The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1857-12-27

The Last Of the Grcytown Bombardmcnt.
The correspondence which we published yes
terday between the late Secretary Marcy and
Mons. Sartiges in regard to the claims of certain
selfStyled French subjects upon our govern
ment for damages sustained by them during the
bombardment and burning of Greytown, by the
sloop-of-war Cyane, sets completely at rest all
idea Of there being any just or legal ground for
reclamation against the United States for this
single act of vigor during the administration of
our friend, poor Pierce. On the contrary, the
able letter of Mr.. Marcy conclusively shows
that the French gentlemen have put their foot
in it in making any claim at oil.
But not 30 Mons. Sartiges He was too willy
a diplomatist to bring forwaId the claims rs
the representative of the Ry4&Hh government,
and so he merely acted a. hedium through
which "sundry French traders Of Greytown'
might obtain a recognition of their right to
an indemnity from "the equitable sense of
the government of the United States" He
patronizingly assures Mr.. Marcy, however,
that his government is willing he should pre-
sent the little bill of damages, and that if we
are disposed to pay it the Emperor will take
good care that we shall not pay anything over
and above what is right and proper. He winds
up his note by quoting few lines from Mr..
Marcys reply to him upon the propositions Of
the Paris Conference, relative to the respect
held for the persons and effects Of nome combat
ants in war. His note is nice little piece of
French smartness, but his recurrence to the
reply to the propositions of the Congress at Pa
ris shows that that shaft still rankles within
him. We do not think he has any greater rea-
son to be pleased with MarCy's reception of the
| Greytown claims.
Mr.. Marcy tells him fatty, in the first dozen
| lines, that his constituents have no ground of
right or even equity upon which to sustain
their claims; and then gives him so clear an
argument of the case that it not only settles the
lessen in international law to him in his future
career as a diplomatist But Mr. Marcy
goes even farther than proving that the
French gentlemen have no claim against
us, for he very kindly and CONSIDERABLY
points out to him where the claim should
The principle of international law that a
foreigner domiciliated in country must look
to that country for protection, and if he sus-
tains injury through the absence of that pro-
lection, the country of his domicile must in
demnify him, is exemplifed by the cases of the
cany, the claims of the United States England
Prussia and France against Belgium, for
damages sustained by their citizens at Antwerp
by the Dutch in 1880, the American claim;
against Naples in 1907, and finally the course Of
affairs in regard to the bombardment of Copen
hagen by the English in the same year.
Under these precedents, Mr.. Marcy commends
the French gentlemen to the free government
of Greytown, with their claims but as he shows
that these same French gentlemen were them
selves, in part, that government and supposing
that they may not like to pay themselves out Of
their own pockets he considerably gives them
the benefit of an If" If they consider Grey
town as mere municipality under the sove-
reignty of tribe of Indians called Mosquitoes"
then they can present their little bill to King
Sambo Mosquito, and get il if they can. He
closes his reply with some pretty sharp facts in
relation to the matter, and shows that these
same French subjects were no better than they
should he, and roundly states that they had
formed themselves into "a marauding establish
ment too dangerous to he disregarded and too
guilty to go unpunished.' The whole affair Is
therefore returned to Mons. Sartiges, in order
that it may form a subject of discussion for
Mons. Belly, or whoever else the new French
Minister to Central America may be, to discuss
at the high and mighty court Of King Sambo
Mosquito. SO ends the Greytown claims.