The daily republic. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1853-1853, 1853-07-30
THE REPUBLIC.
The Costa Affair-Captain Stringham's
Course.

S IL ~ III IL i u ID IL ".
The Costa Affair-Captain Stringham's
Course.
The New York Times, in its summary of news
by the Asia, gives the following account of the
Costa affair:
"We have copious accounts Of the arrest OF
Costa, the Hungarian, at Smyrna. 1t is long
time since that locality has been SO thoroughly
walked up as it has been by the energy of Captain
Stringham, of the St. Louis. The most straight
forward statement to hand says that Martin koss-
tn, or Costa, has been but few days in Smyrna,
although another account says he had been
eight months concealed in the city. At all events,
on the evening of the 22d ultimo, he was quietly
smoking in Greek cofee-house on the wharf,
(not the private dwelling of Sandman, as was
ut first reported } when band Of ten men came
to the spot and arrested him MS a Hungarian who
was in banishment with Kossuth at Kutayah,
and was permitted to 60 to America on Pledging
his word never to return to Turkish territory.
Costa struggled with his ASSISTANTS and knocked
one or two of them into the water, and at length
leaped into the stream and swan towards ship.
He was soon overtaken, dragged into boat,
and taken ON board the Austrian brg-ofwar
Hussar, where he was heavily ironed. 1t was OBJ
served that six of his captors remained on board
the brig, and the rest returned ashore. The affair
would appear to have blown over for that night,
the most intense excitement arose. Mr.. Brown,
the United States Consul, learning that Costa was
last from America, waited on the consul-general
of Austria, saying that he understood that ma
tive Of Hungary, who had become an American
CITIZEN had been taken by force on board the AUS
TRAN brig-of-war, and he wished to see the man,
and ask him for explanat ions. The Austrian
consul denied all knowledge of the fact MIR.
Brown then proceeded to the brig, and requested
an interview with the prisoner which was refused,
and meantime the vessel was preparing to depart.
Just at that moment the corvette st. Louis, Cap
tain Stringham commanding, sailed into the har-
Dor, and the consul lost no time in communicating
the circumstances. Our accounts clash here.
It would seem that Captain Strngham having
gone on board the Austrian was told by the lieu
tenant that he had no prisoner in the ship. Re-
turning on board second time, accompanied by
Mr. Brown, they found Commander Schartz,
captain of the brig, whom Captain Stringham
thus addressed: ''Your, lieutenant, sir has lied!
The n,eaest caJi-boy in the american service aooud
not be guilty of such co,oardicen' Demanding,
then, to see the prisoner, Costa was brought on
deck in irons Captain Stringham asked, 'sAre
YOU an Americana" ssNo, am Hungarian. !"
s'Havo you an American passport To which,
like blockhead, he replied, ".No; am a Hun :
garia,,, and IuiH die Hungarian" The Ameri-
cans could do no more, and left the brig. Learn :
ing, however, soon after that Costa had taken
the oath of citizenship, and seeing the Austrian
brig preparing to depart, Captain Stringham
sent a message that, s'as they had on board a
prisoner carried off by force from foreign inde-
pendent territory, and who had sworn allegiance
to the Government Of the United States, he
should feel it his duty to insist upon the brig re-
naming under his guns until he received nstruc-
tons from Constantinople; and ifany attempt were
made to depart, he would at once fire into the
brig While this was passing in the harbor, the
excitement was no less shore. All the Euro
pean merchants went, in body, to Ali Pacha, the
Turkish Governor of the city, and begged him not
to suffer this violation of the Ottoman territory.
The Pacha in great trepidation, said he could not
help it. but would write to Constantinople for
instructions. The merchants then repaired to the
Casino, which is their reading-room ballroom,
and club, and there passed resolution to expunge
the name of every Austrian from their rolls. To-
wards evening, while the city was yet in terment,
three officers from the Austrian brig had the i'm
prudence to 90 on shore and sit smoking in cafe.
They were speedily surrounded by an excited crowd
of Italians, who began by brandshing their knives,
and ended by stabbng one of the officers, Mid
shpman the Baron Huckelberg, aged Is, and
throwing him into the Another of the Off
GERS, lieutenant, was badly beaten, and the
third, the physician Of the brig, being in plain
clothes, escaped unhurt. This cowardly assas-
sination was universally reprobated by the re-
spectacle inhabitants. On the 25th the funeral of
the young man took place, and all the consulates,
with the exception of the English and American,
hoisted black flags. The Austrian and Prussan
consuls accompanied the body to the grave, but
the other consuls were not represented On hear
ing of the affray, Baron Bruck, the Austrian
Plenipotentiary at Constantinople, demanded am
pie satisfaction from the Porte within twenty
four hours, which the Porte instantly grant
ed by dismissing Ali Pacha, and appointing
the Governor of Rhodes in his place. Sew
eral of the refugees were also arrested, but
h. coH tn have etfpcted
their escape It was even stated that the
Porte had pledged itself to put it out of the power
of the refugees, four hundred in number, to do
further mischief Meantime Mr.. Brown had adj
dressed note to M. de Bruck, demanding the
release of Costa. De Bruck replied, in a warm
that he could not take such claim into
consideration for a moment, since Costa was
Hungarian, consequently an Austrian subject,
and that the Emperor of Austria has full power
over all his subjects in the Ottoman territory.
Mr. Brown, in return, reiterates his demand, and
sends Bruck copy of the oath sworn to by Cos
ia, in New York, promising adherence to the
Government of the United States, stating his IN
tention of becoming an American citizen, and dis
carding all other allegiance whatever, especially
that to the Emperor of Austria.
despatch from Constantnoplc, July a, states
that Costa had been Professionally handed over to
the keeping of the Austrian Consul at smyrna.
It was stated in Paris that Lord Radcliffe, the
British Ambassador at Constantlnople, had also
oin the name of humanity to have
Costa returned to the United States. A despatch
from Turin, 18th, states that the Sandman gov
eminent denies having had any thing to 40 with
Costa's arrest; the Sandman Consul IN smyrna
had no communication with the Austrian Consul
ON the subject Another letter from Vienna states
that the particular crime laid to Costa s chargeis,
having assisted to hide the regala of Hungary.
There are three American ships (names not
known0 Mt Constantinople. 1t was reported that
the Cumberland had brought large amount of
money to Constantinople. The Austrian ships,
Artemise and Custoyza, had been ordered TO Smyr-
vette ST. J,ouis. 1t was also said that the st.
I,ouis had received several refugees on board,