Richmond daily times. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1853, 1853-03-25
Mr. Rives 10 Mr.. Webster
LEGATION OF THE UNITED STATES,

Mr. Riues 10 Mr.. Webster
LEGATION OF THE UNITED STATES,
PARIS, March 81 1852.
Sir: received few days ago, your despatch
mo. 4O) of the 9th instant, informing me that
NJ Snrtiges had that,lay called at the Department
of Stnte, and said that there express
sons in one of my dispatches relative to the last
revolution in France which might be construed ns
an interference in question purely domestic in
its nature; that he added he presumed it was rot
my intention TO use language capable of such an
Interpretation. and that he did not specify the
phrases to which he referred. You proceed to
say:
Il assured him you were TOO well acquainted with your
duties and with the rights Of the French authorities
to mean to call in question. by implication, the
manner in which those rights had been obtained and
that would address this letter you and authorize you
read NJ de Turgot and to him that in anything
which may have been said done, either by yourself
or me- the juncture referred to nothing in
temptation dsrespectfu to the President of the French
republic or inconsistent with the high enter
tain of the friendship OF The French Government and
people,
Without knowing what portion of my despatch
may have been communicated to Congress. for |
am vet without any Information the subject
except what is contained in the imperfect reports
of the newspapers I think may say with CON
6dence. after reviewing all that were written by
me at the epoch referred to, that there is moth
ing in any of them fairly or justly susceptible of
the Interpretation mentioned by Mr.. Sartiges.-
On the contrary. the principle which governed
my whole conduct on the occasion of the late
important events here was that of an infexible alb
stinence from any interference, on the side or
the other, in the grave conflict which had arisen
between the constituted authorities of the
State which | considered question essentially
domestic in it's character, and such to be Iegti
mately determined only by the French nation,
to whom the President himself had appealed and
that until the decision of that, the only rightfu
tribunal was pronounced, the most proper course
for the representatives of foreign powers to pur
sue, especially one representing the government
and the people did, was to remain passive and
respectful spectators in the presence Of the soy
ereignty of the nation deliberating upon its des-
TIMES and rights.
That there are no expressions in my despatch
es indicating, not even by implication, natural
sympathy for the cause OF liberty and those
great constitutional guarantees for its enjoyment
which all Americans are taught to reverence, L
will not undertake to affirm; should be sorry
indeed if that could be said. But then it must
be borne in mind that was writing to my own
Government; that it was my duty to communicate
events to it, as saw them, without extenuation
or exaggeration; and that the first and indispen-
sab le quality in all such communications is truth,
and, as far practicable, the whole truth
None of the dispatches in question
expected by me to be published, for ther sole
object was to keep the Government informed of
current events here, at n moment of peculiar in
terest. If they have since obtained publicity, it
was not by any act OF mine, but byt he decision of
those who were interested, with the sole author
ity to Judge of the fitness of their publication,
and who are presumed to have weighed at the
time all the considerations of expediency and
propriety belonging to a question often of great
decacy. Having been made public, however,
and in the regular and constitutional intercourse
between the ordinate departments of the Gov
eminent, it becomes question of grave impor--
lance whether a foreign Power has right to
take exception to views and opinions which a
Minister of the United States. in free aud conf
Dental correspondence with his own Government
may express, or be supposed, by implication, to
entertain respecting occurrences passing under
his observation abrond.
On this point find that in your justly colebra-
ted letter to Mr.. Husemann answering SINH
lar complaint of the Austrian Government, you
used the following anguags
1.-THE Presidents message was communication made
by him to the Senate, transmitting correspondence
between the Executive Government and a confidential
agent of its This would seem to be itself do
nestle transaction, instance of intercourse be-
tween the President and the Senate. in the manner
whchis usual and indispensable in communications be-
tween the different branches of the Government. 1t
not addressed either to Austria Hungary
it any public manifesto to which any foreign State
called on to reply 1t was an account OF its TRANSACT
tons, communicated by the Executive Government
to the Senate, at the request of that body-made
public indeed, but made public only because such is
the common and usual course OF proceedings and
it be regarded somewhat strange therefore, that
the Austrian Cabinet did not perceive that by the
structions given to Mr.. Hulsemann it itself inter
fering with the domestic of foreign State the
thing which is the ground OF It's complaint against
the United States.
In subsequent part of the letter of Mr..
Hulsemann the same principle is again affirmed,
and with yet greater emphasis
"Wh respect to the communication OF Mr.. Mann's
instructions to the Senate and the language in which
they couched. it has already been said aud Mr..
Husemann fee the justice of the remark that there
domestic affairs in reference to which the Govern
ment of the United States cannot admit the slightest
responsibility tOthe Government OF his Imperial Majesty
No deserving the appellaton of independent
permit the language in which it y instruct ts
officers the discharge of their duties toitsel be called
in question under any pretext by foreign Power"
The same latitude and immunity claimed for
communications of the Government to its officers
must upon every consideration Of Justice, and
with perhaps evan stronger reason. be extended
to communications addressed to the Government
by its ngents abroad, whose expressly enjoned
duty it is to give full and correct information of
all important political events and changes
ring in the countries where they reside. Though
the language of my dispatches relating to the
late events here unsiudie !, none of them
hnving been written, as have already said. with
A view to publication, yet have not been able to
find on a recurrence to them any expressions
of mere denunciation and iutemperance, any
disrespectful offensive phrase towards the
President or any functionary OF the Government,
OF any thing. in short, which it was not proper