Arkansas true Democrat., 1859-05-04
President Jeffersons s Gun-boat Correspon- dence Between Commodore Stwart and Commodore Kearney.
We take the following from the Ne

States were at that time on unfriendly terms This statement has since been con tradicted by the National Intelligencer and othe papers; and it has even been asserted that Commodore Stewart never made any such assertion, By permission of Commo- dore Kearney, and the politeness of friend, we have been furnished with copies of the following correspondence between COmmodores Stewart and kearney in rela- tion to President Jefferson's gun-boats, which will doubtless settle all controversy as the conviction of Commodore Stewart with regard to the nature of MT. Jetierson's purpose. By the act of Congress, Febru- ary 2S, 1903, fifteen gunboats were ordered; by act of April 2l, 1906, fifty boats were ordered; and by act of December IS, 1906, one hundred and eighty-eight boats were ordered, making in all two hundred and seventy tight boats:
 W7A;Grds Hotel, Hoshington,
 February p, 1859.
 To Charles .Stewart, Esq, Commodore:
 In reading the speeches and comments made in relation to the acquisition of Gu ba, have been struck with the fact that no mention Is made of the intention of Mr Jefferson to make descent upon that Is- land before the war of 1872, and for this purpose he caused to be built a large num- Der of gunboat afterwards so much ridi- culed as useless Nor do 1 now recollect ever having heard the true object which NIr. Jefferson had in view in his gun boat system, except from yourself, if my me- mory serves me.
 My object in writing to you at this time is to elicit from you a statement of your knowledge of the purpose of Mir. Jefferson in building those boats, as disclosed to you at that time, by the President himself; and in order to be certain that did not misun- derstand you, will endeavor to recal a subject of conversation we had some eight or nine years ago, at the National Hotel in this city.
 You will remember that in the year 1857 shortly after the affairs of the Chesapeake and Leopard frigates, many young men sought to obtain mdshipmen's warrants in the navy. Among the rest, your humble servant received one, and expecting to be sent to sea in pursuit of an enemy, and in defense of the flag So dear to every Amer ican boy, l was employed on board gun boats in New York harbor, not in guarding the shores of my native land, but exclu- sively engaged in the performance of kind of police duty under the non-inter- course and embargo acts, " bringing to" and searching vessels of my own country men, while shutting the door of comm rec in the face of England.
 well remember the rebukes this sort of service brought upon the gun-boat navy, and those engaged in it, and the epithets used in derision were in no wise choice that assailed, personally in those days.s
 1 always thought that had more than my share of that kind of duty imposed upon me and that l had not a fair chance for distinction in the earlier years of my naval life
 On the occasion to which allude, at the National Hotel, while in conversation with you was complaining of what considered the unjust treatment that had encountered, in being kept so long on duCy in those gun boats, at once irksome to me, and diStasteful to the people and the officers and men on DOdIu Sdlu bbdtS, anu NdS tOHutUlnIHG the whole gun-boat system from stem to stern as inefficient and almost useless as a coast guard, or for offensive operations against an enemy, and was amenting what 1 conceived to have been total waste of the best years. of my life in the navy
 Now, my dear Commodore it was on that occasion you told me that the gun boats were not intended as coast guard, nor for the usual purposes of naval war fare, but really intended for a descent on the Island of Cuba, with view to it's oc- cupation or annexation to the United States: and at the same time you recalled to my mind fact, that there were then some hun dred and sixty or eighty gun-boats' in all built, and stationed along the coast from Maine to Georgia, apparently as a coast guard, and that they were so stationed really with a view to deceive foreign powers as to the purpose for which they were intend. ed; that they were gradually broughtto our soutEen coast, until there were several fiotlllas in those waters preparatory to the intended attack upon Cuba, so but for the transpiring of some event, possibly the ap- II out of the orders in council; and impress ment of our own seamen upon the high seas, and he e Chesapeake affair."" the scheme of MT. Jefferson for the acquisition of Cuba would have been carried out. and Cuba have been ours.
 In concluding this long communication to one whose heart, ever warm to the honor and interests. of a country he has so long. so ably and successfully served, no apology is necessary. l but submit it, asking per mission to make public such facts as you may think of any importance (to history) in your reply.
 am very respectfully,
 Your ob't serv't,
 "(Signed) L. KEARNEY.
 BoRDENTowN, N. J., March 3, 1859. Capt. Laurence Rearney, c. s. ":
 DEAR SIR: 1 have just received your telegraph of yesterday, preceded by one from Mr. Crabbe and Capt. Engle on the same subject 1 have not received your let ter of Friday last, but presume it is on the way. You probably allude to letter YOU wrote me dated 22d ult.. making sinauiry in relation to President Jefferson and his gun boats To this letter I could not i'm. mediately reply from disability of my right arm from boil l am now able to use it again, and l answer you my old and ster- ling friend, as to our little navy, thus: What you say you heard me relate on that subject is correct, and the history of the thing is thus: Ir our attack on Tripoli in 1894, under Commodore Preble, we had