Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1857-09-09
ing the cause of the South in Kansas or else

ooWn at nome. he Is proverblally wise, pat
riOtic and cautious man-too wise, too patriotic,
and too cautious to risk his future capacity for
public utility by uniting his fortunes with those
of any anti-Democratic-p arty cabal whatever,
even though founded on the pretence that the
interests of the South will be safer under some
guardianship other than that of the great Dem
ocratic organization of the Confederacy, which,
through good and evil report, and in dark as
we'll as bright times has, in the main, fully
and fairly indicated its right to the entire con-
| idence of the South, whose statesmen can here
after, as up to this time, always shape its policy
for the entire conservation Of the rights of the
| Southern States under the Constitution.
A VERY INTERESTING LErrER.-The friend
to whom it was addressed, has favored US with
the following interesting letter from Mr.. Ever
EFT, U. S. N, the chief engineer on board the
U. S. steam frigate Niagara, concerning the
attempt to lay the cable and the performance OF
the ship and her engines, which were made by
James Murphy Co., of the Fulton Iron Works,
New York, it will be recollected:
U. s. STEAMER NIAGARA
At Sea, Aug. IA, 1857. {
We laid down three hundred and
thirty-fve miles and then parted it August IIth
| 1t was caused by the heavy brakeage put on the
paying out machine and a sudden Jerk brought
on the cable by pitching of the ship Now the
| deed has been done, of course there lots of
people on board who knew it would happen; out
my opinion Is, every care was used; but it was
| an experiment. the whole affair, and people can
only learn by experience. However, such altera-
| tons have suggested themselves in the machine
Iy az perhaps to cure some of the evils; but lay
| ing cable across the Atlantic is no joke and is
| hazardous in the extreme, at best.
or course, the three hundred and thirty five
miles laid Is lost for good; and all Of the vessels
| are now route for Plymouth to wait for-What
next' II sufficient amount OF cable can be made
in time to try it again in October, have no doubt
| it will be done. If not, the business must be
not be determined for week after arrival
so that, no matter what is done, shall be i'm
England from seven to nine weeks.
| The Agamemnon is one of the fastest screws I'm
| the English navy and have been afraid of her
| and hoped we would not be brought in for trial
OF speed. But yesterday il could not be helped
we Were Just abeam OF her; and the Susquehanna
about two miles ahead, all of us going easily
along, when Capt. Sands signaled 81 am going
to Portsmouth AS much as to say GO Can't wait
for the like Of you" In less than five minutes
| huge clouds Of black smoke were pouring from
| the tunnels of each ship that told of hard work
This was at a IN. At s O'Clock we could Just
| see smoke astern that told the Agamemnon was
somewhere there. The Susquehanna was about
halfway between us and the A gamemnon was
delighted to beat the 5 for having the impudence
to banter us for a race. She was just in good
i,f d.
We slowed" down to three knots, and waited
for both ships, and last night all went moderately
| along together. This morning we are at it again,
seventy miles from Portsmouth, There is a good
| breeze, and think the Agamemnon will beat the
Susquehanna, though they so far astern can
| not say positively. We log twelve-and- "a half
and thirteen knots.
We are now in very good order, the engines
work king exceedingly well but have had good
deal Of work to do since we left New York. 1t
takes vast deal Of care, not to mention anxiety,
n 70 hes Ia ,T Yves i'm
My belief is that the Niagara can now beat any
We have had any quantity of attention shown
us, and more dinners than an alderman could
stow away, since we came here. But now the
| cable is broken trust We shall he not SO much
thought of.
p. 5. We are in sight of Plymouth
The ALLEGED AMERICAN DUEL IN South
AMERIcA.-The following official account of
| this affair has been communicated to the State
Department:
DEPARTMENT OF STATE.
Washington, September :, 1851. {
As statements have been published in the news
papers in regard to the alleged duel between Pro-
fessors Moore and Francis, in the Napo region
Ecuador resulting in the death of the latter il il
believed that the friends of both gentlemen will
be interested in the following very different YER
sion of that catastrophe, communicated at the
time Of its occurrence, by the Ecuadorian Minis
ter for Foreign Affairs to the minister of the
United states in Quito, by whom it was trans
United to this department.
'On the 10Th of April, at O'Clock in the even
ing, Mr.. Francis was seated at the door of the
house which he occupied, together with his COM
panion, Mr.. Moore The latter was in the dark
and within the house, preparing his gun for The
purpose Of shooting night-bird that had, on
many previous occasions, prTchsd oil the roof of
the building, and, as he was fixing on cap, the
hammer fell, the gun went OH, and wounded the
unfortunate Mr.. Francis. This is the account
given OF the occurrence in the declarations i'm
bodied in the preliminary examination conducted
By the Governor in relation to the event COPY
OF II is hereby transmitted in order that the Min
| lister may have full knowledge Of the circum-
stances
the wound received by MIR Francis is a very Sc
rious one, and likely 10 result in death. Ex-
tremely painful would it prove to the Government
of Ecuador should this unfortunate occurrence be
attended by such result. For the purpose, there
fore, as much as in its power lies, of warding of
such contamination, and Of thus paving trib-
ute to science and giving a proof Of the estima-
ton in which the citizens of the great Republic
are held, il has issued orders to the Governor of
| the Province Of the East to spare no expense or
sacrifice in endeavoTing to save the precious life
OF the distinguished American naturalist as will
be seen, Mr.. Minister, from the copy which YOU
will find enclosed by this Department"
The following extract from despatch received
the 18th instant from the Minister Of the l. nited
states in Ecuador and dated nth July, appears
to preclude the idea that the death of Mr. Francis
was the result Of duel:
= no" Dy letters from MesSrs. Moore
and George Corbin Edwards, that, after suffering
intensely for some two months, DIR. Francis died
OF his wound on the 18th of June. Mr. Moore
Pufsues the object of the exploration alone, aud
has proceeded down the Maranon and Amazon
rivers"
The FIFTH AUTHORSHIP OF THE TREASURY.
The Hon Murray Mcconnell, Of Illinois, Fifth
Auditor of the Treasury, is understood to have
written yesterday to the President that his COM
mission is at that functionary's service whcr
ever circumstances may seem to him (the Pre-.
idenD to require that he should apply the prn-
ciple Of rotation in his case and that he de-
sired that letter to be regarded as his resigna-
ton, to take effect ut the time indicated above
Our impressions, from all VIC can learn, how
ever, are not such as to induce us to believe
that there will soon be a change in the Office
filled by Mr.. McC.
NAVAL Courts OF INQUIRY in