Washington sentinel. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1853-1855, 1854-09-16

limited privileges.
THE CASE OF CAPTAIN GIBsON--sIN-
GULAR DEVELOPMENTS.
Our readers are no doubt familiar with the
facts connected with the persecution Of Captain
Gibson, an American citizen, by the Dutch
government. The scene Of these prosecutions
was the Netherlands, India; the occasion of them
an unfounded charge of high treason. Captain
Gibson was arrested, tried, condemned and inn
prisoned. He escaped from his prison in the
uniform Of Dutch officer and returned to this
country. He brought his case before our gov.
eminent and prevailed on it to make demand
on the Dutch government for reparaton and
compensation. After the claim for damages
was made on the Dutch government, Captain
Gibson was sent as bearer Of dispatches to our
resident minister at the Hague, Mr.. Belmont
The balance of the story we leave to be told by
Dutch journal L'Echo Unirersal:
"Four weeks had barely elapsed from the
time of that meeting when Captain Gibson ar
rived at the Hague, as special agent Of his gov.
eminent, and bearing dispatches from the cab
met at Washington to the United States Charge
d'Affaires--Mr. Belmont-who Immediately de-
manded of this government one hundred thou.
sand dollars, (250,O00 norins,) to be paid to
Mr. Gibson; and furthermore, the restitution
of certain papers and personal articles, which
had been voluntarily given up by the American
captain at Batavia in order to establish his
identity Mr.. Belmont laid additional stress
upon his demand, in view of the fact that the
judiciary is not independent in Netherlands, In
dia as the government can dismiss or change
the Judges of its courts at pleasure; also view
ing the proceedings in the case, it was evident
that the high court at Batavia had been strong.
ly Influenced by the executive of the Neither
lands, India; and furthermore, that Mr.. Gibson
had constantly denied, and continues to deny,
that he was the author Of the document upon
which the charge against him was founded
this document being letter written in the high
Malay, and in Arabic characters, which Mr..
Gibson did not know at the time of the date Of
the letter, nor did he order it to be written.
"This government, through Mr.. Van Hall
the minister of foreign afairs-opposed the
demand for indemnity, but expressed willing
ness to restore the papers and personal prop
erty of Mr. Gibson. He received, in conse.
quence, through the channel Of the American
legation, package of papers; but instead Of
his own private documents, the package con-
tanned all the original pieces connected with
his case, including the famous reasonable let
| ter upon which the charge against him was
| founded, also reports marked secret and conf
Dental, which had been addressed by different
| functionaries in the East Indies TO the chief
authorities at Batavia, and some by the latter
| to the home government 1t appears that the
! minister of the colonies Mr.. Pahud) had sent
% ~ colleague of the foreign Office (Mr. Van
Uonl The complete dosser Of the affair, in or
dor that no might fully inform himself Of the
matter. SO as 70 eombat The prelensions OF the
American minister; and that Mr. Van Hall
had sent off by some unaccountable gross
oversight, all those documents, without open
| ing the package which contained them. Up
| on the verfcation Of this foolish mistake, haste
was made to recover possession of the import
| ant papers sent to Mr.. Belmont. This gentle
man stated that he had transmitted them to
| Mr.. Gibson, who, on his part, asserts that they
are no longer in his possession he having re-
| parded their receipt as an evidence OF the kind
| desire of the Dutch minister Of foreign affairs
| 10 render him every means to secure that
Justice which the trammels of official position
prevented him from promptly according; and
consequently he (Gibson) had sent them home
to his government, as being incontrovertible
evidence Of the justice Of his claim, and of the
system of espionage to which he had been sub
jected in the East.
"Mr. Belmont has transmitted the refusal Of
our cabinet TO grant the indemnity, to the
knowledge Of his government, asking for fur
Their Instructions, and insisting upon being au-
thorized to demand his passports if our govern
ment should persist in its refusal. After for
warding these dispatches, the American Charge
left for France, and it was decided that during
| his absence Mr.. Gibson should remain at Brus.
sells, or some other city abroad.
ave confne ourselves to this simple state
ment Of facts, and abstain at present from any
comment, for the same reason which induced
us not to reveal what we have done, until urged
TO do so by the appearance Of erroneous and
incomplete versions of the matter"
The New York Herald learns, through a
communication from Washington, the follow.
ing facts:
"The documents which have fallen, in such
an extraordinary manner, into the possession
Of Captain Gibson, consist Of three enormous
volumes Of dispatches bound in parchment
! of about 500 pages each. These documents
fully establish that there was collision be-
tween the Governor Of Banca and the Governor
of Paembang, in Sumatra, to entrap Captain
Gibson. They believed him TO be a secret
emissary Of the United States. 1t appears thai
after Captain G. had been acquitted by a court
Of Justice, the Governor General Of Netherlands
India, gave instructions to higher tribunal tc
prosecute him still further, urging that though
he (Gibson) could not be proven guilty Of high