Weekly national intelligencer. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1841-1869, 1852-02-14

i
The country should rejoice in possessing an Off
Ger who looks with sagacious intuition into the con-
sequences Of threatened events, and determines to
avert the danger in advance
Most respectfully, &C.
! W. r. SMITH
EXETER, On. H. FEBRusRY /, 1852.
DEAR SIR: have received your letter of the 9th Of
January informing g that you had called for the corr
repondence relative to the supposed difficulties which oc
Cured board the Mississippi under my command with
Kossuth off Marsees for the purpose of indicating the
dignity Of the navy, and to sustain commander &c.
While the circumstances which gave occasion to the
honorable intentions mentioned in your letter are to me
matter of deep regret allow to express you my
thanks for your readiness to vndcate the dignity Of the
navy, as well to sustain the character of officer
whose ables Efforts in the discharge Of his duty have
met with unmerited reproach.
1t should be remembered by the American people that
in the discharge of the delicate duty of removing Kossuh
and his companions to this country could have been
tuated by motive but to do it in such would
make them happy and myself respectable To have
ed any of them with rudeness neglect would have been
nhospitabe, they then board ship under my
immediate command. 1t would have been nhuman for
they detected and sorrowul the failure of their
exertions to give freedom to their nation They
exes without country, without home and had claims
Yhe prominent charge against is rudeness to Kos
suth at the time off Marseilles From the first
moment him to the hour of our separation spared
no pains to render him and his associates happy When
he first came board, he and his companions were
ceiyed by and the officers and men under my COM
mand with every expression of welcome which language
and cheers could afford On my part their welcome was
sincere; my apartments were resigned to promote
their comfort, and employed all the in my power
to divert their attention from the gloom which seemed
have settled on their prospects.
My position at Marseilies was peculiarly perpexng
and responsible did intend to be- and was not
disrespectfu to Kossuth either in my language or
My conduct such that review of it can
not regret and would not alter it.
In order to form just opinion of the proprety of my
conduct as an officer at Marsees is important
slider the strctness of my orders with reference
promise of the American ag that had been cautioned
again and again by Commodore MORGAN and others
whose opinions entitled to the highest respect the
imminent danger of compromising the nag that the
French authorities had refused allow Kossuth to pass
through France to England that he had landed
Marsee and that orders had been issued by the same
authorities that he should land again. together with
the excitement which his presence personally among the
people had occasioned at Marseilles.
In the first place, please to observe the strctness of
the general orders of Commodore MORGAN against all in
reference with the political affairs of other nations dated
April 8, 1851, from which the following is
To the careful preservation Of the good faith of
country pghted in treaty spuatons and the delicate
subject of strict neutrality claim your particular atten-
ton You will remember therefore, that the ship under
your command, WREN lying in the port sailing within
the jurisdiction of another friendly nation is guest
and for the time less under its protection AS
sured that is the wish of the Government of the United
States 1t my order that the utmost crcumspecton be
observed, particularly by the officers and of the
under m at
all times when in company conversation with the peo
pie of the nations of Europe, that they into po
ltcal discussions with them, with each other about
them, or the state of their respective countries and that
they carefully avoid the expression of any opinion which
may justify surmise that their sympathes enlisted
in behalf of or inclined towards, any particular party
nation Ii is the determination Of the Government to pre-
serve neutrality strictly, and thereby to the
friendship and continued confidence of ALL Amy devia
ton from the foregoing order in relation to this subject
will hardly under any circumstances, admit of
cuse"
In addition to the above general orders, please to OBJ
the specific orders from Commodore MORGAN
of the oath September 1851 In these orders you will
find that many doubts entertained by him whether
Kossuth would be allowed to land in France an express
sion Of regret that Kossuth had determined land at
Marseiles; apprehension lest l should encounter
many vexatons and nconvenences and then enoins on
me he most eraa observance epery particular" of the
instructions already given in general orders with re-
ference to the careful preservation of strict neutrality
without which the most serious compromise Of the char
acter Of our country is almost inevitable.
next received a letter from the American Consul at
Marseiles, JoHS L. HODGE, Esq, September 3D. 1851.
In this letter he says that he received official letter
from the Prefect," requesting him to call him on
business Of importance In compliance with this request
he called The Project" told him that the letter adj
dressed to him the representative Of the United States
was published in paper called La Peuple," violent
partisan paper and asked by whom it had been done
he viewed it breach Of confidence Mr. HopGE stated
ne let kossuTH have the letter. and that it published
BY him. The !" Project" then gave orders that one
but the officers and of the Mississippi should land
and Mr.. HODGE wrote to follows You win in the
most positive carry the views Of the Pre-
feet prohibit every individual except your men landing
from the United States steamer Mississippi matter
who may be the person"
The consequence Of the publication Of that letter, and
the upon il in the paper La Peuple" was the
imprisonment the editor of the paper and the suspen
sion Of all issues from that press further
great and very unusual excitement ameng the people,
Had no reason sir, to apprehend, in view of the cir
cumstances a compromise Of our aagf The popuace Of
Marsees manifested so much excitement while Kossuth
and his associates were shore that the Prefect
through our Consul informed that such demonstra-
tons must cease He also Withdrew the permission he
had granted through the ntercessen Of Consul HoDes
/ g nd IN and