The republic. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1849-1853, 1853-01-05


various exploded charges against the Admins
tration for its conduct in regard to the Crescent
City affair. Here is what Mr.. BRowN is re-.
ported to have said:
81 think the President of the United States, in
the late transactions at Havana in which the steam
or Crescent City wasinvolved, was entirely wrong.
am flee to admit to the House, and before the
world, that Spain, the Spanish authorities upon
the leland of Cuba, have the same right to exclude
an obnoxious individual from the port of Havana
that the authorities of Charleston have to exclude
obnoxious individuals from that port. But I wish
my friend, and those who agree with him, to mark
this distinction: South Carolina, nor Charleston,
by the authority of South Carolina, has never said
to British ship, you shall not enter this port be-
cause you bear black man Upon your deck:' her
laws are not directed against the flag of Great
Britains but against the obnoxious individual who
chance to be on board her ships. defend that
policy IN South Carolina, and to that extent will
defend itin the authorities of Spain.
"But, sir, Spanish authority went beyond this
II the Captain General had simply taken the
ground that the obnoxious Mr.. Smith should not
leave the ships deck, or that he should even be
taken from the ships deck and confined during
the time the vessel remained in Spanish waters
before the city of Havana, do not know, unless
there had been something offensive in the manner
of the transaction, that should have objected to it
upon broad national grounds; as at present adj
vised, should have sustained it. But when the
authorities went beyond that, and said that an
american ship, bearing the American flag, hav-
ing on board an American crew and American
cltzens as passengers, and carrying the Ameri-
can mails, should not enter the waters of Cuba be-
cn1ra fhoo obi M @
board of her, think they violated good faith, vo-
lated tie treaty which exists between the two
countries treaty of umity; treaty that au-
thorlzed the ships of the to enter the ports of
the other terms of equality with the ships of the
most favored nations. That is my judgment and
Spain, by her constituted authorities, offered an
insult to our flag by excluding from her port
ship that bore it, and for this offence trust the in
coming President will even yet demand satisfac-
ton. That he will not permit it to be blurred over
as it has been by the retiring President.
"Mr. WILLIAMS, (interrupting.) should like
to ask the gentleman single question. The gen
tleman speaks Of the insult offered to our flag
What kind of satisfaction does he propose that the
incoming administration shall demand? Would
any thing short of taking the Island of Cuba satisfy
him?
"Mr. BRowN. Ishouid prefer that sort of sat-
isfaction to any other. [Laughter.] But, sir, if
that sort of satisfaction given which is ordina-
rily demanded and given on similar occasions,
Government ought to accept it; and if it did not,
would repudiate the action of the Government.
The Captain General who denied admission to the
Crescent City into the port Havana ought to have
been recalled by Spain on the demand of this Gov
eminent, or some other atonement for the offence
ought to have been demanded The President
ought not to have rested satisfied until he got it,
That is my judgment. If Spain was obstinate,
and offered us nothing but war, let the conse-
quences be upon her own head.
Not point is presented in these remarks
which was not long ago refuted, SO far as it
implies censure on the action of the Execu-
tive -...-...-.. -..,
Mr.. Brown is not the first to draw dis
tinction between the exclusion of an individual
and the exclusion of the vessel in which he
entered the harbor of Havana. There is not
journal friendly to the Administration which
failed to notice the error of the Captain Gene
raj in this particular. 1t was stated emphati-
cally, and more than once, that while the refu-
sal to permit Purser SMITH to land was strictly
defensible as police regulation, the refusal to
allow the steamer to enter was an unfriendly
act, and one which the Captain General should
have avoided, if for no other reason, in consid
Grafton of the disposition which the Govern
ment of the United States had shown to re-
spect the rights of Spain in Cuba.
Mr.. BRowN's allusion to treaty stipulatons
is not more original, and not whit more for
tunate. For the twentieth time we state that
this country has no commercial treaty with
Spain, our commercial intercourse with her
resting upon the law and comfy of nations, and
nothing else. Our mail facilities with Cuba
do not result from treaty arrangements, but
from courtesy, in one case expressed, in others
implied. The Spanish authorities, then, had
the power to refuse permission to land the Cres-
cent City mails, and we have no right to quar-
rel with them for doing SO. We allege that
the refusal is discourteous and impolitic; but it
amounts neither to "an insult" nor violation
of ''good faith"
If, then, the Captain General was guilty of
no excess ofpower in what he did, why does Mr..
Brown ''trust that the incoming Administra-
ton will even yet demand satisfaction2'' ..Sat-.
for what? For obstructing the fill
projects of Mr.. GEORGE LAW, or for
Withholding privilege which never had
stronger foundation than international courtesy?
We infer from the general character of his OBJ
servations that Mr.. BRowN concurs with Cen
eral CAss and Mr.. VENABLE in disappearing
of the course pursued by Mr.. LAW; and it is
not on his account, therefore, that General
PIERCE is to insist upon s'atonement." On the
other hand, we can scarcely suppose that Mr.
BRowN would risk the contingency of war
simply because Castilian policy trespasses upon
his republican notions of national etiquette. If
war is to be undertaken upon this ground, when
shall we have peace
MIR. Calhoun on Cuba. Il
During the progress of the Cuban contro-
versy we quoted from the New York Journal
OF Commerce a statement of Mr.. CALHoUN's
views in relation to the annexation Of Cuba.
as communicated by him to the editor Of that
journal. According to that representation. the