Worcester daily spy. [volume] (Worcester [Mass.]) 1850-1888, 1858-12-17
IMPORTANT FROM WASHINGTON.

WASHINGTON, Wednesday, Dec l5.-The
President, to-day, communicated TO the House
of Representatives the information called for
by Mr.. Clay'S resolution. The communica-
ton merely gives the facts, as furnished from
the State and Navy Departments Secretary
Cass sends a letter from Mr.. Dodge, our Min
lister at Madrid in which it stated that Spain
refuses the mediation of England in her Mexi-
can quarrel. Numerous extracts are also Civ
en- from correspondence of Mr. Dallas, and
from the Spanish Secretary for Foreign At
fairs. Then follow from the Navy Depart
ment two letters from Captain Mcintosh with
accompanying documents. The first letter is
from tlag-Otilcer Mcintosh received by the
Washington, in which he states briefly what
he had done and the policy he should pursue.
The second letter gives details and indorses
letters from Captain Jarvis, who first boarded
the Washington, and Captain Aldham, of the
British Navy. This correspondence exhibits
the facts that British officers visited the Wash
ington, that Captain Mcintosh complained that
Captain Aldham attempted to Justify the act
on the ground that the ship was in waters COW
cred by British protectorate. Captain Nc
Intosh, in his reioinder, was still beligerent,
when Captain Aldham explained that the visit
was entirely of a friendly character, such as is
usual among vessels lying in port
captain Mcintosh responds that the visit
might have been friendly, but the inquiries
made on board were highly Objectionable as
they had the appearance of an attempt to
search an American ship.
The British Commander closes his dispatch
by openly disayowing any such intention. de-
claring that his Government had entirely
abandoned all such claim, and that Her Males
tvs officers were specially instructed to abstain
from visiting or searching an American ship
This candid avowal necessarily reconciled
matters and restored kind feelings. The Gov
eminent here is highly pleased with the con-
duct Of Flag-Ofticer Mcintosh, and though his
health is bad, Secretary Toucey has not deter
mined to recall him.
After reviewing the whole matter, the cur
rent impression is that the affair of the Wash
mgton is fortunate rather than otherwise
While our officers have shown their resolution
to vindicate our rights, the British officials ac-
knowledge their total abandonment of former
pretensions.
lG my dispatch Of yesterday, l intimatcd
that such would be the views of the Admins
tration. - Special Dispatch to the Neo York
Times.
Lord Napier has received dispatches from
the commander of the British squadron at
Nicaragua, the contents of which he has COM
municated to this Government. The expla-
nation given of the visit to the Washington is
said to be perfectly satisfactory to the Admin
istration, which, indeed is ready to clutch at
any excuse to get out of the scrape it has got
into by its unstatesmanlike management of
Central American affairs, by its underhand en-
enlargement of the Rlibusters, and its brag-
CART assertion on paper of the Monroe doc
trlne, which 1t dare not and cannot practically
maintain. The universal impression here
among the Democrats is that the Admnistra-
ton has been quietly snubbed in Nicaragua by
the allied Powers, and that Mr.. Buchanan and
his Southern masters are content to pocket
the affront rather than risk a war with Great
Britain, France, and Spain combined. The
prospect of bullying Spain into parting with
Cuba is not very brilliant