The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1874-04-16

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defend the banks of the Loire.
The Greece and tho Europe-Unpleas-
ant Consequences OF Fortunate
Rescue.
In the rescue of the passengers and mails OF
the French steamer Europe by the English
steamer Greece the plain facts of the case
the facts that are indisputably clear-reAect
great credit upon the seamanship and human
ity of the British captain. He delays his own
voyage nearly day he sends out his boats
in heavy sea and extends the hospitality Of
his ship to four hundred human creatures,
who, but for him and his service, would now
in all probability be numbered in the mourn
ful chronicle that keeps the names of the ill
lated Vile du Favre. As . sailor and man,
we may say that he could have done no less,
and this is easily said, without the considera-
ton that very much less has often been done
In these cases. In our judgment this captain
acted handsomely and nobly and the
leading fact in the case is that he
saved four hundred human lives without an
accident. For conduct like this we might
reasonably suppose that no word could be
said on the subject not to his credit, and
especially that those indebted to him for their
lives would have the grace and manly spirit
to speak only in praise Of the services rem
dered to them in such extremity. Instead of
recognizing his gid, however, they ungener-
ously impugn his motives They seem to for
get the whole story in the energy with which
they remember some petty detail. They cor
rect some statement of his that does not agree
with their remembrance, and take the occasion
to Witty and libel him; they raise point of
veracity; they deal with small shortcomings
indicating a remarkably close observation
and a remarkably retentive memory of every
| thing but the one great and leading fact in
the case.
| ALI this we regret to see, because sympathy
is naturally moved in favor of the French
captain and company, who have lost their
ship, and it is unfortunate that this sympathy
should be forfeited by q mistaken course, and
especially when this mistaken course puts the
French captain in an irreclaimably false posi-
ton. He is in o case to need to be saved
from his friends. Little that he could now
say, or that could be precautionary said on his
behalf by others, could better his position
legally with regard to the salvage of the
Europe, if case should arise between him
and the prize crew put on his ship from the
Greece. But apparently no such case can
ever arise for the prize crew have been
landed-they having in their turn given up
the ship-so that if she is still afoat,
which is unlikely, the rights that may have
been acquired by the people from the Greece
have been extinguished by their abandonment
Of the vessel, and new and totally different
question will arise if she is cast on any shore.
Even if the case had arisen as between these
parties there is pretty clear reason to believe
that ME French owners must have had the
worst of it. 1t is said now that when the
French captain left his vessel he left her with
the intention to return that he went away
only to communicate personally with the
English captain in regard to the passengers
| and it is further said that this was declared
and understood at the time. If this is
true, if the French captain went away
intending shortly to return, then the
Europe was not an abandoned vessel; and
if the British captain, as charged, prevented
his return forcibly, this was wrong
on the part of the English sailors, and they
could derive no advantage from their own
wrongful act. But we must remember that it
is disputed and very explicitly denied on the
part of the English that the French captain
intended to return to his ship. And in this
difference the intention of the French captain
would scarcely be accepted from his own dec
larations made now, but would have to be
derived from his acts. These seem to be
against him. He had life preserver on. He
is reported to have said, in coming on the
Greece, that his own ship would not float
three hours, and if this could be proved it
would surely indicate that he left her because
he thought any effort to save her would be
hopeless. Several facts of the same nature
seem to weigh heavily against his declared
intention.
As we have said however, it seems to us to
be great error on the part of his friends to
provoke the discussion of these points by
making what seem to us very in-judged
charges against Captain Thomas. Some Of
these are already openly made, and some
others are included in letter which has been
addressed to us by Mr.. George Mackenzie, and
which we must decline to publish, because
it seems to us to be libel on the English
captain. If the French captain left his ship,
hopeless of his capacity to carry her into
port the event has proved. apparently, that
he was the best judge of her condition, and,
on the whole, acted wisely, even If prema-
turely, since another was compelled to leave
her q little later. All the indications from
his conduct are that he did SO leave her. II
he was not hopeless if he intended to return,
it is strange that he should have left her all
night without light and without soul on
!