Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, Va. [W. Va.]) 1852-1859, 1852-11-30

) 81 City. AH - FsR
Asthe presses in the interest Of Mr.. George Ldw
in their efforts nisrepr the position
Of The Administration in refereneeto the conduct
of that gentleman, and his management of the
Crescent City, we have obtained permission to
publish the following copy of private letter adj
dressed by the President to The Collector Of New
York. ST. Fillmore. it will be seen, expresses the
determination we have always attributed to. him,
TO maintain the Eights-Of. the country as against
Spain, and at the same time to bring into play the
full powers Of the Government, torestrain all law
lessness, and all attempts at lawlessuess, on the
part ofany of our citizens: w
ss..l &, WAsuNeToS, November 10, 1852.
Hon. HuoHiMAxwELL, New York city. ~ .
Your note of yesterday came to hand this morn
ing, in which you state conversation you have
had with George Law, from which you learn
ed that .tthe Crescent City will go to Cuba, and
ENTER the portof Havana in defiance Of the Span
fish authority; and if fired upon, she will be sur
rendered and that he and othels will immediate
'ly commence hostilites against the Island.", You
say also that "he desires to know whether he Is
night in perssting in the pursuit of his lawful bu-
sineSS and that the Government shall tell MN ne
must not go, he wilnot go. II, however, the GOV
'ernment says nothing against his gong' ne WIZ m
a
'professss t. beffiendly to me and my adminiStra-
tion Ofthe sincerity this latter profession one
can best Judge, by reading his letter OF the 9lh'
published in the New York Herald OF the 10Th III
stant.; u S9tl ~ ~. 49, LAT r
Butin regard to the chefmatter of your letter, per-
init me to say, that in the first place. do not admit
the right of Mr. Law any other CITIZEN TO threat
en- war on his own account Tor the pur pose OF see.
king redress from real or imaginary injuries anu
then to call upon the Government to say whether
tapproves or dRipproves of such conduct, and as
sure its appreciation. The Constitution ofthe Uni
ted States has vested in Congress the power oil de
claTing war, and neither the Executive branch
the government, nor Mr. Law, has any right to uSurp
thaspower by commencing war without its author-
ty, and If he shall attempt it, it is my duly ana IL
is my determination to exert all the power confer
red on the Executive of the Government by the
Constitution and the laws, to prevent II. am re-.
solved, at every hazard, TO MAINTAIN our nghlS III
this controversy, against Spain, and am equally
resolved that no act OF our own cItlzens ShaH De
permitted to place this Government IN the wrong.
Mr.. Law has an undoubted right TO pursue ms saw
full business; but when question is raised between
This Governmentand foreign nation, as 10 wheth
er the business he purSues is lawful, or is pulsuet
in lawful manner, the decision OF that question
belongs to the two Governments and not TO him. ]
the object be to assert his right TO enter the port
Havana with such persons as he may choose to sc
lect, in defiance of the laws and government
Spain, he has certainly done enough to PTesen
that question for the decision of the Government
Of Spain aud the United StateSi and the negoda ,
ton has already commenced, AMI our rights as W.
understand them, nave been asserted, and as
said before, will be malntained but the act OF I'LL
Government cannot be controlled bv the interior
ence Of any individual; and it is entirely unneceS
sarv that MIR, Law should repeat these attempts TO
the purpose Of settling this controversy, and u III"
wifully doesso, aud in so doing violates the law
of foreign nation within its own jurisdiction, am
thereby loses or orfeits his vessel he canexpect III
indemnity for such an act of folly from this Gov
ta1nN mi RON 10,
upon which all foreign vessels shall enter GU
ports, and we fix the penalties for violation (
laws, ami the right 10 do SO we shall never sui
fer 10 be questioned by foreigners, and we do no
question theirs 10 do the same thing. He mus
watt result Of the negotiations between tie tw
Governments. This is a question not to be settles
between him ond Cuba, nor even between th i,
United States and Cuba, but between the Unitc'
States and Spain, which alone Is responsible iOD
the conductof the Governor OF Cuba. 3
IW rite in some haste, as tile mail is closing; bu
you are at liberty to make known the contents G
this letter to Mr.. Law, and TO Inform lin, that as;
good citizen presume he will not attempt any VIC
latiUn of our neutrality laws by attacking Cuba
am, truly, yours, I'M EEI
(Signed) WILLARD FILLMORE.
We understand-and it is due to Mr.. Law tosa
-tnat, when appHzed OF the contents of the abov.
letter. lie remarked that his intentions in relation
TO making war upon Cuba had been misunderstood
by Mr.. Maxwell.
The subsequent course OF the Crescent City
guided, it is presumed, by the instructions OF tn
steamship company, has forced upon the Govern
ment further action in the premises. Passed Mid
shpman Davenport has been removed from til
command Of the steamer; and we believe that
other officer of the navy will be permitted to entC
the serviceof the company SO long as its manager
adhere to their present practice Of converting tn
visits Of their vessels into source OF annoyanc
to the Spanish officials. With the view of PR
venting repetition of the injury which the failur
TO ensure the delivery of the Havana mails inaic
upon the mercantile classes of Cuba and of GU
own country, the Postmaster General has directe..
that the mails shall not be again dispatched in Il
Crescent City, or in any other of the company
steamers which may have PurserSmith on board
In that case the mails will be transmitted TO Charles
ION, and thence by the steamship Isabel to Cubo'
The Crescent City will thus be stripped OF all sem
blance OF official character OF patronage. If MI
Law chooses to retain PuSer Smith on board, tn
Crescent City will sail as private steamer, CON
manded by a merchant captainIand having no Pre-
tence TO claim immunities or consideration as
agent Of the Government. The authorities {
Cub. may deal with it as with any other vesse
violating their local laws and regulations and tn
consequences will rest upon Mr.. Laws head. Gu
Government will stand acquitted by Spain and b
this country of all participation in conduct that
calculated and designed 10 annoy one and to in
crease existing irritation in the other.
In doing this, the Administration does not pre-
vent Mr.. Law from the ''pursuit of his lawful bu
siness" Other merchants and ahip-owners expe
rience no difficulty in their intercourse with Ha
vana. They go and come without injury or noles,
tation and they nevcrdream of calling upon thei
Government to protect them from the police regu
lations of Havana, or to wage war against spai
because her Cuban representative deems certai
precautions necessary to the maintenance of peac
on the island. If Mr.. Law were content with til
of