Weekly national intelligencer. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1841-1869, 1853-02-05

"A new
brings the matter to the attention Of the Cuba
thorities and thereupon order issues from Artin
Galano Secretary to the Captain General and addressed
to the consgnees Of the steamer where is to be
following:
"sErrExDsR 4is2.
" If Purser WILLIAM SMITH, any other person shall in
future venture to AMERICAN PAPERS NY
RELATIVE TO THE AFFAIRS OF CUBA the having UGH
offending persons board shall be denied into the
of this island; and Mr. Smith, especially accouI
be permitted to return here under penalty Of the above CIDER
being carried into effect and the steamer dismissed the
In vain does Smith, as early the 2lst of Octo,er
deny, under oath, his connexion with the publication in
the paper above alluded to- referring to the affair of
Cuba In vain does Lieutenant Porter give eyery asa,-
that he is innocent Of the act laid to his char
The President condemns Smith, and, by an order en-
mating from his Postmaster General suspends the sendig
of the United States mail by the Crescent CITY on
ANY OTHER VESSEL WITH MR. PURsER SMITH ON BOARD
Why this? For which does not furnish in tn
opinion Of the Government, a good presumptiv,
ground for such prohibition - reads the Presidents
Message; for puncto in reference the purser Of
private steamship who to have been entirely in
nocent of the matters laid his charge so saws Mr.
Everett But is alleged that the President has pa
tently submitted to- these evils, and has continued
FAITHFULLY to give to Cuba the advantages Of those
principles of the public law under the shelter of which
she (Cuba) has departed in this case from the comfy
OF nations And why has the President exhibited such
forbearance? The only find for it is that
the Captain General, Notwithstanding is an officer APP
parently of upright and conciliatory character
Such is the assurance given by Mr. Everet and that
his conduct ESQ says the Presidency towards the steam
employed to carry the mails of the United States
Havana has, with the exception above alluded to, been
marked with kindness and hoFehsy, and indicates no
general purpose of interfering with the copmerca corr
respondence and intercourse between the Island Of Cuba
and this country
! Had the President-had Mr. Everett-forgotten what
occurrences previous to this last affair." had taken place.
which fur from exhibiting the dispositions Of the
chief magistrate of Cuba in the favorable light in which
they presented in the message Of tie President and in
Mr. Everetts letter. Had they forgtten the treatment
met at the hands of that officer by the steamship Ohio,
then commanded by Lieut. Schenck IF the United States
Navy, who refused communication with the shore,
and ordered to anchor under The guns of the Moro
Castle, while engaged in peaceful and lawful commerce.
and though charge could be laid against any person
on board of her? Had they forgotten that the Falcon
while her usual passage from Cagres Havana had
been fired into the high seas rot far from the island
and was boarded and oyerhaued under the ppant pre-
tence that the officers committing that ndignity g
norant of the character of the sttamer though she had
borne the flag and mails Of the United States hundred
times into the port OF Havana and well known to
the Spanish cruisers and authorities to American Off
GERS in the ports of New Orleans and New York; Had
they forgotten the outrage perperated the steamer
Philadelphia, while her route from Aspnwall to New
Orleans This steamer with mails and two hundred and
twenty-five passengers and the cholera board had lost
twenty persons and had many Frustrated and
lying in agony She entered the harbor Of Havana the
forenoon of the 9th of June and anchored dis
lance from the coal wharf The captain Immediately
ported to the health officer and informed him of the
diton of the Ship stating that it indispensable to her
safety and the lives of the passengers and enable him
to proceed to New Orleans to procure supplies of COAL
provisions, water, and medicines He ordered the ship
to quarantine at once, whittier she proceeded but, di
recy after anchorng and blowing off steam ordered
outside of the harbor by the captain of the port The
captain of the steamer assured him that the fires
out and that it would take time to comply with the
der The officer said that he did go the
guardshp had her orders which understood
that she would fire the steamer. As possible
the Philadelphia proceeded to the outside buoy perhaps
two miles out to The coal lighters ordered by the
any'a hta1pn
few tons taken board when the captain of the
port gave them forty minutes to complete their coaling
and watering; at the end Of which time under the
monstrances Of the officers of the and the appeals
of the suffering passengers she driven with only
small quantity of coal and of the water the lighter
with the latter being within fifty yards Of the ship at the
time. She had alternative but to abandon her route
to New Orleans and attempt to make Key West Had not
the captain the steamer been exempt from the disease
and had not the weather proved favorable the ship would
have been lost with all board Coal could not be pro-
cured at Key West; and after much delay sailing
sci chartered to take the mails and portion of the
passengers to New Orleans; the residue detained
under great suffering until extra steamer could be dis
patched by the company from New York The companys
agent through the american Consul at Havana entered
protest against these proceedings And how could the
President and the Secretary Of State have forgotten that
month after the above occurrences the Ell Dorado hay
ing left Aspinwa with two hundred and ninety passen-
gers the California mails for New Orleans and New York,
and 81 900 of bullion also ordered not to enter
the port of Havana? The health officer approached her
off the Moro and ascertaned that few deaths had
red the voyage from the Ishmus fever and that three
railroad laborers sick of that complaint but that
there had been Of cholera infectious disease
board The Captain General who is president Of the
board Of health convened the board and the result
to order the ship forthwith The captain asked to
into quarantine only long enough to suppes urg
ing that the ship perfectly healthy This request
denied The agent then desired that the ship might
remain at her station mile outside until he could dis
patch the Empire City, another Of the United States mail
steamships then in port to her assistance This
refused and all communication between the ship and the
shore nerdcted The captain Of the port then ordered
the ship in the most peremptory manner to to i'm
mediately Capt Mitchell had alternative but to obey
and to proceed to sea- destitute Of all necessares for his
voyage. The Empire City compelled soon rs pos
sbe TO follow and overtake her. and to change her
route to New York instead Of going direct to New Orleans
whittier she bound by the company contract with the
Government This case was also made the subject of
I protest by the company's agent at Havana.
Such were the dispositions exhibited by the Captain
Genera-dispostons which have conciliated to
him the good will and appreciation Of the American Gov
ernment But strange to say, while rulers here
heapng censure and condemnation the companys
sdent, (Mr Law and the officers and employees
board the mail steamers, the Captain General himself
satisfied with Purser Smiths affidavit revokng the
order excluding Purser Smith, and any vessel which
might have him board from the shores of the island
Mr. Laws course in this whole matter though made by
the object Of censure but that of spirit
ed and independent American. Conscious that no fault
could attach to the officers board of his ships
the Cuban authorities in the language Of the President
had not good presumptvc ground for the line
conduct which they had adopted he heaed not to vim
dictate Mt all risks and to maintain uniinchnpy hs
rights and the rights Of those under him. And s IL
this that he Is numerically branded in the very hall
the Senate dangerous and reckless inermedder and