The national era. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1847-1860, 1855-04-05

upon an American citizen with impupity, has
forgotten all about it. 4 E
Il Take another case, that ofECaptain Gibson,
On his return from the East Indies, he laid
before the Federal Executive statement of
grievances which he alleged he had suffered
from the Dutch auti1 rites in Batavia. twas
a case demanding prompt attention and thor
ough investigation; but it was with extreme
difficulty, and not until he had got the news
paper PRESS at work, that he could secure any
notice from the Department of State. Nego-
tatiens with the Dutch Government for DANA
4 Ees were then instituted, but most unreason-
ably protracted, until at last a copy of letter
coming to light, in which Captain Gibson ap-
pears as having solicited pardon from the Ba-
tavian authorities, on the ground that, under
the impulse of romantic notions, he may have
been led into acts not consistent with the laws
of the country, the Administration, without due
examination, without inquiry under what cir
cumstances, with what motives the letter was
written, whether it was not device of the
helpless prisoner to save his life, then threat
ened every moment, eagerly availed itself of
the occasion to get rid of troublesome case.
Whatever may be the merits of this claim upon
its Justice, its conduct does not evince a very
Jealous or jealous anxiety to protect American
citizenship.
A still palmer case of delinquency is its
conduct towards Alfred G. Benson, one of the
most enterprising merchants of New York city.
| A &c II ho1I ~,
adventure, so far back as 1S4l, he engaged in
the business of transporting emigrants to Ore
gon, California and the Sandwich Islands, on
the faith of inducements held out to him by
the Federal authorities, and perhaps more than
any other single man, contributed to lay the
foundation of American Empire on the shores
of the Pacific After he had done his work,
he was abandoned by those whom he had
trusted; and on a claim in the Navy Depart
ment for 100000 damages, received only
$4,000, Mr.. Graham, the Secretary of the
Navy, remarking at the time, Congress should
giue you a bounty Of land for yom' services,
bm cannot pay you IN money"
Untiring in his enterprise, having heard, in
the year 1851, that there were heavy deposites
of guano on the Islands of Lobos de Afuera,
lying some forty miles off the coast of Peru,
and informed, the following year, that these
islands had never been occupied by either
Spain or Peru, he caused a letter to be written
to the American Secretary of State, inquiring
whether they belonged to any nation, and
whether guano might be taken from them,
as well by citizen of the United States as a
citizen or subject of any other Power. June
5, 1852, DANIEL WEBSTER replied, that the
islands were open to the world assigning the
reasons for this statement, and closing his let
ter as follows:
"Under these circumstances, it may be con-
sidered the duty Of this Government to protect
citizens of the United States who may visit the
Lobos Islands, for the purpose of obtaining
guano. This duty will be more apparent, when
it is considered that the consumers of Chincha
Island guano in this country might probably
obtain it for half the price they now pay, were
it not for the charges of the Peruvian Govern
ment. shall consequently communicate
copy of this letter to the Secretary of the Navy,
and suggest that vessel of war be ordered to
repair to the Lobos Islands, for the purpose of
protecting from molestation any of our citizens
1t has been said that the Letter of Mr. Web
ster was his own act alone. This is not true.
He was Secretary of State, and as such be
communicated this information for the benefit
of American citizens; and his letter OaS APP
proved by President Fillmore, fact which it is
man to deny.* 1t was, therefore, an act of the
Federal Executive; and this is further shown
by the fact, that June 9th, the Secretary of the
Navy assured the agent of Mr.. Benson, that
full protection would be granted to American
citizens visiting the islands that June 10th,
the Secretary Mr.. Graham) despatched written
orders to Commodore McCauley, instructing
him to send one of the vessels of his squadron
for their protection, at the same time transmit
ting copy of Mr.. Webster's letter; and that
about the same time, information of all these
facts was communicated, by the Departments
of State and of the Navy, to various merchants
in Boston, in reply to their inquiries. Con-
fding in the honesty, intelligence, and good
faith of the Federal Executive, and its assu-
RANGES of protection, Mr.. Benson at once pro-
ceeded to enter into heavy contracts, and fit
out expeditions on a stupendous scale, for the
importation of guano from the Lobos Islands
into this country and England. Meantime,
| the Peruvian Minister at Washington protested
against the action of the Administration; a cor
respondenee followed; whilst, in letter to Mr..
Osma, August 2lst, 1852, Mr.. Webster reitera-
ted his reasons for assuming that the Islands
were not within the rightful jurisdiction of
Peru, but closed by conceding, under instruc.
tons from the President, that "until further
examination of the case," no citizen would be
countenanced in defending by force the prose
cution of any commercial enterprise to those
Islands, and proper orders should be at once
issued to the naval forces of the United States
in that quarter, to prevent collision, &c.
August 25th Mr.. Kennedy, Secretary of the
Navy, wrote to Commodore McCauley, "to
suspend, until further orders" the execution
of his former Instructions and to abstain
from aiding or abetting any citizen of the Uni
ted States who may forcibly resist the execu-
cution of the laws of Peru by the authority of
that Republic"
Of course, this was death-blow to the en-
terprise of Mr.. Benson. The support of the
Federal Executive, on which he had relied, was
suddenly, without notice to him, withdrawn,
and he was left to fulfil as he could, the i'm
mense contracts he had entered into.
Towards the close of the year, without con-
Sultafion With hin, ae m the vast liabilities he