The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1854-12-30


'iHE CASE OF CAPTAIN GIBsoS-THE BELMONT
Observation-Disclosures AND IGNORANCE OF
I MARCY.-The letter from one of our Washing
ton correspondents, in this paper, on the case Of
Captain Gibson, throws considerable additional
light upon this curious subject. 1t appears
that the personal enmities Of Belmont and his
financial Kitchen Cabinet affiliations have been
mainly instrumental in causing this just claim
of deeply injured American citizen to be
abandoned by the Cabinet, and thrown upon
Congress without word of recon mendation in
his behalf, and without word upon the subject
in the annual message.
The vacilla;ions OF Marcy upon the subject
are also presented in very strong light From
The facts thus given, it is difficult to say whe.
Their his ignorance or treachery predo inmates
In the outset he took hold of the case with that
appart ntly positive energy which promised
speedy and satisfactory settlement; but in the
end, under the arga nents of Gushing, Belmont
and Forney, we find our Premier stultitying
himself, in dropping the case, upon the pitiful
plea that we cannot go behind the forms Of law
as administered in despotic countries to the
i
innocent stranger. In other words, we can I
| demand reparation in the case of Captain
! Gibson because the outrages inflicted upon
him by the Dutch authorities Of Java and
| Sumatra were according to the Dutch laws Of
those islands, barbarous though they may be,
and utterly inconsistent with the usages of
| social and commercial intercourse among
nj izoA Thou IL or< ho l.
cality, and we must submit to them. Do not
the Solons Of the administration, including
Pierce, Marcy and Gushing, perceive that this
doctrine leaves them no ground to stand upon
in reference to the Black Warrior and other
outrages against our citizens and commerce
perpetrated under the authosey of the local
laws of the Island of Cuba!
But so it il. The Belmont and Kitchen
Cabinet conspiracy against Gibson have pre-
vailed, and Marcy surrenders. The case is
laid before Congress without recommends
ton, which is equivalent to recommendation
that the claim be rejected. We trust, however,
that the Committee on Foreign Affairs will 60
behind the loose and barbarous code of Java
to the supreme laws and usages governing the
ton with another, and instruct the administra-
ton upon this case accordingly. The personal
malice of Belmont and the Kitchen Cabinet,
and the ignorance of Marcy should not be
permitted to establish precedent which will
endanger the lives and property of Americans
in all the outside corners OF the world in leav-
ing them at the mercy of such savage forms
- s,,oks. h.
Gibson.
The administration have substantially con-
fessed that the inaugural was q humbug and
tie Koszta letter a stupid imposition but
these confessions should never Justify such
wretched mockery of justice to an American
citizen as this decision of the Cabinet upon the
case of Captain Gibson. Let this imbecile, in
triguing, and incompetent administration be
instructed in its duties by the higher authority
of Congress. The future safety of every Ame-
rican ship and of every American citizen
touching at the Dutch East India islands is in
volved in this case of Captain Gibson.
A BOLD ATTEMPT OF THE KITCHEN CABINET
TO PLUMBER THE PUBLIC TREAsURY-REDEEM.
ING HONESTY OF SECRETARY GUrHRIE.-We
publish this morning Washington letter from
the National Democrat, of this city, which
discloses the facts in the late shameless and
Washington, to extort from the United Stats
treasury little Galphin claim, Of the snug
sum, in these hard times, of twenty thousand
dollars. The Specifications of this letter are
substantially the same as those communicated
to us from another source on Thursday evening
last, with triAing exception or two.
According to the statement Of our informant,
after the President had sworn that the bill should
be paid, and after he had tried the legal know
ledge upon the subject of Caleb Cushing to no
purpose, Secretary Guthrie was sent for to come
over to the White House and over he went.
The President asked him if, fortified as he was
by the written opinion of the Attorney Gene
raj, he could not pay over the money? Guthrie
promptly replied" No, sir, not cent ofit-it
was not authorized by Congress. in my judg-
ment; but, Mr.. President your object may be
attained in another way. You may remove me,
or can resign, and some other person may be
substituted who is open to conviction. You
may remove me, or will resign, whichever to
you may be deemed most advisable; but can
not, by God, as Secretary Of the Treasury, al
low that money to be paid.' "Oh no, moi"
replied Gen. Pierce soothingly; "no resig-
nation-n0thing OF the kind meant no
thing of the kind. You are, perhaps
right. We will let the matter rest for the pre-
sent" And so Guthrie stalked out of the White
House the victor, and "to the victor belongs the
spoils"
Let justice he done to Guthrie. We can
almost excuse his rough and despotic
treatment Of Judge Bronson, in view of this re-
deeming affair Of the twenty thousand dollars.
His undinching honesty proved too strong for
the united forces of the Kitchen Cabinet, the