Mexico weekly ledger., 1884-09-11
DEMOCRATIC DAYS.

DEMOCRATIC DAYS.
How Our Navy Wal Handled Thirty
Years Ago.
Missouri Republican,
The United States sloop of war
st. Louis was the vessel that per-
formed the spirited little caper in
the harbor of Smyrna, in Asia Mi
nor, some thirty years ago. Her
commander was Capt. d. N. Ingra-
ham. On his arrival in the port
of Smyrna he learned that Martin
Koszta, a native of Hungary, but
claiming to be a partially natural
ICED American, having taken out
his first papers, had been seized
the day before while on a visit to
Smyrna and taken aboard the
Austrian war ship Huzzar, on the
claim that he owed military duty
to the Austrian emperor. The
captain ofthe Huzzar put him in
chains and imprisoned him in the
hold of his vessel. When Capt.
Ingraham arrived in port and
learned of the proceeding, he ap-
pealed to the Turkish authorities
to demand the surrender of Koszta ;
but the authorities declined to
have anything to do with the case.
The st. Louis was anchored be-
tween the Huzzar and another
Austrian war ship, whose guns
bore directly on her. Neverthe-
less Capt. Ingraham made up his
mind with the promptness and
daring which distinguished the old
navy of that day. He wrote note
to the Austrian commander courte-
ously claiming Koszta as an Amer
lean citizen, and requesting his re-
lease. The reply to this was an
; emphatic refusal. Further par
leying followed, without result
and at last Capt. Ingraham sent Q
note peremptorily demanding the
release of the prisoner within
+ eight hours, with the threat Of
opening fire if the demand was not
complied with. He then put his
vessel in proper position, an6
! cleared the decks for action. Mat
: tiers looked serious. The Ameri'
can was evidently in earnest, ane
8 the authorities and inhabitants or
: shore looked for a battle in tn.
o quiet harbor. The odds were
heavy against the American sloop
She carried only sixteen guns ane
4 the Austrian ship twice IS many
But Ingraham belonged to a nava
school that did not count the gum
q against 1t when a duty was to b.
4 done, and the Austrian commando.
. discovered that the American
would keep his word. An hou
q before the limit expired, a boa
with Koszta aboard put off from
y the Huzzar, carried him ashor'
~ and set him free, amid loud plaud
its from the people for the Ameri
can triumph.
- The Austrian home government
II promptly took up the matter, ant
made a demand on ours for tn
- surrender of Koszta, who had re
turned to the United States, ant
the rebuke of Ingraham. Forum
ately for the country and for it
adopted citizens our foreign polio.
-. at that time was marked by tn
same high and determined spiri
which characterized its little navy
and the state department had at it
head VIM. L. Marcy of New Yorl
ablest secretary, probably
who ever presided over it. Mr.
Pierce was president. and, in add
ton to Mr.. Marcy, his cabinet con
! tanned Jas. Guthrie in the treas
:, ury, Caleb Cushing for attorney
general, Jefferson Davis secretar,
;, of war, James G. Dobbin for secre
=, tary of the navy, James Campbell
. for postmaster-general and Rober
J. McClelland for secretary of the in
\ terior-a cabinet which, for learn
ing, ability and patriotic spirit, ha
never been surpassed. The ad
ministration determined, withou
- hesitation, to support the claim c
Koszta and the action of Ingra
:, ham; and Secretary Marcy, in hi
reply to the Austrian demand, ez
pressed his decision in a lette
- which rang through the world
=, The following extract is an exam
pie of its high and admirable spiri
and expression:
K "Whenever, by the law of ma
~ tious, an Individual becomes cloth
ed with our national character, b
y he a native-born or a naturalize
y citizen, an exile driven from hi
early home by political oppressio
,e or In emigrant enticed from it b
II the hopes of a better fortune fe
- himself and his posterity, he ca
u claim the protection of this 90,
i, eminent, and it may respond
that claim without being oblige
10 to explain its conduct to any fol
= eign power for it is its duty t
make its nationality respected b
other nations, and respected i
We every quarter of the globe"
III "
:. For correct standard time call
c. B. Morris. 22-2t
W. Confusion.
The Republicans at Jefferson Gil
>, ssfused' (if you know what that is