The Evansville daily journal. [volume] (Evansville, Ia. [i.e. Ind.]) 1848-1862, 1861-03-27


near capsizing. However, through the
watchfuIness and skill of her officers she
came out all right.
Not more than an hour elapsed after the
storm before the clouds dispersed and the
sun came out bright, and the birds chirped
their sweetest notes.
Am Indiana Postmaster fn Jail in
Prussia.
The Berlin correspondence of the N. Y.
World, contains the following account of the
arrest of Mr.. Hagan, Postmaster at Wal
pole, Hancock county, in this state, a nat
uralized citizen, and very estimable man
during recent visit to Prussia to settle his
fathers estate. Gov. Wright, with his usual |
promptitude, procured his release:
Since the ascent to the throne by King
William ", the American minister informs
me he has had considerable more trouble in
reference to the reclamation of American
citizens than heretofore. Several cases have
occurred involving diplomatic interference,
of which the following is the most impor-
tant: Andrew Hagan, native of Prussia,
I
Postmaster at Walpole, Hancock county,
Indiana, was lately summoned here by his
mother to arrange the estate of his father,
recently deceased. He left his wife and two
children at home, and came into Prussian
/ borders under protection of the amnesty act.
| By advice of our Minister, be filed his petit
| ton for remission OF money penalties ia ac-
! cordance with the provisions of the amnes-
ty. He then left Berlin for Nordhausen, the
| residence of his mother with the II nister's
assurance of his protection in case of any
! trouble-.trouble in the case being regarded
as impossible, provided only that the King
was sincere in the assertion put forth in the
amnesty.
| He reached Nurdhausen at 10 A. NJ, Feb
1uary 10th, and was imprisoned at P. NJ,
of the same day. 1t was in vain that he
| appealed to his American citizenship or to
his compliance with the instructions of the
King. He was Immediately dispatched
! to Sangerhausen, garrison town in the
/ mountains, distance of eight hours by
| post, and compelled to pay his own expens-
| es on his unwilling journey. For two days
| they attempted to make him take the oath
of allegiance and service to the King. He
answered substantially You have whips,
and powder and ball in Prussia enough for
all ordinary purposes, but for the extraor-
binary one of making me take this oath
against both my inclination and conscience
there is not artillery enough in Europe
| You may wbip.or shoot me as you please,
but serve / never wiz Meantime his
| friends telegraphed to ambassador Wright.
The ambassador was extraordinarily ex-
cited en- the receipt of the information. He
had been here three years and more-had
| been the first to successfully demonstrate
the inviolabiIity of American citizenship
upon q large scale--had succeeded i'll Fiber
ating every one of these kidnapped travel
! ers (about forty in ally during hitherto SER
vice, and now on the point of being super
seeded by his successor, to leave a fellow
citizen in durance, was what he would not
submit to. But what was above all personal
! consideration, This man was not only citi-
zen, but an officer of the United States, and
in his person, the express and published
promises of the king had been violated.
Mr. f. NJ. Hudson, Of Virginia, secretary
of legation, was Immediately disI '~hed to
Sangerhausen to see that Mr.. Hagen was
not maltreated, which mission he perform
ed with admirable discretion and success
Meantime the Ambassador, hat in hand.
with stride which is known throughout
Berlin as the plucky American Minister'S
e walk that means something" appeared be-
fore Baron Won Schleinitz, and demanded
an instant order for the release of Mr.. Ha-
gen. The demand was coupled with argu-
meuts which did not suggest a convulsed
and timid government behind them. The
alternative was squarely set before the
| Prussian Minister of immediate release; or
diplomatic rupture. The exact words of
| the Ambassador I am not at liberty to re-
cord 1t is sufficient to say that my report
is strictly and considerably within the
bounds of truth. Two days of delay were
employed in pretended communication be-
tween the Minister of Foreign Affairs and
the Minister of War. Meanwhile Prof
| Tellkampf, member of the upper house. a
friend of Gov. Wright, and also intimate
| with Prince Hohenzollern, used all his in
fuence, through the latter, upon the Minis
ter of War; to effect settlement
On Saturday, Feb. 22d, order came for
Mr. Hagen's release He will be hindered
for little time by some court formalitIes,
but is virtually at liberty already l have
all these facts from Gov. Wright himself,
who added to this information his convic-
ton that the amnesty was not honestly
meant, and could not be trusted by our
German citizens
! On Friday evening, Feb. 22d, our embas-
sador gave a splendid dinner About hun
bred Americans were present. Washing
ton, one would have thought, should have
formed the particular subject of the ora
tions, but the Hagen affair had become gen
orally known (the order for his release was
not given until the day foIlowing),
and American pride in our up and
down representative, swept away all con-
ventional topics in one stream of jubilee
and praise. The sad memories of the imbe-
Gle administration at home were in some
measure compensated by qualification at
brave, answering representation abroad.