Washington sentinel. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1853-1855, 1855-02-01


GENTLEMEN; Will you have the kindness to
insert in your journal the accompanying commu-
nication, addressed by me to the Chairman of
the Committee of Foreign Affairs of the House
OF Representatives, in relation to certain let
ter purporting to have been addressed by me
to the Governor General Of the Netherlands
India, copy Of which was recently trans
mitted to Congress along with report from
the Secretary of State, imputing to me the
improper abstraction of it from the files of the
State Department.
Yours, very respectfully,
WALTER M. GIBSON.
TO the Honorable Chairman of the Committee
Of Foreign Affairs Of tie House of Repre-
SIGNATURES, Washington, ID. c., January 81,
1856:
SIR The appearance of communication
from the Secretary of State, addressed TO the
President, under date of January 10, 1855,
and submitted by the President to Congress on
the same day, charging upon me the imputa-
ton Of having improperly distracted from the
hles THE State Department an important docu-
ment, in the suppression Of which | am sup
posed to be interested, calls upon me to
make full statement Of all know concern.
ing the existence, the history, and the matter
of that letter.
The Secretary Of State argues to establish
conclusion, which he strangely ornits to state.
His argument is, that have had access to
the papers in the State Department, and that
no others likely to abstract the letter have had
such access. The Secretary's logic points to
the inevitable conclusion, but lacks the bold
ness to embody it in specific charge.
Deeply as must regret the necessity for
meeting an accusation, which must inevitably
involve, to painful extent, the conduct and
motives, either of the accused or the accuser,
am unable to waive the issue. Contempla-
ting the official height from which this severe
accusation has been cast at me, may not
indulge in passionate invective; but assured
that before the judgment of reason, all men
are equal, am constrained to submit at that
bar my evidences and my conclusions, with
the decency and gravity that becomes the as.
sertion Of what is due to selfrespect.
Although do not intend that my defense
shall rest upon assertions, but upon proofs !;
yet it is naturally expected and proper that
should state the facts of the case. The first
copy that saw of this letter of the 18th of
February, was at. the American Legation, at
the Hague. | obtained there copy during
last summer. / never saw copy Of this letter
at the State Department but on one occasion,
and then in the hands of person attached to
the department. and did not take that copy
from the department know not by whom, if
by any one, the letter was taken from the de-
partment, nor can give any account of its
absence.
! purpose to establish the following conclu-
sions
LIST. That Secretary Marcy, at the time of
writing the letter referred to, did not seriously
hnl hof had hat Al q l.. IL
ter.
I'd. That the mode in which it was laid be-
fore Congress was irregular unnecessary, and
calculated to do me the greatest amount
of injury, which could be accomplished under
the circumstances of the case.
Sd. That until the absence of the letter was
discovered, it was considered of no importance
by the government, while the mode in which it
is communicated is calculated to enhance its
Importance to the highest attainable point.
To establish the assertion that the imputa-
tons alluded to, is fairly conveyed by the Sec
retary's letter, make no argument. / pro-
duce the letter itself:
REPORT FROM THE SECRETARY OF STATE IN
THE CASE OF WALTER NJ. GIBSON.
TO the President of the United States:
After the publication of the correspondence
between the Secretary Of State and the minister
Of the United States to the Netherlands, in
the case of Walter nj. Gibson, called for by
a resolution of the House of Representatives
of the 9th of July last, it was discovered that
an important paper embraced in that resolution.
had not been transmitted. The paper referred
to was the alleged copy Of a letter from Wal
ter M. Gibson to the governor Of Netherlands
India, dated the 18th Of February, 1852.
deem it proper to send to you one which /
believe to be duplicate Of that which was re-
ceived at the department from our minister at
the Hague, with an explanation of the reasons
why it did not accompany my report to you Of
the 10th ult.
1t is the common practice in the department
to allow those having claims against foreign
governments for losses of property or personal
injuries, under its management, to have access
to the papers on file in relation TO their respec-
tive cases. The ordinary course was pursued
in regard to Mr.. Gibson. During the pen
dency OF the negotiations Of his case, down to
the time copies were made for Congress, he
frequently applied for permission to examine
the documents relating to ii, and it was always
granted to him. Mr.. Belmont's despatch Of
the 9Th of March, and the papers which ac-
companied it, we're in his possession, out Of tho
department for some time. He returned, rs
"no ou pPNoSNt ah tuht udu DttH lutrustcu 10
him. 1t is not known or believed that any of
the papers in Mr.. Gibson's case have been in
the hands or under the inspection Of any per-
son but Mr.. Gibson, and those employed in the
department. One Of the documents which ac-
companicd that despatch was Mr.. Van Halls
note OF February %, 1854, in which he states
that copy Of Mr.. Gibson's letter to the COVER
nor Of Netherlands India 1.-THE missing letter.
was attached; and there is no doubt it accom-
panied the copy Of that note sent to this de-
partment by Mr.. Belmont.
Alter the papers we're returned, Mr.. Bel
monts despatch was not found among them
but as Mr.. Gibson was in Europe, and could
not be called on to account for It, application
was made to Mr.. Belmont for duplicate, which
was obtained from him.
Finding the copy Of the letter of Mr.. Gibson
to the Dutch Governor had been omitted in the
documents published by the House of Repre-
sentatives, all the papers in Mr.. Gibson's case
have been since carefully examined, but this