Evansville daily journal. (Evansville, Ind.) 1863-1866, 1865-01-09

anchor, but as be did not attend to thi
intimatiou, and continued TO spprosc
the Florida, At the same time firing
gun and some mHsketry, the eommau
der Of the Naval division Of the Empir,
stationed in those waters sent an Office
on board the Wachusett and informe,
her commander that the ships of th,
division aud the forts would open frl
upon her If she should attack tn
Florida. The Brazilian officer was no
allowed to make fast to the Wachusett
but the officer of the deck hailed him
saying, IL reply, that be accepted th'
lntimation given; that be should d.
nothing more, and that he was going L
return to his anchorage. The com
mAnder Of the Brazilian division theI
thought proper to rstify his intimatior
by firing gun, upon which a complets
silence followed between the two ships
/ Wachusett and Florida. At the time
I this was passing the corvette d Janaaris
-On board which the commander oi
/ division had hoisted his aAg-lay head
I to food, the steamer Florida anchored
( B. B., side by side of her, and quite
I close to the shore, and between her and
the corvette the Wachusett stopped her
wheels The commander Of division
then observing, Notwithstanding the
darkness of the night, that the WachG-
sett, from the position in which she was,
kept moving onward and was passing
ahead Of the corvette, in course E b,
became convinced that in fact she was
steering for her anchorage, thus COMPLY
ing with the promise made
But, few moments Afterwards, per-
ceiyiug that the Florida was in motion,
the commander the discovered that
the Nachuseit was taking her of in
TOW, by means Of long cable. Sur
prised at such an extraordinary attempt,
the commander Immediately set about
stopping this, aud radressing, at the
same time, as 6ehooved him, the offence
thus done to the dignity aud sovereignty
Of the Empire But, availng himself
OF the darkness Of the night, and of
other circumstances, the commander Of
the Waehusett succeeded in carrying
his prize over the bar, and escaping the
just punishment he deserved.
The consul, Wilson, preferred to aban-
don bis post, Withdrawing on board the
Wachuselt
The Government Of II. NJ, as soon as
il had official information Of the event,
addressed to the Legation OF the United
States at Rio JaneiFo a note, in which,
giving succinct exposition Of the fact,
u declared that it had no hesitation in
believing il would hasten to give TO il
all proper assurance that the Govern
ment of the Union would attend to the
just reclamation Of the Empire as
promptly and fully as the gravity Of the
case demanded.
In correspondence with this expecta-
tive note the. worthy representative Of the
United States vas prompt in sending bis
reply, ia which be declares be IL con.
ytaced that his Government will give to
that Of the Empire the reparation which
is due to it.
Such are the facts to which the under.
signed has received ordes-rso call the at
tsntion Of the Hon Wjnera, II. Seward,
Secretary Of State Of an limited States.
| The principles Of interT al lnwwhlcil
/ regulate this matter, alons respect o
/ which there is not the ieasl divergence
among the most distinguished publicists,
are common and known 70 all The un.
dersiRned would fail to recognise the
\ high intelligence of the Honorable Mr..
I Seward, II, perchance, he should enter,
I in this respect, into fuller Developments.
He limits himself, then, only to recall
a memorable example, in which these
4 principles, invariably sustained by the
United States, had entire application.
I In 1893, the great Washington then be.
ing President Of the United States, and
the ilIusirious Jefferson Secretary oI
State, the French frigate rEmbuseade
captured the English ship Grange ia
Delaware Bay, thus violating the neu.
trality and the territorial sovereignty oil
the United States The American Gov
ernment demonstrated energetically
against this violation, and required from
the Government Of the French Republic
not only the immediate delivery of the
captured vessel, but also the eomplets
liberation of all persons found on board
Ikis reclamation was promptly satisfied
Mech more grave, certainly, is the oc
cuITenee IN the port OF the province o
Bahia, which makes the subject Of thi
present note By the special circum
stances which preceded and attended II
this act has no parallel in the annals o
modern maritime war.
The commander Of the Wachusett no
only grayely offended the territorial in
munities Of the Empire, passing beyonl
} the laws Of var by attacking treachsl
ously, during the night, defenceles
, ship p, whose crew, much reduced, becaus
more than sixty men were on shore wit
] the commander and several officers, re
pssed unwary beneath the shadow Of th
protection which the neutrality Of th
} Empire guaranteed to them; and s
, open as the violation, so manifest th
offence, that the enlighted America
= press was almost unanimous in couden
; nation of the inexcusable proceeding {
/ Commander CoIlinA On this Occasiol
e remembering the United States, who's
! autecedents are well known and note
g in history, by the energetic defense o
i and respect for, neutral rights, Of thes
e unshaken principles, the undersigue
4 cannot consider the event which occu
cd at Bahia otherwise than as the ind
8 vidual act OF the commander Of Il
e Wachusett, not authorized or approve
!, By his Government and that il will Co
q sequently give to the Government of b
a Majesty the Explanations and repair
E, iions which, IN conformity with inteFnl
d tionsl laws, are due 10 power whit
1t maintains friendly and pacific relation
e with the United States The Just :
.e clamation Of the Imperial Governne
b being thus presented. the undsrsign'
q awaits the reply Of the Hon. Mr. Ss'
y ard, and, fully condding in his s1alt'
N wisdom, aud n the justice Of the Go
a. eminent Of the United States, be b
,e not even for moment doubted but th
it will be as satisfactory as the inconte
d ible right which aids the Empire, a.
J. the vast gravity Of the ofenss viii
2 was done TO it, mar require.
ty The undersigned avsils himself
n this opportunity Of having the honor
Y reiterats to the Hon. Wm. Il. Sews
vs. the professions Of bis most dist