The true Democrat., 1855-05-08
Interview with the President


 The friends of Dr. Peck, recently arrested and committed to prison in Havana, have had an interview with President Pierce, at Washing ton, and attempted to pump from him what he proposed to do in the premises. They have re- ported to meeting in New York the result of the conversation. We copy the report:
 The committee from Washington, composed of MesSrs. Perrin and Stafford, and Dr. Fisk, were then heard through their chairman MT. Perrin.
 He stated that the committee went to the White House immediately upon their arrival at Washington, and learned that Cabinet coun- Gil was then in session considering this very case. The President left the cabinet and re- celved the committee, with whom he had about an hours conversation. The committee made statement of the case to the President, who evlnced great interest in it, and said that the matter had already been considered by the Ca- binet. The President commended the tone and manly spirit of the meeting held of the friends of Dr. r. in this city, and the resolutions passed, which he eulogised highly for the ab- sence of anything like filibustersm. The com mittee presented to the Psesident written me- morial of the case, which he took and com- municated to the Washington Unon in which paper it appeared yesterday. Mr. Peak re- marked with reference to the publication of this memorandum and the language of the Union in introducing it, that should govern- ment represent their wishes as we'll as they (the committed had tried to do, they would doubt less all be more than satisfied. Applause. A voice, WaN they?"] He did not know whe- ther they would doubtful things are extreme ly uncertain. Laughter. The committee in conversing with the President, had desired that government agent might be sent to Cuba, inn mediately. The President said he would to- morrow send such an agent. Great applause. ! The President had added that while he would engage in no flibusterng scheme, and allow none to be gotup i'll this country, but on the contrary would put it down if attempted, yet there was a point beyond which forbearance ceased to be a virtue, and that he could not con- celve what had come over the authorities of Cuba, for they seemed to be making an effort to try how much we would bear before coming to the rescue of our commerce and our people, Loud applause. As to the proper plan or means by which our wishes should be carried out, It must of course be left to him and his advisers. But he left the impression on our minds that the time had come when we could no longer cry peace! peace! when there was no peace. This case was but one of many, and the President alluded to the case of Dr. Thomp- son, our consul at Sagua la Grande. MT. Per- rn detailed the circumstances of that arrest at some length. Thompson had been arrested be- cause he refused to take down the American coat of arms from the wall of his consular of flee. A voice. should like to have a shot at them. Great laughter and applause Mir. Perm asked had ever any government wit messed grosser OutrageS upon its citizens than these? The President had remarked that he almost deemed them mad. The spirit of his conversation had led the committee to think and he (Mr. P.) wished the public to know, that the President intends to take proper po- sltlon ln this case. As to the question will he do It? which had been asked, we must all wait to see; but this detail would probably go far to- wards answering the query. After leaving the President, the committee had gone to the State department where they saw Mir. Marcy. He had official documents, just received from our consul at Havana in relation to this case. Mr.. Marcy was, i'll fact, at that moment engaged in making demand on the Spanish minister at Washington, relative to Dr. Peck. The de- spatches forwarded by our consul at Havana, Mr. Robertson, were read to the committee- The consul had first written to Concha, de- manding whether Dr. Peck had been arrested, and was now in prison, and asking an interview with him, if such were the case. Concha an- swered the note, replying that such a person was in prison, and granting the interview. The consul had an interview with Dr. Peck, and re- ceived from him written statement of his bu- siness, state of health, etc., and denying that he was atilibuster or any way connected with such movements, asserting his innocence of all crime, alluding to his family depending upon his professional labors, and demanding an inves- tigation and trial.
 This statement the consul immediately sent to the captain general, with letter directly and manfully demanding an investigation ofwhat- ever allegations were brought against Dr. Peck, should be immediately had. By this time, Dr. Peck had been removed from the filthy stable in which he had at first been imprisoned, and was in comparatively comfortable quarters. Con- cha's reply to this second letter of consul Ro- bertsons was remarkable one. It was that the authorities of Spain did not deem it neces- sary to inform any American citizen aoAiy he was imprisoned; that they were not responsible to their own subjects for information of that nature, nor were they to foreign governments or to their agents. It was enough to know that they considered they had sufficient reason fol what they had done. Cuba was in state o siege. This was Concha's answer. (Great sen- sation.)
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