The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1854-09-18

IHE G1SIERIouS ARhkD tESSEIsS- w HEhE
WERE THEY BOUND? 1.-THE fact of two vessels
laden with arms, ammunition and coal
being prepared to clear from thi, port on
some unknown enterprise, created some
days since considerable degree Of Curl
osity and excitement around town. The steamer
Benjamin. Franklin and the bark Catherine Au-
gusta, The suspected vessels Immediately De-
came objects of critical attention aud anxious
scrutiny. There was no question as to the con-
tents oftheir cargoes; but the place of their des
tination was kept profound secret. Their own
ere, agents and seamen eyaded giving direct
with her thousand tongues, assigned various ex-
plantations as to the object of the expedition.
Some had it that it WAS fitted out to intercept
and seize the new war steamer Santa Anna,
built in New York for the Dictator of Mexico;
some that it was connected with filibustering
enterprise, having for its object descent on
Cuba; and some that it was designed to sup
port revolutionary movement in one of the
South American republics. This last report
assumed such shape and he'd such semblance
of probability that the steamer was on Friday
libelled in the United States Court on an afi-
dava Of Mr.. Apurua, the Venezuelan
Minister, wherein he states that he had
reason to believe she was intended to take
part in q military expedition against the re-
public OF Venezuela. The benjamin. Franklin
is therefore at the present moment in custody
Of the U. S. Marshal, and her trip is indefinite
ly postponed. The Catherine Augusta escaped
seizure, having previously taken her departure
for ST. Thomas.
1t may be that the gentleman acting on be-
half Of the Venezuelan government in this
matter has had the best reasons for believing
that The expedition was to be directed against
that republic. 1t remains to be proved whe-
thcr his suspicious were well founded. /. np-
pears to us, however, that it Is quite as proba-
Bile the Benjamin Franklin was destined, not
to support The reyolutionists in Venezuela, out
to lend material aid and assistance to the con-
stituted authorities Of New Granada In their
struggle against the reactionary movements of
General Melo. We are induced to take this
view Of the matter from the following para
graph which occurs in an official document re-
Gently published in New Granada:-
Senior victoriaIo eel, Peredes Graradau Minister In
the Unied States las advised the govern mont that nc
has ready, whenever they hall be two yesse
ioaoed with arms and ammunition, and loan Of
s2eoot0
Now, what is more likely than that the expe-
dii,on which reused The suspicious Of the com
mercial representative Of Venezuela in this
city was really intended to operate against the
revolutionary party in the adjoining isuhlic !?
We do not say that such was actually the case,
hut when we know that one or two other ves-
sells had some months before arrived at New
GIanadian ports, conveying arms and ammuni-
tion from the United States, we think that
view Of the matter highly plausible one II
1t should prove to be correct, will Senior Po
redes have incurred the penalties Of viola
tion Of our neutrality lawss Or does it make
any difference whether the military expedi-
tiors forbidden by the statute are intended to
act against constituted government or q re-
volteo pcoplef That n a nice legal question
which may sooa come up for judicial soiu.
tion.