The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1854-09-14

their true interests, ana throw no more oO-
stacles in the way of this much needed i'm
provement.
CAPTAIN GIBsoN's CAsE-IMBECnLTY OF
| MARCY AND BELMoNT-By q Washington
| despatch and the articles from the Echo
| Universal of the Hague. which are else
where published, it will be seen that Capt.
| Gibson's war with the Dutch is rapidly
! approaching climax. On the one hand, the
Dutch government positively refuse to grant
him ony indemnity for his past wrongs; on the
| other, the whole collection OF comments in the
case, including the reasonable letter on which
the prosecution was founded, have, by an ex-
traordinary oversight of the Dutch authorities,
passed from their GNnds into those of Mr. Glib
| son, who Of course refuses to surrender them.
| Both parties are thus foiled in their aims: MI.
Gibson in his demand for money the Dutch
in their attic mpt to vindicate the course pur-
! sued by their colonial officers. OF the two, the
latter are perhaps in the worst perdicament,
for the whole machinery Of their government
| in IDdia which they have always SO vigilantly
concealed from the knowledge Of the world, is
1
] Gibson. These will doubtless find their way
into the new papers before long, and we shall
all have the satisfaction of being able to judge
| the authorities of Batavia on their own EVIL
| dence.
Still. annoying as such exposure will prove
| to the Dutch cabinet it will afford but sorry
consolation to Capt. Gibson. Such wrongs as
4 he
| ton of mans lawful business by arbitrary
| measures admit Of no other compensation tnan
damages in money. To prove that the Dutch
officers in Batavia are dishonest, tyrannical and
uDprincipled will not supply Captain Gibson
| WITH bread. To stamp them as odious m,scre-
ants will not restore to Captain Gibson the sta
ton and property he enjoy before they robbed
him.
| Nor can it be pretended that his refusal to
surrender the private documents which found
| their way into his hands has invalidated the
strength of his claims. He cound not possibly
have OWNED that the papers which were sent
him by the Foreign Office were sent him by
| mistake; and his Intermediate the govern.
meIt intended to drop the prosecution and hand
i j
debtor ny surrendering his bond was on
the whole as reasonable an Interpretation
Of the matter as any. That he should
have FASTENED to transmit these conclusive
| proofs of his innocence to the friends In
| America who had taken up his cause, was the
most natural thing in the world. He canuot re-
turn papers which are not 10 his possession:
and if he had them still, it would be very ques-
tionable whether he is bound by any principle
| of equity or law to surrender them.
| On the whole, therefore, the question of
Captain Gibson's claim to indemnity is as clear
| and plain as it ever was: and our government
is obviously bound to see that it is obtained
IF there were no other circumstances to
bear in mind than the bare outrage on
Captain Gibson, it would be the duty
Of the administration to insist on PREPARATION.
As it is principle Of serious moment is in
volved in the case. The safety of American
citizens travelling or trading in the Dutch East
Indies depends in very large measure on the
issue Of the present dispute For years and
years the Dutch have lorded it over our eouu-
trymen in Batavia, committing all sorts of
high-handed outrages with perfect impunity
1t il time this were stopped. Captain G,bson's
case should be made an example, q precedent
for the future.
We have not the smallest hope that this will
be done. Mr. Marcy is far too busy organizing
buccap cering expeditions against defenceless
cities in Central America to think of our rights
in Batavia. For the sake of brayado, he il
ready to burn helpless town to avenge Mr.
Borland, who rictly merited far heavier pun
isbment than be received at the hands of the
people of San Juan: but when real case of in.
jury occurs bis policy is weak, shutting and
timorous Before apetty miserable opponent
like the city of San Juan, Marcy is brave as
lion: but the Dutch find him weak rs a lamb
His nominee, Mr.. Belmont, il quite as useful to
the country. The exchange office he has
set up is fcurishing, and the Rothschilds
use him in consequence Of his quality as an
American citizen to transact their business with
the belligerent powers. He thinks far more Of
making few thousands by negotiating loans
than Of enforcing the rights Of American citi-
zens. This was to be expected.
THE MrsTERrous ExPEpITIoN.--The steamer
Benjamin Franklin, which was prepared to 60 out
With General Piez, against Venezuela, has been
embraced by the ant orfea of the limited at Ates