Weekly national intelligencer. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1841-1869, 1853-08-06
THE SMYRNA AFFAIR.

which has naturally attracted great attention both in
this country and in Europe. To our naval COM
manders abroad is often committed momentous
responsibility, involving even the peaceful relations
of their country; and we are always anxious to see
them exercise it with discretion as well as with
spirit and gallantry. In this case the interference
of Captain INGRAHAM was doubtless prompted
by generous indignation at the arbitrary and
lawless act Of the Austrian agents and officers
They certainly were guilty of violent outrage
but whether this demanded any thing beyond ami
cable interposition, or would have justified the
bloody extremity Of battle with the Austrian yes
sci, does not so clear, from the circumstances
as they are stated by the London paper. But we
sincerely desire always to see our officers in the
right; and there may be circumstances yet behind
to give an entirely favorable construction to the
proceedings Of Captain Ingraham. To sensitive
officer we can well conceive that the fear of falling
short of his duty may sometimes impel him rather
beyond it, and we ready in such cases to make
many allowances for what we might conceive to
be an act of imprudence.
FROM THE LONDON TIMES OF JULY 90.
1t is of the unfortunate results of the present
diton of the Ottoman Empire that the authority of its
officers hardly sufficient to command respect in its own
ports and that the laws of the country and the law of
nations violated with mpuny under the very eyes
the Sultan's representatives. The which
took place at Smyrna the 22d of June striking
illustration of this extraordinary and dangerous
things The law successfully broken by every party
in this transacton and Ali Pacha the governor of the
city, not only incapable of putting any eecual
sraint upon the foreigners in Smyrna harbor but had in
the end to suffer for the ourages they had committed
The facts briefly alluded by Lord JOHN RUSSELL
on Monday evening, in the House of Commons, and
collect from the different have received that
they occ urred in the following manner:
Martin kossta of the Hungarian fugtives who
escaped with Kossuth after the capulaton OF Villages,
and took refuge within the Turkish frontier. The Porte
refused to surrender these refugees to the demands Of
Austria, but detained them at Kutayah till the following
year, when by putting somewhat liberal construction
on her treaties with the Court of Vienna, she allowed
them proceed to the United States upon their promise
not to return to the Turkish domnions
That engagement, if such there really was broken
by kossta who found to get back to Smyrna
as the Turkish Government does not exercise any vgant
control the foreigners who frequent that
port he had remained there unheeded by their author
ties. The Austrian consul NJ de Weckbecker was more
on the alert, and the 22d Of June he called the
Governor Ali Pacha, and informed him that Kossta was
in thepace Ali Pacha replied that he should send for
him and desire him to leave the country there there
fore no refusal the part of the Turkish authority
comply with the demand of the Austrian consul as far as
1T was just.
At the very time, however, the Austrian Consul
and the officer commanding the Austrian war
Ussaro had resolved in the scandaous and unjus
table manner, take the law into their own hands and
kidnap Kossta by main force. He was accordingly at
tackled in coffee-house by party of armed boatmen
and after vigorous defence Kossta seized and carried
on board the brig This created great SEN
sation in the town, but the Turkish Governor does
seem to have interposed, he ought have DONE to
obtain immediate redress for such outrage the
The American Consul and the commander of the
American corvetteofwar ST. Louis, which happened to
the harbor exered themselves however in favor
of the prisoner and endeayored obtain his release
the ground of his having an American passport That
fact however not proved and 1t is clear that, be-
yond the claims Of humanity the American had
legal right interfere in the matter than the Austrans
had to carry the of. But the violent antipathy
which has for time past been smouderDg between
and the United States easily breaks out and this
transaction is Of interest exhibits the increas
ing readiness Of the Americans espouse with ardor this
that party the political differences of the Old World
The next day three officers of the Austrian brig came
shore, and proceeded to large cofeehouse on the
English quay. They attacked with great fury
by about fifteen foreigners mostly Italian refugees, and
of the officers, Baron Hackelberg, having been
stabbed in the scufe with poignard flung himself into
the and drowned The consequence of this muir
derous onslaught might have been still more fatal but
fortunately the Austrian officers and to the honor Of
countrymen, two English merchants were in the
coffee house the time, who manfuy assisted in their
defence with the chairs and tables be the room
The Turkish Governor, who had neither prevented the
equally unable to punish the crimes and these
ee infractons Of the law followed by fourth
Thu American captain Of the corvette ST. Louis resolved
Wihost ado, to demand the surrender Of kossta
from tn Austrian brig the Austrans four hours
to make up their minds and In the meanwhile laid his
vessel within cables eugh Of the Ussaro and cleared
for action The captains both sides behaved with
equal spirit and were quite ready to fight out Smyr
ma harbor to which, may be supposed the Pasha and
the public strongly objected. The Consus, however,
interposed between these behgerents and
agreed that Kossta should be landed the brig
and placed In the custody of the Consul Of France until
further orders could be received respecting him.
The matter then referred TO Constantinope where
M de Bruck made peremptory demand for redress al
though 1t would from this narrative that the
of the fugitive by the Ausrans was the first blow struck
in this quarrel However, the Divan in condi-
ton TO increase the number Of its enemies and IL submit
ted to the demands Of the Internuncio Governor
was Immediately appointed to Smyrna, and investga
ton was commenced into the facts Of the
Between Austria and the United States the question is
OF totally different character. In ordinary crcum-
stances unless At the solicitation and with the authority
OF the Turkish Government il is evident that the Ameri
commander had right whatever to dictate terms
any foreign officer; but the state Of things have de-
ecrbed shows that the grossest ourages had been and
could be committed with impuniy, and the ordinary
usages of civilized nations apparently suspended
Nevertheless the coercion applied by the captain of the
ct Louis to the captain OF he Ussaro Of the most d-
rect kind and viii probably be regarded by the Court Of
70 demand reparation from President Pierce In the
present state Of feeling in the United States toward Eu-
rope generally, and Austria in particular il is certain
Una, no such reparation win be given and it is perhaps
key mat the conduct of the officers Of the St. Louis
oirected quite rs much by the desire make political