the Secretary of the Navy Of the oath Of
January, thought fit to dissuade the government of the
United States from permitting its navy officers to enter
the German service But it is not little surprising,
that notwithstanding his report Of the Oath Of Janu
airy, he did not hesitate STILL on the 25th of January
to accept a commission from the German Minister Of
Commerce and Of the Navy, to submit to the govern
ment Of the United States the request to permit
large number Of the United States navy officers tempo
rarily to enter the German service.
Commodore Parker was also informed that it was the
or war in the United States and Was
at his suggestion that the undersigned instructed
by his request the Secretary of the Navy
of the United States to designated United States navy
officer to assist the agent sent out for the purpose of
purchasing steamer in selecting the vessel to take
equipment of her, to engage and the necessary
number of competent officers and when ready to take
orders Of the German government letter was
cordingy written by the undersigned on the 18th Of
shosS 'hs
munication Of the LIST Of March to the undersigned,
declined to order an American navy officer to assume
the command of the steamer still he did not hesitate
on the 2Sd Of February to issue an order to the
mandant Of the United States yard at New York
to afford the necessary facilities in the preparation Of
| the steamship United States q war steamer
It was necessary go fully to enter into all these de-
tails in order to the honorable Secretary Of
State that from the very beginning there has been no
secrecy whatever In this matter the part Of the
dersigned or Of his government. It was not only as
the note Of the 10th instant says, generally believed
and Known that the steamer United States was des-
tined fer the naval service Of the German empire but
the United States, and the latter did hesitate to
grant the desired facilities in fitting the steamer out
The undersigned learns with surprise from the homo.
rabe Secretary of State Of the United States that this
war vessel was really designed to be employed by the
central power Of Germany In the contest with Denmark
The informers of the President must indeed other
or better information than the undersigned himself
possesses The real object in purchasing the vessel
has been stated in the letter of the undersigned Of the
18th Of Februbry to the Secretary of the Navy of
United States Mr. Mason IL is that the vessel shall
be taken to Bremerhaven which is destined for the
German naval station the North Sea, there to re.
ceive the further orders Of the German government
When the purchase of a war steamer in the United
States for the German government ordered, the
war with Denmark was suspended by armstce: that
armstice has been prolonged until the 18th instant,
and there is strong for hoping that peace will
by this time have been concluded There certain.
! ly possibility, when the steamer purchased of
the recurrence of hostities with Denmark but this
and other steamers would have been purchased without
reference to ga war with Denmark or with any other
have navy. And If in carrying out that determine
ton the central power Of Germany turned its atten-
of the latter to send its officers to Germany assist
organizing the German navy If it sent to the United
1t meant to pay compliment to the United States,
and by no means to involve this government in diff.
euties and to violate Its laws. The undersigned has
from the beginning been Of the existence of the
act of Congress Of the Goth Of April 1885, and great
has been his desire to strictly within the
prescribed by those laws which he is we'll the
President like every other citizen of the United States
Is bound to observe, that he has not only in verbal
and with the Secretary Of the Treasury expressed
HIMSELF but he has through the agents of the German
government commissioned with the purchase of the
vessel obtained the professional opinion of dstin.
guished member Of the New York bar which was given
on the I'd instant, in the following words -
Even II the vessel fully furnished fitted out
and armed she would not in my opinion, come within
the provisions of the act of Congress of April TO- 1S1s
cruising committing hostilites-that is to saw. in
Offensive naval operations the subjects ct.
zens, or property of some foreign Prince, State &C.
understand from your verbal statement, it is not in
tended that this vessel shall be employed even after
she shall reach her foreign destination and when fully
| equipped, in any such offensive operations
In lifting out and arming vessel it is certainly
always the intent to her for purposes at some
future time should occasion require it. But such u
terror attempt is not made criminal by the act Of Goth
april 1919 1t would otherwise have been much sim.
pier once for all to prohibit the building and arming Of
men OF war to every one in the United States except
to the government The intent meant by the law is
therefore the proxmate and immediate intent and the
intent which IL made criminal is the intent to cruise
and commit hostilities against power at peace with
the United States which evidently refers to hostes
OF an aggressive and not Of defensive charac-
Ter II the vessel had been fitted out with intent, i'm
medistey upon leaving port of New York to cruise
and commit hostilities against Danish ships wherever
they might be met the law would be vioated but such
is not and never has been the intent The
can most positively and soemnly assure, and does
hereby assure the honorable Secretary of State of the
United States that the steamer United States has not
been purchased or fitted out with intent to cruise or