Herald of the times. [volume] (Newport, R.I.) 1849-1856, 1852-12-02
From The National hieihgencer.
Letter frOm the President.

W. ""Ne P""iIo H'e eu"Joiiei IL t''i
the Collector OF New York, in RELY to
one ad rcssed TO him PERSONAL by that
officer. Like everything from The pen
OF The President, il is direct and explicit,
and leaves MIR. Law. the ownrr OF the
steamer Crescent City, no room 10 mis-
take h's own duty MS n citizen, or the
Presidents determination 10 maintain
the supremacy Of our laws as well as
our international obligations. TO his
PLAIN admontions the President kindly
adds some wholesome advice to Mr..
Law, which we doubt not will have the
effect to restrain him from the impru-
den, steps which he intimated 10 be his
intention TO take in regard to the diff
Guilty in which he he has unnecessarily
involved himself with tie Cuban au-
thorties.
WASHINGTON, Nov. IL, 1852.
Hon. HUcH maxwell, New York city.
Your note OF yesterday came to hand
this morning, in which you state a con-
versaiion you had with NJ. George Law,
fiom whlrh you learned that the 'Cres.
cent City will 60 to Cuba aud enter The
por, Of Havana in defianee OF the Span.
ish authority; and, # fired upon, she
will be surrrndeled, and that then ae
and others will Immediately COM
mence hos!iliiies against the island
You say, also, that 'hc desires TO know
whether he is reh' in pcrsisting in the
pursuit oi his lawful business, and ,lut
II the Government shul. tell hin, he
must net 20, he will not 60. 1t how
ever, the Government sn!s nothing
agninr, his going, he viii infer he has n
right 10 CO. You cay, also, tha, he
prolesses to be iriendly',o me and my
Administrations OF the sincerity ol'
this latter profession one can best Judge
by reading his letter OF the OH publish.
cd in the N. York Herald OF the 10Th
jns'.
But, in regnrd to the chief matters Of
your letter permit me to say, that, in
the first place, do not admi, the right
OF Mr.. Law, or any other citizen, 10
threaten n war on his own accoun, for
the purpose "i seeking redress for real
or imaginnry injuries, and then TO call
upon the government TO say whether II
approves or dsapprovcs II such conduct,
and assume its appreciation, unl," the
net 10 .orbidden.
The cons,itu, ,ion OF the United States
has vested in Congress alone the power
oI declaring war, and neither the Exc
cu,ive branch 81 the Government, nor
MIR. Law, has any right to usurp that
power, by commencing war wi'hou.
i,s authority; aud II he shall attempt ii,
i, vii! be my duty, as it ia my determi-
milton, to exer, all the power conliIed
10 the Executive government BY the
constitution and laws 10 proven,
am resolved ut every hazard 10
maintain our rights IN this controversy
I rs agalns, SPUN and am equally re-
. solved that no nc, Of our own citizens
shall be permitted to place this govern
!ment in The wrong.
MIR. Law has an undouhtcd right to
pursue his lawful business but " wh,n
the question is raised between this gov
rrnment and a foreign na ion. as TO
J whether the business which he pursues
is lawful, or pursued ma lawful manner
the decision Of that question belongs to
+, The two governments, and not 10 him.
! IIrl,e object be TO assert his right TO
'en,er the port Of Havana with sucl, per-
sons az he mny choose TO select in d. f.
nnce Of The laws and government Of
SPAN, he has certainly done enough TO
! present that question Tor the decision Of
the governments Of Spain and the Uni
ted States. The negotiation has al
ready commenced, and our rights, us We
understand them, have been asserted,
and. as l said before. will be maintain
ed; bu, the act Of this government can
not be controlled by the interference Of
any individual. and it is entirely unne-
cessary that MIR. Law should repeat
these attempts ic! the purpose OF set
Ting this controversy, and il he willully
does SO, and in SO dong violates the
laws OF n foreign nation within lis own
Jurisdiction, and thereby loses or for
feits his vessel, he can expect no indem-
nifty Tor such an ac, Of folly from this
government. We regulate the terms
and condi ions upon which all foreign
vessels: shall enter our ports, and we fix
the penalties Tor violating our laws, and
the right TO do SO we shall never suffer
to be questioned by foreigners. and we
do no, question theirs to do the same
thing. lie must wait the result Of the
negotiations between the tive govern
ments.
THIS is n question not TO be settled
between him and Cuba, nor even be-
tween the United States and Cuba, but
between the United States and Spain,
which alone 10 responsible for the con-
duct Of the Governor OF Cuba.
write IN some haste, AZ the mail s
closing but you are at liberty to make
know n the contents Of this letter to Mr..