Eastern times., 1853-10-13

DO0' W N"'O ooCh 1He HTSt POIIlOn Vi tle
letter gives history Of the position Of Koszta
previous to his seizure by the desperadoes
employed by the Austrian Consul, and the
subsequent action of Captain Ingraham and
the Austrian authorities at Smyrna, as fol-
lows
g Martin Koszta, by birth Hungarian, and
OF course an Austrian subject at that time,
took an open and active part in the political
movement of 1848-'49, designed to detach
hungary from the dominion Of the Emperor Of
Austria. Atthe close of that disastrous rev.
pulmonary movement, Koszta, with many 9TH
ers engaged In the same cause, fled from the
Austrian dominions, and took refuge in Tur-
Key. The extradition of these fugitives,
hoszta among them, was demanded and
pressed with great vigor by Austria, but firm
iy resisted by the Turkish government They
We're, however, confined at Kutahia, but at
length released, with the understanding or by
express, agreement of Austria, that they
should leave Turkey and 90 into foreign parts
Most OF them, 1t is believed, before they OBJ
tanned their release, indicated the United
otates as the country of their exile. 1t is
aliegeq that hoszta left Turkey in company
win hossuth-thls is believed to be mis-
take; and that he engaged never to return
this IS regarded as doubtful To this sentence
OF banishment-for such is the true character
OF their expulsion from Turkey-Austria gave
consent; In truth, it was the result of her ef-
iorts 10 procure their eXtradition, and was ac-
cepted by her as substitute for it, She had
agents or commissioners at Kutahia to attend
to their embakatlon, and to her the legal con
/ sequences of this act are the same as If it had
been done directly by herself, and not by the
agency Of the Ottoman Porte. Koszta came
! to the United States and selected this countrv
for his future home.
On the 2lst of July, 1852, he made dec
laration, under oath, before proper tribunal.
OF his intention to become citizen Of the Init
ed States, and renounce all allegiance to anv
other State or sovereign.
| Alter remaining here one year and eleven
months, he returned on account, as is ALLEGED
OF private business OF temporary character.
to Turkey Ill an American vessel claimed
the rights OF naturallZed American citizen.
and offered to place himself under the protec-
tian of the United States Consul at Smyrna.
The consul at first hesitated to recognize and
receive him as such but afterwards, and
sometime before his seizure, he and the Amer
lean Charge d Affaires dd interim at Constan-
tinople, did extend protection to him, and fur
nished him with a Icekereh-a kind of pass
port or letter of safe conduct, usually given
by foreign consuls in Turkey to persons to
whom they extend protection as by Turkish
laws they have a right to do 1t is important
to observe that there is no exception taken to
his conduct after his return to Turkey. and
that Austria has not alleged that he was there
for any political object, or for any other pur-
! pose than the transaction of private business.
While waiting as Is alleged, for an opportu-
nifty to return TO the United States, he was
seized by band of lawless men-freely, per
! haps, harshly, characterized in the dispatches,
as 'ru1ians, Greek hirelngs,' robbers, who
had not, nor did they pretend to have, any col
or OF authority emanatlng from Turkey or Aus
| trIa, treated with violence and cruelty, and
thrown into the sea. Immediately thereafter
he was taken up by a boats crew living in
wait for him, belonging to the Austrian brig
OF war HuZZar, forced on board Of that vessel,
and there confined ir irons. 1t is now avowed,
as it was then suspected, that these desperadoes
were instigated TO this outrage BY the Austrian
Consul-General at Smyrna but it is not pre-
tended that he acted under the civil authority
of Turkey, but, on the contrary, il is admitted
| that, on application 10 the Turkish Governor at
Smyrna, that magistrate refused TO grant the
Austrian Consul any authority TO arrest koszta.
The Consul of the United States at SMYRNA,
| as soon as he heard Of the seizure of Koszta.
and the Charge d'Ai1aires Of The United States
States, dd interim, at ConstantinOple, after
wards nterceded with the Turkish authorities,
with the Austrian Consul-Genera at Smyrna,
and the commander Of the Austrian brig Of
war, for his release, on the ground Of his
American nationality. To support this claim,
koszta's original certificate of having made
under oath, in a court in New York, a decla-
ration of intention 10 become an American cit-
izen, was produced at Smyrna, and an mper-
feet copy of it was placed in the hands of the
! imperial Austrian internuncio at Constantine
! pie. The application to these officers at
| Smyrna for his liberation, as well as that Of
Mr.. Brown, our Charge d'Affares, to Baron
de Bruck, the Austrian Minister at CONSTANT
nope, was frnllless, and it became notorious at
| Smyrna that there was a settled decision On
the part of the Austrian officials to convey him
clandestney TO Trieste, a city within the do
minion Of the Emperor Of Austria. Oppor-
tunely, the United States sloop Of war, the St.
Louis, under the command of Captain Ingra-
ham, arrived in the harbor of Smyrna before
this design was executed. The commander of
the St. Louis, from The representation Of the
case made to him, felt 1t TO be his duty, as it
unqnesllonably was, 10 inquire into the validity
OF Koszta's claim 10 American protection. He
| proceeded with deliberation and prudence: : and
discovered what he considered backgrounds for
nquiring into Koszta's claim to be DISCHARGED
on account of his American nationality. Dur
ing the tendency Of this inquiry he received
notice of the design to take Koszta clandes-
timely, before the question al issue was settled
into the dominlons of the Emperor of Austria.
As there was other evidence of bad faith be-
sides the discovered design Of evading the in
quiry, Captain lngraham demanded his re-
lease, and iniimated that he should resort to
force if the demand was not complied with by
certain hour. Fortunately, however. no
force was used. An arrangement was made
by which the prisoner was delivered to The
custody Of the French Consul General, to be
kept by him until the United States and Aus
tria should agree 10 the manner Of disposng Of
him.
This full statement of the facts is deemed
important, as it will correct some errors and
aid in presenting with more distnctness the
questions to be discussed.
The undersigned will now proceed to pre-
sent the views of the President upon this trans
action, and his reply to these several demands
His Imperial Majesty demands that the gov
ernment of the United States shall direct
Koszta to be delivered to him: that it shall
disavow the conduct of the American agents in
this affair, call them to a severe account, and
tender satisfaction proportionate to the out