The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1852-02-02
RIcHMoNn. YAa
KOssUTH AND CONSUL HODGE.

kOSSUTH AND CONSUL HODGE.
We publish, on the outside page, an inte-
resting letter from Washington 10 the N. Y.
Express, with the remarks of that paper on
this subject. The statements Of the letter
writer sustain the opinion expressed by US the
other day, that there was nothing in the con-
duct of sir. Hodge, 10 justify the furious de-
nunciations Of Kossuih and his partizans. On
the contrary, the first named functionary APP
pears TO have acted with singular forbearance
throughout the whole affair. Through his in.
fuence, and much against the wishes of the
French Government, the Hungarians had been
permitted to land at Marselles, upon the ex-
press condition that they should not be dressed
IN uniform, lest their appearance in the streets
might excite the population of Marseilles, and
reproduce in that city, the terrible scenes
which had deluged the streets of Paris with
blood not more than three years before. This
condition was violated at the very outset, Kos
4suth himself appearing in dress which called
immediate attention to bis person, and bis
officers wearing their uniform. Surely nothing
could have been better calculated to excite the
draw forth a rebuke, which, however, did moi
come al that time. Through Mr.. Hodge, he
had sought TO obtain the liberty of passing
through France, and when that privilege was
denied, his next step was to send an accoun,
of the whole matter TO a journal which had
been noted for its violent hostility to the Co.
vernment. Surely nothing could have been
better calculated to excite the populace Of
Marseiiles, VIGOROUSLY the most violent, at all
times, in France and at that moment, from the
presence of an immense number of Italian
refugees who had sought shelter among them,
peculiarly liable to Inflammation. Nothing in
the world was more natural, than that the pro-
ceedings of Kossuih should have produced an
explosion, and had it done so, the American
Government would, beyond all doubt, have
been held responsible to the world, for the
blood that must have been shed.
This was the view which Mr.. Hodge seems
to have taken of the matter, and taking it, we
see not how he could, consistently with his
duty, have done less than he did. He wrote
no insoleni letter to Kossuth, so far as we have
seen. nor did he do, or write, anything that any
man who was not predetermined to be angry
could possibly take offence at. All that he
did, was TO address simple request to Captain
Long, TO prevail on him to send no more let
ters for publication, to the journal in which
those already alluded to had been published
giving as his reason, that he was thereby COM
promising the neutrality of the American flag
The whole correspondence ON this subjec,
has. been called for in Congress, and will be
published in few days. 1t is much to be re-
GREETED that such publication had not been
made at an earlier period of the session, in
order that the American people might have
seen what sort of man it is, that has come TO
their shores to lecture them upon the subject oil
American policy, and to teach them the neces.
sity of unlearning all that was taught by
Washington and Jefferson.