The daily union. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1845-1857, 1852-11-23
,.., Of the crescent city Aspect OF A fairs

q, tbe Crescent City Aspect OF fairs
,elegraphc despatch announces the arrVai OF 'ne
c...csnt Civ which was looked Tor win 90 mucn
,a.rsst The Crescent City was permitted TO iana
H. nails and ssagers at Havana, but olhciai nouce
given ,ha, she would not be again allowed 10 40 so
,pa,.s Smith should be on board. To this notification
na;o Davenport replied that Parser Smith would be
ho.,a The Crescent City when she returned, and the
Sa.,i.h authorities must be responsible Tor the conse-
~ denyior TO her the privileges OF the port.
~ soan;sh authorities in Havana have heretofore
ma, they would be willing TO recede IRON the po-
zion which they have taken with regard 70 fa'Set
S.;h \ he would say that their suspicious with regard
! him we're unfounded This fact proves that the Span
;b authorities had substantial ground Tor their nos
,,v to puser Saith, and that their conduct originated
i mere caprice. without adequate foundation.
Hinder the pressure OF necessity and IN It's own proper
defence nation may close ills ports TO obnoxious persons
bu il cannot properly take such course without ade
ooate cause, which il must make known 10 the gov
eminent whose citizens subjects have been denied the
lsves derived from international comfy treaties OF
,m;,v and commerce When such prohibitions are made
i violation Of treaty eng agements from caprice,
when mere pe,ex, is urged in justification OF such pro-
ceedings agraa wrong committed, and The nation az
yeyed owes il to itself and TO its citizens to redress that
wrong This reasoning would apply il the Spanish au-
hortjes had conened themselves with simply forbid
ding purser Smith land al Havana and applies with
ION fold force when host OF other citizens OF the Uns
sd States are wronged aud outraged by refusal TO per-
mi, the Crescent City 10 land her mails and passengers
bscapse the purser of that ship abors under the susp
cions Of the captain general-suspcions which vr
,,ad hava ms
Ca the 2lst OF October, Purser Smith went before
limited States commissioner for the district of New York.
and under oath denied the truth Of all and singular the
allegations and supicions against him urged by the
Soansh authorities in Cuba in justification OF their
course towards him. The affidavit containing that de-
NAL must have been known 10 the capain-genera when
the Crescent City al Havana her last trip, and
when her commander received official notification that
The privileges OF the port should be denied 10 her her
return il she had Purser Smith board. Why, then,
this change OF policy The Spanish authorities have
not eny expressed willingness 10 permit the Crescent
City to land her mails and passengers if Purser Smith
would say that the suspicious against him were inbound
ed but to permit Parser Smith himself to land-why
then, is the Crescent City notified that her mails and
passengers will be excluded her next trip il Purs
ser Smith is board, although that officer has made
affidavit denying the allegations against him We ask
again, why this change of policy' The only answer
which we can give is that the pursued by the ad
minsraton has emboldened the Spanish officials take
stronger ground, and to heap greater ndgnes upon
than they had at first veniured.
The administration has acknowledged, through it's
gan in this city. the doctrine tina, suspicion is suf
fcsnt to Justify the Spanish officials in excluding an
and 4 tals tba hroaI
ground that is not incumbent those officials JUS
tify their suspicious, but the American citizen 10
prove that they are unfounded. This the language OF
the Republic 80 long the authorities oil Havana
slider that their grounds OF suspicion against him IPur
ser Smith are valid neither he nor We complain.
They 10 be satisfied OF his innocence, and he must
abide by the consequences Of the suspicion until the
evidence adduced be sufficient to it," Now, we
maintain that every citizen OF the United States has
the right not by International comfy, but by actual
treaty spualons TO land on the island OF Cuba in The
prosecution OF business or for pleasure right which
cannot be taken IRON him on the mere suspicion OF
illegal conduct II one Of our citizens. while in Cuba
should give just offence 10 the local authorities by
such conduct he must be tried and punished accord.
ing 10 the provisions Of the treaty Suspicious will not
answer; evidence must be adduced, and the fact OF
violation OF law must be proved. When Parser
Smith was suspected OF illegal conduct the captain
general might properly have warned hin not 10 come
again within his jurisdiction and them il he should dis
regard that warning BY landing at Havana the suspicious
Of the capain-genera would have to be judged Of by
legal tribunal under the treaty. and then fixed and con-
hrmed BY evidence before he could be deprived OF any
oil the rights enjoyed by other American citizens
The doctrine upheld by the organ OF the adminis,ra.
honis monslrous II only sbandons our citizens, bat
yedsup all the rights secured 10 by the laws OF ma.
lions asd by treaty with Spain, TO the caprice of
Spanish officials When such doctrine appears in
me columns Of the administration organ, i is not a
violent presumption TO suppose that the Secretary OF
State has held SIMILAR language 10 the Spanish minister
at Washington; and that the fact having been made
known TO the captain general OF Cuba has emboldened
him to rerace his steps and reoccupy the ground he had
once abandoned, by declaring that the mails and passen
gers Of the Crescent City shall not be landed hereafter
while Purser Smith is on board of her II the captain
general carries out his threat, he will commit great
outrage lie has no right TO prevent the landing Of the
mails and passengers any such preex as mere susp
cons against her purser acknowledged 10 have bu, little
foundation TO sustain them and IL he should undertake
70 exercise such right, great wrong would be inflicted
on our nation. We have no doubt that the truck
ling course Of the administration eagerness which
y manifested TO defend the Spanish dominion in
Cuoa-is dread OF any enlargement OF our ter