Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, Va. [W. Va.]) 1852-1859, 1852-10-21
The .rescent City Affair.

1
the following account of the difficulty between
Capt. Porter and the Havana authorities. caused
| by the continuance of Mr.. Smith as Purser OIL
board that steamship:
AS the Crescent City approached the port, the
Captain thereof met her at the mouth OF the liar'
Dor, and made motions to her MOTTO enter THESE
| were dsregarded and the steamer STOOD IN. Inc
Captain of the Port then ordered Capt foLtef
verbally 10 'heaye 10 at the mouth OF the haIbol.
Capt Porter disobeyel this order, as It was blow
ing half gale ofwnd at the time, and he thought
it useless waste OF time TO remain outside the har-
Dor. The steamer accordingly proceeded 10 me-
anchorage, having refused 10 take pilot, as the
wind was blowing hard to stop the ship for that
After the steamer was anchored, the Capt. Of
the Port came alongside, and asked why she had
| not stopped outside of the harbor when he hadgY
en- the order Capt. Porter replied that it was not
q 81 nlnce TO stop ship under such circumstances
as he would be- risking his ship by so doing. He
| had, therefore, refused to obey the order given.
| Capt. Porter was then asked for the steamers
ARTICLES When the Captain of the Port ascer-
tanned that Mr.. Smiths name was on Them he in
formed Capt. Porter that the Captain General or
dered the Crescent City to sea Immediately.
| Capt. Porter refused to obey until his mail pas
sengers were landed, or the responsibility OF not
landing them was assumed by the Spanish authori-
ties He was told by the Captain OF the Porttiiat
the passengers for Havana would have to so to sea
with the Steamer, but the officer from the post-ofiicc
!
fused todeliverth mails until it was decided wheth-
er the steamer was to go to sea or not.
Capt. Porter informed the Captain of the Port
that he would not move his ancher until he had
mede formal protest TO the Captain General
against such Treatment. The Capt of the Port
consented to take it and present it to the Captain
| General. I...g aE-s5.s Il ss-l.
In half an hour the protest was returned. The
Captain General refused to receive any communi-
cation direct from Capt. Porter, but said he would
rsreiye II fhrpuph the American Consul. The
protest was accordingly sent 10 the Acting Consul
Mr.. Moreland.
During this time the shore boats and those of the
various port officers were lowering around the ship
at distance, aw ating the final result. After sun
set the Captain of the Port came along side and
informed Capt. Porter that the protest had TO be
sent distance to reach the Consul, it was too
late TO answer it that night. The ship was there
fore ordered to put to sea.
| "You refuse to receive the mails and passen-
gers?" said the Captain. "No communications OF
any kind allowed" said the Captain of the Port.
Capt. Porter, having done all that was necessary
and finding no prospect OF getting Iid OF ms passen
gers, besides having laid his protest in the matter
before the Spanish Government, and left the re-
sponsibillty of this outrage with them and put to
sea- The authorities sent him pilot which he re-
fused to receive, and at O'Clock passed the Moro
on his way out. The Spanish officer, Don Guila-
ma Chacon, who conducted this business, behav cd
throughout with great courtesy and politeness ex-
hibiting feeling, but showing evidently that he
had an unpleasant: duty to perform. The following
is Capt. Porter's,
Whereas the Spanish authorities in Cuba have
issued an order to prevent the entrance of the IT,
S. mail Steamship Crescent City into the port OF Ha-
vana, TO which the said steamship is bound III pur-
suit Of her legitimate business 10 offence having
been committed on the coast of Cuba against the
laws of Spain by the officers or crew OF SAID vessel
and the said order being in direct contraventlon of
the treaty between the two countries, do there,
fore, strongly protest in the name of the United
States Mail eamShip Company, whose Interests
respect and also in the name of the Government OF
the United States, whose officer am, against pro-
ceeding so arbitrary.
The Spanish authorities in Cuba, for eXiTaorii-
nary course taken by them, profess TO hold The Uni
ted States Mail Steamship Company responsible for
newspaper articles published in the United States,
and which are alleged to have been written by the
purscr of the Crescent City.
1t has been distinctly declared by me, though no
such declaration was called for my part, that
Mr.. Smith the purser, had no agencyin composing
or publishing any such articles. protest against
the United States Mail Steamship Company being
held responsible for the publication of any articles
in the newspapers of the United States, as such
matters are wholly beyond the control Of said Com
pany, well of the officers of the ships connect
ed Herewith.
The press OF the United States acknowledges no
direct censorship from any quarter whatsoever and
is answerable only to the laws OF the Government.
/ protest against an American citizen and an ttii-
Ger of this ship being held responsible for any such
publications, and being treated with personal dis
respect. Such conduct is unworthy OF nation
that processes to have attained the highest degree
of civilization.
protest against the non omission Of this ship
into the harbt of HAVANA, it is deep injury to
the United States Mail Steamship Company who are
thereby disabled from complying with their con
tract to the Government of the United States, and
which Company, have already received most seri
GUS injuries from the hands of the Spanish Govern
ment by having their ships driven out of the har-
Dor of Havana. Respectfully submitted.
DAVID d. PORTER, Lieut. U. S. Navy.
Commnnd ing u. S. Mail Steamship, Crescent City.
To the authorities of Cuba. Oct. s, 1852.
qJ-The New York Times has few remarks upon
'Fillibusters in New York." from which we extract
the following:
There are more, we should judge, than two thou
sand men and boys in New York, drilling for Cuba,
or some other field of fame. They vex the streets
with intolerable brass, from morn to dewy eve
The spirit stirring drumstcks Of corps salute us
at this present writing. They dress in Sombre
weeds, either in allnsion to the desperate cause
upon which they have adventured; or because
black is deemed appropriately piratcal. They
would have continued to pass, perhaps, for mere
holiday soldiers had not this capital charge inyeS-