The republic. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1849-1853, 1852-11-15
The Crescent City-DIr Law and his State

ments.
The opponents of the Administration are I'M
RENTING in their efforts to misrepresent its ac
ton in relation to the Crescent City affair.
We have so repeatedly exposed the inaccuracy
Of their allegations, that we have felt disposed
TO permit their subsequent statements to pass
unnuticed; believing that the country appre-
cates the motives and credibility of the par
ties engaged in the maneuvres, and confident
that the result-which is yet to come-will
justify the course pursued by the Government,
and establish the truth of all that we have
urged in its defence. The importance attached
in sumo quarters to Mr.. George Laws latest
avrrmenrs seems. however, to require yet an
other exposure Of the want Of fairness and
Fl elity which have throughout characterized
his movements IN this matter. His statement
is in this shape:
OfFicE OF lHE U. s. MAIL STEAMSHIP COMPANY,
Nav fosK Nv. 8, 1852.
Enclosed is despatch received from our agent
al New Or.ans, by telegraph. by which it appears
that while The Acting Secretary of State, C. NJ.
Conrad WAS giving to the Spanish Minister at
Washington the assurance that Captain Porter
and Purser Smith to be removed from the
Crescent City and not be ain allowed to return.
be was putting forth in the official organ of the
Adm'nistratun-the Repubic-that the Govern
ment WAS taking efficient measures to vindicate
the rights OF American citizens and the honor Of
our g. At the same time, also, he endea-
vor ng privately to have this company discharge
Purser Smith nd remove Captain Porter from the
Crescent City to the Georgia, both of which acts
the company declined doing; believing then, as
they do now, that it was casting unjust censure
81
duty to the Government, to their employers, and
to thei' country. This the object in tee-
graphing for Mr.. Roberts, the agent of this com
pany, to come to Washington; and the removal of
Captain Porter and Purser Smith insisted
upon by the Acting Secretary Of State, G. NJ. Con-
rad All these facts chow how far our citizens can
rely upon that functionary for the vindication Of
their rights against foreign aggression, and how
feeble and inefficient our Government must be.
come, II Influenced or controlled by such councils
Very respectfully, your obedient servant,
GEoRaE Law, President.
All the material points in this statement are
incorrect. We understand that MIR. CONRAD
did not inform the Spanish Minister that Lieu
tenant PORTER and Purser SMITH should "not
be again allo,ced to return" to Cuba. The
Spanish Minister was informed, however, that
Crescent City. and, for this assurance, grounds |
existed which were believed to be valid. In
regard to Lieutenant PORTER, it was known |
that ne had been irregularly transferred from
the steamer Georgia-to which he had been
originally assigned by the Navy Department
to the Crescent City ; and he had himself re-
quested to be restored to the command of the
II tLo. -.
erence to Purser SMITH, that Mr.. ROBERTS,
the agent of the company, while in this city,
had declared that it was not the intention of
the company 10 send SMITH again 10 the Cres-
cent City, and that he, too, would be trans
terred to the Georgia. If we are not msin-
formed. this declaration was made by Mr. |
R'BERTs to at least two members of the Gov
eminent. The same gentleman also stated
that SMITH went on the preceding voyage only
because The person appointed in his place had |
suddenly been seized with illness; the suppo-
sltlon OF the company at the time being that
certain documents which Lieutenant PORTER
had transmitted for presentation to the Captain
General of Cuba would have satisfied him that
his suspicious in regard to SMITH were un,
founded, and therefore that the order issued
against him would be revoked. We think
that these circumsl an ces, viewed conformity,
warranted the only communication made to
MIR. CALDERoH DE LA BARcA upon the sub
ject.
There is manifest absurdity in the idea con-
veyed by MIR. Law, that the then Acting Sec
retary Of State gave promise to The Spanish
Inns fArfh hat 1
lowed" to return to Cuba. Mr. CONRAD and
MIR. CALpERoN both knew that the Govern
ment have no control over the employ es of the
company, and no means of preventing Mr..
SMITH from going to Havana if he thinks pro
per 10 do 3d.
Paaphrasing the last sentence of Mr.. LAWS
manifesto, we may say that "all these facts
show how far our citizens can rely upon that"
gentleman for The vndcation of their rights"
and of the interests of truth; and chow feeble
and inefficient our Government must become if
Influenced or controlled by such councils"
His hllbustering predictions, not less than
certain speculative interests we'll known to II .
public, disquaiify him for the utterance of dis
passionate counsel, and render him question
ao'e witness In a case of this nature. The
miscellaneous embodied in the above despatch
prove that bis testimony is the reverse of re-
liable.
Mr.. CoNRAD's letter, published by Mr.. Law
IN connexion with this despatch, is sufficient
to satisfy any one not resolved to persist in misre
presenting the Government. 1t shows that the
Executive took immediate steps to obtain full
information concerning the Crescent City
that it then addressed communication upon
the subject to the government of Spain-that
the answer to that communication has not been
received-and that, whatever be its character,
"nelher the honor nor the interests of the
country will be neglected" The country, we
think, will regard these assurances as satisfac-
tory; all the perversions and wishes of Mr.