The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1854-02-18

The FLYCATCHER OF LA PATRIE.-There is
gobe. mouche, named Etienne Mouttet, who
writes some OF the foreign articles of the Paris
paper La Patrie, and whose particular depart
ment seems to be to chronicle and criticise the
selves. He is an airy sort of genius, fond Of
disporting in the realms Of Imagination, and,
like all literary knights errant, difficult to pin
down to the sober realities of facts or figures
He is. moreover, the "echo Parisien" Of all the
scandal and malevOlence of our New York con-
temporaries, and is especially endorsed by the
Courier des Etats Unis, which lives by re-
bashing the absurdities of the Paris press, this
fellows amongst others. On the principle OF
" tickle me and I'll tickle thee" these worthless
manage to make some capital out of us.
1t is not long since we had occasion to notice
a contradiction published in La Patrie by this
Mouttet Of statement which appeared in our
columns about the middle of last month, re-
specting the intrigues of the French at st. Do
mingo, and their Interior designs upon that re-
public. In this deDegation our sprightly friend
made some indiscreet admissions that fully bore
out the truth Of the charges that had been adj
vanced by our Dominican correspondent. 1t
will be recollected that the gist of these charges
was that French man-of-war had constrained
the Dominican government to pay sum Of
three thousand dollars as compensation for
having expelled two French citizens from
Hayti, and that the French c0mmandant
had likewise demanded from the President,
Santana, that his ministers should be dis
missed to make way for an administration
less hostile to French interests. We drew from
these facts, taken in conjunction with the re-
port that the ex-President Baez was on board
this French vessel, the natural conclusion that
some serious steps were contemplated by
France against the independence Of the Domini-
can republic. The reply of La Patrie, instead
of weakening, fully confirmed this impression.
Whilst it passed over in silence the specific
charges made by our correspondent, it endea-
vored to neutralize the effect OF the conclusion
to which they pointed by general statement
of the favorable disposit, on Of the inhabitants
OF st. Domingo towards France. ae evidenced
by the frequent demands which they had made
for an annexation, pure and simple, to that
country or for o protectorate established on
such bases as France might please to indicate.
1t was not convenient, however, for NJ Mouttet
to add that these demands were made at the
suggestion and under the direct influence OF ex-
President Baez, the warm and devoted partisan
of French interests, and who was subsequently
expelled from the island for his unpatriotic and
anti-national tendencies Nothing could be
clearer, therefore, than that the object Of this
hostile demonstration was the restoration Of
Baez, and, through him, the establishment of
French protectorate over the republic. If the
feeling Of the Dominicans had been in reality
SO favorable to France, there would have been
no necessity for proceeding which could only
have the effect of wounding their pride and
alternating their sympathies. The truth is. that
our correspondent only gave expression to the
natural sentiment of indignation aroused
amongst the people by this attempt to impose
a foreign domination upon them. Under
the patriotic government Of Santana we hear
no more of these French tendencies; and 1t is
certain that if the designs Of France against the
independence of the republic are to be carried
out it will only be by coup de main such
as seems to have been contemplated on the oc-
casion to which we refer.
Since the short reply which We published
exposing these facts the indefatigable fly
catcher of La Patrie has discovered another
mares nest. Swallowing with avidity, as
usual, the statements Of the journals opposed
to us, he is in perfect frenzy of delight at the
exposal of our alleged fabrication of what is
called the Gadsden treaty. Seeing that SO
many of our New York contemporaries perse-
vered to the last in the same wilfal incredulity,
we are not disposed to bear too hardly upon
this feather headed Frenchman for the pert
hippancy with which he writes about matters
that he evidently does not understand. Ere he
sees this article he will have received the text
Of the treaty itself Let him profit by the
second lesson Of prudence it will have given
him.
ANOTHER ANTrNEBRAsKA MEETING AT THE
Observation-Disclosures meeting of the citizens
r. in1a IF ha