The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1852-11-07
TIE Rights Of American CatSxsns AorO
A Model Diplomatic Note.

- - N. oorr.mc acur more than
-. :, ~. close Of thel >aeence which took
nave :. w p..s;a.nt - month, between Geo.
'aW' niq Of the United States Mail
Jump =. and Mr. Conrad, Acting Secre-
AIRY Of ssa'e Abe outrage offered to the American
dag, Id proprictors Of the Crescent City, by the
coSora authorities Of Cuba, quite fresh in the
memory Of our readers None Of them have forgot
ten how the Captain General deliberately assumed
jurisdiction over American citizen, and punished
him in Cuba, for acts committed in the United
States. We need remind no one that the gentleman
thus prosecuted partially denied the charges made
against him. Nor need we appeal to the science
Of lawyer to show that oven had the accu-
fatiOR-the publishing in tho United States OF
news collected at Havana-oeen substantiated,
it did not amount to an offence Of which any
legal tribunal IL q civilized country could nave
taken cognizsnce. Isisnot necessary that we should
explain how this atrocious net Of tyranny, though
levelled at single individual, was in reality
most injurious to the owners of a line of steam
els plying between Havana and this port, and the
passengers on board tho Crescent City.
On the 9th October, the agent of the steamship
company addressed letter to the Acting Secretary
of State, reciing the outrage, and inquring wheth
or "whilst the steamers of. other nations are al
lowed freely to enter the pors of Havana, and to
maintain their commercial relations and bust
ness intercourse unmoIested, the Cnban antho-
rites authorized TO forciey exclude or eject
American vessels and especially those employed in
the postal service of the United States, upon idle
assumptions, without contravening the treaty or
postal arrangements between the two governments
and the maritime rights Of our citizens" The let
ter re NAMED unanswered. 1t was . small matter
perhaps to the Consul, but Mr.. Law and his asss-
ciates had embarked their capital in an enterprise,
the faith Of public treaties and in full reliance on
the protection of this government, and our citizens
whose business repaired their presence in Cuba were
sorey embarrassed by the exclusion of the steamer
from Havana But, We said, these were very trang
| Inconvenience when compared with the interrap-
ton of Mr. Conrad's sken leisure, or his participa-
ten in the absorbing turmoil of political struggle
A fortnight elapsed, and the next steamer was to
sail the 9th, the president of the company again
addressed Mr.. Conrad, soliciting . reply to the
agents letter This seems to haze reused the Act
ing Secretary. Silence was, perhaps, both the most
prudent ana the least Troublesome course; but Mr..
put the matter in such slgbs that silence would
have become even more expressive tGan words hr.
Conrad was forced to say something and the fol-
lowing letter vas accordingly addressed 10 Mr.
Law =
DEPARTMENT or STATE,
WASHINGTON, October %, 1862 J
To GEORGE LAWS ESD New York
srYour letter OF the Sd instant has been received
AS intelligence ha. reached this department. from
Cuba since that which brought by your steamar. It
has of knowing the intentions OF the authorities
Of the Island Other than what you posses yourself and
cannot therefore inform you whether mails passengers
will be permitted TO land there or not IL may however
be inferred from tbs past proceedings of The authorities
that mails passengers conveyed in the steamer Cres
cent City will not be permitted TO aud chere in sase The
ndtri4a named Wtidm Smith should rsmsin on board oil
her am sir very respectfully your ooediept servant
(sigped) NJ. CONRAD, Acting Secretary.
This, we beg to assure our readers, is a bona tide
despatch, addressed by the Acting Secretary Of
State to En- American eitizsn who solicited infor-
nation which the department was bound to possess
ssd protestien which the State bound TO afford
We hardly know whether to admire the matter or
the style the most A petty colonial authority. in
a country with which we allied by the most So
Tenn treaties, suddenly, without provoeatios, ex
cludes an American vessel from Its ports; and the
Department of State does not know, aud apparently
does not saGe, anything about the matter Our
treaties with Spain are openly, VIGOROUSLY violated,
and the Department of State "saRnst inform" Mr.
Law whether the violation il acre accidental &C.
currsnce, or whether are henseforth to consider
the treaty as waste paper, and the United States at
war with Spain. There is = tone of pettish annoy
ance in the despatch, which looks as though Mr.
Conrad fanced Mr.. La, had taken an uuwarrant-
able liberty in referring to him at ali on the matter
eWhat can we tell you,' says Mr.. Conrad, 81 about
the relations between the United States and foreign
powsrsg Tho Acting Secretary of State is the last
person in the world know any thing about foreign
treaties. You may send your steamer to Havana,
or not, as you like; but really, We have tos much
to do to ascertain what is the nature Of our
relations with S2ain" The concluding sentence
81 Mr.. Conrads letter sounds more like a friendly
counsel than piece of Official inform atioa. The
Secretary cfState "can1ot inform" Er Law whether
American vessels can entsr Cuban ports, but Mr..
Conrad shrewdly guesses that as the Crescent City
had been turned out before, she would be turned out
again. That is his private opinion, and knowing,
as he did, the supneness of his government, it
entitled to every weight. If the harbor authorities
Of Liverpool the strength Of private inform ation
to the effect that Captain Censcock Captain Nye
had been heard to express decided opinions on the
nscally custsm house OF that port, were TO refuse
to allow the Collins steamers to land their mails md
passengers, Mr. Acting Secretary Coarad would, in
oil probability, tell the indignant company thai he
''eould not inform them what we're the nercis
relations between this country and Great Britain,
and would guess that the offending captains had
better rot 'try it again"
We need TO assure foreigners that eur Secretaries
Of State do not usually speak Of respectable citizens
il the impertinent language used by the Acting Sec
rotary with respect to Mr.. Smith. Mr. Conrad may
claim the honor Of having been the frs to designate,
in an official despatch worthy man Ind gentleman
as ''the individual named William Smith" If ne
to characterize this language indisputable
evidence Of the i'll breeding Of "the individual
named @. M. Conrad" the Acting Secretary would
conceive himself ill.used, and should be justly
censured for our wait Of courtesy. We should,
however, be guilty Of greater breach Of decoram
than Mr.. Conrad himself
To pass FROM these trivial matters to consider