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Leader (1850-1860), 28th August 1852, Edition Country of 2, Page 4

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      A Guano "Difficulty." The Last Mail By T...

      purpose of procuring guano may be said to have constituted such an occupancy of them as to give the Sovereigns of the continent a right of dominion over them under the law of nations . This department , however , is not aware that the Lobos Islands were cither discovered or occupied by Spain or by Peru , or that the guano on them has ever been used for manure on the adjacent coast or elsewhere . It is certain that the distance from the continent is five or six times greater than is necessary to make them a dependency-thereof pursuant to the public law . On the other hand , it is quite probable that Benjamin Morrell , jun ., who , as master of the schooner Watson , of Now York , visited those islands in September , 1823 , may justly claim to have been their discoverer . He gives a full account of them in his narrative , published in New York in 1832 .

      Under these circumstances , it may be considered the duty of this Government to protect citizens of the United States who may visit the Lobos Islands for the purpose of obtaining guano . This duty will be more apparent when it is considered that the consumers of Chincha Island guano in this country might probably obtain it for half the price they now pay , were it not for the charges of the Peruvian Government . I shall consequently communicate a copy of this letter to the Secretary of the Navy , and suggest that a vessel of war bo ordered to repair to the Lobos Islands for thc purpose of protecting from molestation any of our citizens who may wish to take the guano from them . " I ain , Sir , very respectfully , your obedient servant , " Daxiet , Webstee .

      " Captain James C . Jewell , Master of the bark Philomela . " P . S . —It is considered important that this letter should not bo made public at present . " A vessel has been scut to these islands to protect the interests of American citizens who may be there . It would seem , however , that Mr . Webster has made his statements without sufficient investigation of the facts of the case . A letter from Dr . Mathie Hamilton , late of Peru , dated Glasgow , the 21 th of this month , appears in thc Times of Thursday , in which it is stated , that "these islands wore mapped for the King of Spain

      more than a century ago , they being both named and localized in various works which are not buried in the archives of the Eseurial , but are patent to all who would inquire on the subject . " Dr . Hamilton states further , that three members of the Royal Academy of Sciences , M . Condamine , Don Jorge Juan , and Don Antonio de TTlloa , were sent out by the King of Spain , in 1735 , to make scientific observations . In 1748 , they published a work , printed in English in London , in 1772 , which contains a map delineating the islands of Lobos . A geographical and historical dictionary , by Colonel Alcado , wa . s published in Madrid , in 1787 , in which these islands are described as within the

      Viceroyalty of Peru . Dr . Hamilton has also had in his possession for nearly twenty years a map , which bears prima facie evidence of having existed for 250 years , in which the islands of Lobos are distinctly laid down . Tho New York Herald , and some other American journals , speak in a confident tone of this matter , and seem to have little doubt of their Government making good their claim to these islands . The former paper characterizes the assumption of territorial rights by Peru as an unlawful usurpation , and the acquiescence of ( Jrcat Britain in their claim as a selfish connivance _, it blames also Mr . Abbott . Lawrence , who was the American Minister in London at tho time of our

      recognition of the claims of Porn , as wanting in vigilance or prudence . Thc New York Journal of Commerce , however , takes ii more moderate view , and expresses a doubt of the jusfice of ( heir claims .

      Ar00404

      Luttkks From Paris. [ Kko.M Ouit Own (Jo...

      LUTTKKS FROM PARIS . [ Kko . M _OUIt OWN ( JoiUtK _. _SJ'ONJJENT . ] Lett mi XXXV . 1 ' _iiriM _, Tuesday Kvoniug , _August 21 , l . S ; _V-5 . I \ l v la I , letter was written and despatched too soon to give you any detailed account of the Hal tic la , Halle . 1 may now fell you that the most signal punishment was there inflicted upon all that ollicial world iu . search of popularity . The Dames tic fa , J / al / t * ( market women ) with their fortsy \ insulted and hooted theni all , and ministers , senators , generals , councillors of _sfale , employes of the public offices were put to flight in the most summary and undignified fashion . At first the _poiss'tirtfcs ( fishwonu-n ) got hold of I linn .- these ladies were beaming with pride at fhe thought of dancing with men so beautifully bedizened and embroidered . The hitter lent themselves to the fun with a tolerable grace for a round or two ; but after a lime becoming impatient and ashamed of fhe . part , they were , playing , and of the coarse , familiarity of their purlnern , _J they were fain to give the ladies of tho market the slip . Then began one of thc most curious and comical scenes ever witnessed . All the quolihcts of the vocabulary of the [ l allc \\ , all the flowers of fish fag eloquence were

      Luttkks From Paris. [ Kko.M Ouit Own (Jo...

      poured in torrents on the devoted heads of these hapless popularity-hunters . " On ne s'en va pas comme _?« , " § cried these brave poissardes to the senators , attired in their grand official costumes , in rich lace and brilliant embroidery , as they punched them in the ribs . " Yon are our jolly pals , and will ye nill ye , sweet lambs , you must dance the rigodon with your _commhres Et vite , en avant la musiaue ! " ( " , then , music , ho ! " )

      Then you might have seen at one moment two , at another four , presently six fishwomeu hustling and dragging off almost by the neck and heels some majestic Senator , or some haughty Councillor of State . Then came the tug of war among the women for their prey ; a war of abuse in which the whole catechism of the fishmarket was exhausted of its elegancies . There was no longer any standing it , and the official visitors were obliged to take to their heels . Unfortunately , history—inexorable history—has " taken down" the names of the untoward personages , and has inseparably coupled them with the names of their odoriferous d _® n-

      seuses . M . le Comte de Persigny , Minister of the Interior , danced the first quadrille with Madame Clement , dealer in vegetables ; General Magnan , Commander-in-Chief of the army of Paris , with Madame Amboster , seller of baked apples ; M . Romieu with Madame Damiel , seller of butter ; M . Pietri , Minister of Police , with Mdlle . Glaize , dealer in mushrooms ; M . de Montour with Mdlle . Jemniaire , seller of herrings ; M . Collet-Meyzret with Mdlle . Bessin , dealer in salt provisions ; Captain de Lastic of the Navy , aidede-camp of the Minister of Marine , with Mdlle . Prosper , seller of giblets ; Captain de Montour , do ., with Madame Brisovnont , dealer in tripe and chitterlings ; M . Ginut ( from the Ministry of the Interior ) with Madame

      Naunez , oyster-seller , & c , & c . On the other hand , the gentlemen of the market ( les forts de la Halle ) took possession of the official ladies , and danced with them . M . Lepage , fort of the butter market , was the partner of the Comtesse de . Persigny ; M . Waiz , fort of the meat-market , with Madame Theodore Ducos ( wife of the Minister of Marine ) , M . Arnault , of the buttermarket , with Madame Drouin de l'Huys ( wife of the Minister of _Foreiarn Affairs ); M . Lepage , of the oystermarket , with thc Comtesse d'Ornano ( of the Elysee ); M . Delahaye , of the butter-market , with Madame Magnan ; M . Barthelemy , of the fish-market , with the Baronne de Ladoncette , & c , & c . Worthy couples ! They deserve to he handed down together to the most remote posterity .

      Louis Bonaparte did not appear at tho ball . His absence sorely displeased all these ladies and gentlemen . A hundred rumours , vicing in absurdity , were flying about on the causes of his absence . Different plots were mentioned , some of incendiarism , others of assassination . It was reported that the carpenters employed in the construction of the ball-room nnd of tho galleries had taken a malicious pleasure in not "joining" properly the gallery destined for the President and his suite , who were to come down " by the run . " But all these rumours were unfounded . It is true

      forty working-carpenters were arrested ; but it was not for having forgotten the fastenings of the Presidential gallery , but simply for having struck for higher pay on the night before tho ball . These arrests gave rise to all the rumours . As for Louis Bonaparte , his friends forbade his appearance at tin ; ball of the Jlalles , on the pretext , that in the midst of fhe crush a dagger might reach him by some . secret hand . Besides , he was extremely fatigued with the ftiles of Sunday , and with the ball given at St . Cloud on the Monday . Add to this , that he was discouraged and discontented at the obstinate silence kept by the National Guard

      oi 1 . _u-is , without exception , on the occasion of the fete , and at the sullen determination of the crowd not so much as to raise Iheir hats on his passage . The absence of shouts of Vive Napoleon , too , had left a deej ) impression of melancholy on the President ' s mind ; and being like all the race whose name he bears , very superstitious , he was profoundly . struck by the fearful storm which prevailed throughout the fete , and which utterly prevented or destroyed the illuminations ordered or prepared . Enormous sums had been literally thrown away . The . chagrin of Bonaparte , exceeds all bounds .

      He has almost , shut himself up ut St . ( 'loud for several days , and has ceased fo be accessible even to his nearest friends . The " progress" into fhe southern departments is adjourned sine . die . He is afraid of all uncertainties . So keenly irritated was he at the demeanour of the Parisian National Guard , lhat he was on the very point of decreeing their dissolution . The Mouiteur denies the report : M . de Persigny ' h advice being to look evil lorfune in the face , to continue to impose upon public opinion , and by a semblance of security to conceal the false position in which the Elysee really is placed .

      Luttkks From Paris. [ Kko.M Ouit Own (Jo...

      Matters have reached such a point , that nmny of th pardons announced to appear shortl y in the _MonitZ will not appear at all . They are indefinitely _nostnJZ libe the " _progress" in the south . * ° _^ _^ » Moreover , the policy as to the reviyal of the Emnir is totally changed . It is , at length , well understood „ the Elysee that the apogee is past , and that the for tunes of Bonaparte are on tho wane . It i 8 felt th I unless advantage be taken of present power to proclai the Umpire , the President will stand a sorry chance of being proclaimed Emperor at all 1 It has been

      re solved , therefore to _« go a-kead , " and , the Czar wilW or unwilling , to place the crown on the head of Bona parte . Should the Czar declare war , the gauntlet will be taken up . The frontier of the BMne ( as I have before told you ) will he the first prize to be won to create a diversion to counteract the present decay . _Publl attention , now concentrated on the Elysee , will be distracted by the operations of war , and _Bonaparte will breathe freely awhile . It was at a great meeting of the Council , held at St . Cloud , on Monday , the 16 th inst ., that these grave resolutions were adopted .

      The electric telegraph sent instant orders to the Prefects to _canvas for the Empire , and , if possible to obtain addresses in its favour from the Coniseils d'Arrondissement , and from the Councils General of the Departments . The despatch arrived in the midst of the session of the former of these councils . The Soug . Prefets , whom it reached in time , immediatel y drew up an extraordinary report to the councils , concluding that it was important to proclaim Bonaparte Emperor without delay . These " conclusions" were at once adopted by the councils . Unfortunatel y , the despatch did not reach all the councils soon enough ; a delay which explaips the fact , that the immense majority of these addresses speak only of the necessity of stabilit y in the government , and not a word ahout proclaiming the Empire . No doubt if the orders had arrived in

      time , the councils would almost _unanimously have demanded the proclamation of the Empire . The almost universal abstention of the population in the recent elections , left the field open for adventurers , who have taken refuge in the _Bonapartist party , to fill the municipal and general councils . The session of the former being closed , nothing further is to be expected of them . But the Elysee relies greatly on the Councils-General , which will have received in good time the necessary orders . We shall again find the government pompously proclaiming what is called in the jargon of the time the " unanimous will of the population of France . "

      The Prefets and _Sous-Prefets have equally received orders to _jiush the imperialist petitions , which had been momentarily abandoned , on account of the threatening language of the Czar . We are hurrying on to a crisis , a formidable crisis . No doubt a European war would he the signal for civil war . There are those who think , that nothing less is required to renovate and to strengthen the national heart , —that a fiery baptism can alone wash out the stain . Everything tends to precipitate the denouement , —all circumstances seem to combine to hasten the crisis .

      Persigny , the evil genius of Bonaparte , his right arm , his ever-present counsellor , is struck with u frightful disease . He is not deranged , as 1 had been led to suppose , but only epileptic . He falls down every second or third day in terrible fits . Many would say that , tho hand of God was heavy on the man , to whom we owe all tho crimes of the 2 nd of December . Another serious fact is , the disastrous failure of the harvest , as reported in all parts of France . One-third of tho crops i . s said to bo ruined , iii consequence ot which a great rise in breadstuff ' s has already taken place , and a dearth begins to be seriously apprehended . If you remember that tbe dearth of 1847 preceded by one year the revolution of ' 48 , youinay easily undcrderstand with what alarm certain minds find

      themselves in presence of _u similar calamity-A terrible war of nouvelles d la main i . s being _wnged against the Government . Everybody is become copy" * - We have gone back , to use fhe words of the feuillew " of the Presse , to the limes that , preceded the invention of printing . There are more copyists in Franco n _«> than in the middle ages ; and what is more , they m nK » a fortune at the work . MS . copies of Victor Hugo Napoleon le Petit have ivncl _| ed 40 , 60 , and 80 _froucHAt these fabulous prices they are greedily snatched » ' _] I It . i _« _oviux Hut . r . ifdi ... ti t « lu . Tiivividedwitlni lithogrnp "

      stone , whereon to reproduce detached diop ters of forbidden books , and sell them again- You con lorin idea of tho sensation Victor Hugo ' s work bus l * l r ' ho would seem to have predicted its effects . il XH ' _^ reveililo of public opinion . Bales of copies are si _»« eBJ across the Belgian frontier ; unfortunately the | _** * is difficult , yet thc provinces aro _inundated with epp >

      * The Hallo Iti The Central Market Of Pa...

      * The Hallo iti the central market of Paris _, t Tbe porters of the market are called " les forts . " X Ft . " h ) _t den eompagncs qui les luloyaienl . " || A vocabulary representing our " Billingsgate . "

      § " You Don't ' Hook It Quite So Easily,...

      § " You don't ' hook it quite so easily , " would bo _plu-imo in the vernacular .

  • Citation
    • Leader (1850-1860), Aug. 28, 1852, page 4, in the Nineteenth-Century Serials Edition (2008; 2018) ncse-os.kdl.kcl.ac.uk/periodicals/l/issues/cld_28081852/page/4/