Weekly national intelligencer. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1841-1869, 1864-07-07
DUR PARIS CORRESPONDENCE.


all lesser Things Ia order to devote this letter TO the really
interesting ceremony which took place at Eayre on Wed
nesday last have before mentioned that that the
day fixed for the Inauguration Of the line of French
postal steamers between Hayrs and New York and the
departure of the Washington her FIRST voyage The
occasion important both for France and Ame
RIGA, and it determined to celebrate it worthily
special train of ten dozen left Paris for Havre at
a A. NJ, conveying two hundred gentlemen invited
by the General Transatlantic Company to be present
among whom large number Of the lea ling financial
and commercial pesonsges of the capital, official and
official and by the kind courtesy of the Directors the
principal Representatives Of the Paris and American pre-
The journey after being ageeaby interrupted by hand
deuntr offered the travellers by the company at
Rouen terminated at the Havre station whence the en-
tire party proceeded in body to visit the new vessel
then lying in the harbor ready to start at and
with every thing board in shpshape fashion and apple
pie order for Inspection. The Washington is magui6
cent vessel and directors, shareholders and all present
loud in the expression of their admiration her fine
proportions, vast Dimensions and handsome and
dous fittings The national triumph would doubt have
been much complete had she hailed from the yard of
French builder instead Of from Greenock and the Clyde
But the French may be justly proud of her ss
well that of tho eight others of similar which are
ultimately with her this third great transatlantic
line established by them since the restoration of tn EN-
pre- Her nominal tonnage $780, bur her real stowage
is equal to $500. Her saloons, smoking rooms bath
rooms Offices plate, lines cab and xings seem COM
modous and elegant TO the highest degree Her engineer
nomnay OF $50 horse power are superior to any Of the
Cunad line the Persia and Scotia and expected
ultimately drive her the Atlantic from Hayre to
New York in twelve days 1t is not intended, however
to force her this her first passage which may there
fore be two days longer and this letter may therefore, pos
sby be in time to announce her coming She performed
remarkably well in her voyage from The Clyde and the
engineers informed us that previous raltrips
that speed OF seventeen knots had been obtained
even with engines After a inmate pspe cton Of
the vessel adjournment made to Frasca6's we'll
known establishment where banquet was prepared to
which all the notabites of Havre and the peghborhood
were invited. The chair of President taken by M
Emile Pereire, of the Credit Mobiles, who, more than
thirty years ago, aided in the formation of the first portion
of the railway line from Paris to Havre, and now taking
it again at the latter place may be said to have been
mainly Instrumental in completing it between Paris and
New York. His was the first speech of the evening in
which he compared the power OF credit TO the point
doppui demanded by Archmedes to move the world"
But he attributed all the progress which bad been made
and all the glory of France to the reestabsen Of tho
Empire by the worthy successor Of Napoleon L., whose
health he concluded by proposing.
He followed by M Vandal, Counsellor of Ssate, who
narrated equeny the establishment of the French steam
lioes in the Mediterranean well as those to India
China and Japan to Brazil and La Plata to the West
Indies Mexico and Panama, and lastly to New York
and North America by the united efforts Of private enter
prise and Government patronage neither of which said
could have sufced alone The Government grant to thu
two last mentioned enterprises alone confded TO the
General Trans Atlantic Company, exceeded nine millions
and proof of the interest taken 10 them by
the administration and that the monopoly of trans atlantic
communication no longer TO belong to England and
America The peroration of THE genemsns speech was
considered eloquent that the assembly insisted on his
repeating it, twas an Invocation to the line of ves-
sells whom he bade daughters OF air aud fire. seek
the Eastern and Western hemlspheres carrying in the
fods of the national banner the influence and genius of
France and bidding God speed and ayoriDg winds and
fortunes to the armadas OF peace"
NJ Michel Che1alier who called here the French Cob
den spoke next referring appropriately to the of
Washington and Lafayette and to the ancient union and
friendship Of their two countries cemented anew by
fresh links. Lastly Mr.. Dayton the American Mlnlstsr
who was present spoke in English promising TO the Wash
ngton and her eonsorts hearty welcome from his country
the other side of the Atlantic and coDgratuatinR
American travellers in France upon the and commo-
dious way homewards now once opened to them.
After the banquet the company adjourned To the piers
and house to the Washington let her moorings
and put She went fairly laden with cargo and
passengers, and will soon, hope give good account Of
herself in another hemisphere.
. PARIS, JUNE 81, 1854.
The which this mail bri q gs out to you from Eu
rope will be received with thrill of satisfaction by every
breast throughout the Union The intelligence is soon
told, 1t may be summed up in very few NOTES.-THE
ALABAMA HAS CEASED TO EXIST. She has disappeared
from the forever sunk by the Federal steamer the
Keasage The general excitement and sensation created
by the incident s immense. Nothing else talked Of It
is an ptome of the great struggle the other side of the
Atlantic brought to European shores and long hence in
diter inhabitants oil
western cosst Of France will speak of the fierce fight which
took place that fine Sunday morning the 10Th Of June
1864 something which affected and brought home to
themselves keeny than be done by any telegram
the consciousness of the tremendous conflict which WIS
being carried on elsewhere
But to turn to the facts of the case Intelligence had
scarcely reached that the Confederate cruiser had left
the China when she made her appearance and put
into the port of Cherbourg need not say that the Anne
rcan consular and Diplomatic authorities were on the qu
pioe and that it anxious time for Mr. Dayton con-
sderng the delicate nature Of the relations between the
Governments with respect to such matters and the
desire that possible chance should be lost of
destroying this punderer the ocean believe may
say that the French authorities acted the whole fairly
the matter, and though allowing Capt Semmes TO OBJ
tain supply OF provisions, clothing and fuel took care
that be should receive nothing else And the rover had
wberewith to pay He is said to have broueh into Cher
bourg with him sum OF eight millions of francs, which,
with the savings of his crew, his will hs log and
fight the Keararge then lying off the harbor waiting for
him Why he went out at all, rather why he out
deliberately to fight instead of first attempting usual
escape without lighting, it seems difficult TO say The
Kearsarge s said to have sent in courteous challenge.
have been given to understand by intelligence from a
Southern source that Capt. Semmes held council of
with his officers who unanimous to accept the con-
fct. That upon this Capt. Semmes tclegraphed mp TO
Mr. Sdell 10 Paris, and that il eventually determined
that be should 90 out and fight; and fortunately for the
of American commerce, out he went aud met with
his fate letter from Cherbourg, published this morn.
ing the Debas says that the feeling in the French feet
- II. .1.s.t AZ