Green-Mountain freeman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1844-1884, 1852-02-26
The Kossuth Difficulty on the
Mississippi.

The correspondence between Kossuth, and
Capt. Long, Commodore Morgan, Consul Hodge,
&C.. in relation to the difficulties that occurred
on board the Mississippi, in which the latter
charged Kossuth with compromising our flag,
has Just been published on the call of the House
of REPRESENTATIVES. The whole difficulty, 1t
seems, arose from the honors paid Kossuth by
the people of Spezzia and MarscelIes, and his
appearance on deck to thank them and respond
to them in a manner demanded, as he supposed,
by common courtesy, together with the crime of
complaining at being restricted from exercising
these civilities by the representatives of repub-
lican America while to make his offence the
more objectionable, a letter from the French
Prefet, to Hodge, who gave it to KOssuth, found
its way into a liberal Marseilles paper. Com.
Morgan, Capt. Long, and Consul Hodge, seem,
in the love, or fear, of the despots of Austria,
France and Russia, to have been terribly alarm
ed, lest these republican but perfectly orderly
demonstrations should give offence to those pow
ers, and they SO virtually put the nations guest un-
der arrest till the ship reached Gibralter, when, in
consequence of his treatment, he rightly left it
and proceeded to England, leaving the Americans
to decide whether he or our own officers had
most compromised the American flag.
OF this correspondence, which every true A
merican must feel Inundated in reading we have
only space for a few specimens.
Commodore Morgan to Consul Hodge.
SPEzzrA, Tuesday, Sept. 20, 1881.
My DEAR CoNUL Such are the necessities
and f~railtes OF human events, that, after all, the
Mississippi will be at Marseilles within a week,
with Kossuth.
The devil seems to possess this gentleman
He contemplates leaving the ship at that place,
with his wife and children, for Gibraltar. His
determined wiifulness is unconquerable, and the
ship will speed to your city in a few days. He
is utterly ungovernable, and | am compelled to
hasten him out of the country. He is like a
firebrand. The whole bay around was illumlna-
ted last night. Bands of music surrounded the
steamer, and he always ready fol applause.
The public authorities are alarmed to utter
confusion, and they ran about the streets, having
all the appearance of somnambulists. Good
morning. In great haste,
CHARLES w. MORGAN.
John Hodge Esq, U. S. Consul, Marseilles.
Consul Hodge TO Capt. Long.
MARsEILLEs, Tuesday, Sept. 80, 1851.
DEAR SIR Last evening | received an official
letter from M. de Sulean, Prefet des Bouches
des Rhone, requesting me to call on him, on bust
ness of Importance. Judge my surprise, when
he told me that his letter to the Representative of
the United States, was published in paper
called LIE PeupIe. This is a violent p%artizan,
Democratic, rogue paper. He asked by whom
it had been done, as he avowed 1t was q breach
of confidence. | was mortified and chagrined at
seeing it in this Socialist paper. stated to him,
frankly, that on the morning after his reception,
| called on M. Kossuth, to communicate to him
the refusal of this government to let him pass
through France, on his intended journey to Eng
land, and handed to him the letter, which | had
not withdrawn. n #
Please request M. Kossuth not to send articles
to lie Peuple. while he is under the banner of
the United States, as it would appear that we
encourage an attempt to propuce an emeute, or a
serious disturbance. You will, in the most posi-.
tive manner, carry out the order of the Prefet,
and prohibit every individual, except from your
own crew, landing from the steamer Mississippi,
no matter who may be the person.
am, dear Sir, your obedient servant,
JOHN L.. HODGE,, U. S. Consul.
Marseilles, Capt. J. c. Long, u. s. Steamer
Mississippi.
i Captain Long to Conceal Hodge.
us SHIP MISSISSIPPI, Sept. 80, 1851.
MY DEAR SIR: | am exceedingly mortified
that q man, who should hold a position so high
in the world, and one whom the United States
have done so much to exalt, has 8" far forgotten
himself as to take such a course to revenge his
imaginary injured feelings on the nation that is
setting him free. Would to God he was safe
out of this ship and | trust he will never re-
turn. In my opinion, the party to which he has
attached himself will be his ruin. The first
step he has taken was his unfortunate speech in
Spezzia, which he can never recall and | think
if the Government knew as much of his course
as you and myself, they would drop him where
he is, or when he arrives on English ground.
do assure you that it is the most unpleasant
duty l was ever on, and God grant | may soon
be delivered from it, and never more be caught
in such a net again. think you had better
write Kossuth, and request him not to comprom-
lse the flag by allowing such communication
to appear in the paper LIE Peuple, which has a
bearing on his affairs. Yesterday, thinking he
was tired of hearing snch a reiteration of trash
as the people were singing, and cheering, by
his retiring from the side of the ship | politely
said, 81 think if you would withdraw, the peo.
pie would leave, and we shall be quiet" He
did for a few moments, and then returned and
made them an address in French, and afterwards
retired after some more noise they dropped off,
and all was quiet.
If he would have taken my advice, he never
would have said a word in public, but kept
quiet, until he got on other ground, and then
crowed like a cock on his own hill.
Captain Long 10 Consul Hodge.
STEAMER MISSISSIPPI, Sept. 80, 1851.
After | had written you this noon, [ called on
Kossuth, and read to him the part OF your note
commencing Articles on this affair, and the
above publication, and what has followed, he
compromised me and our flag with the Govern
ment." He replied that he had sent a letter to
a friend, and did not object to its being publish
ed. 1t was thanking the people of Marseilles
for their sympathy but if he had received your
request before he had heard of your letter, he
would not have done so. He said he would re-
] ply 10 the speech of the people, and would write
you on the subject, as his having compromised
the flag was a heavy charge | told him it re-
ferred solely to the publication of the letter, and
what followed. He said he would settle that
point with our government, either in England or
the United States. This evening there was
quite a large congregation around the ship, and
Kossuth did las he said he would) run to thank
them, which he insisted on doing, but as | did
not notice it, he may have soon returned to his
room ; so | presume my remarks to him have
had some good effect, and l presume tomorrow
the collection will be of no account. He said