The Confederate flag in Havana.
A vessel from a Florida port came in the other day with the
Confederate flag flying as her nationality.
The boat of the
Captain-General immediately came alongside, and required that it should be at once lowered, as it represented no known nation, and the master, who had an American flag ready at hand, hoisted that in place.
He then went to the
Vice-Consul,
Mr. Savage, acting since the departure of
Major Helmn, and presented a register from the
Confederated States.
The Consul replied he could recognize no such papers: but on the captain representing that he was innocent in the matter, having taken command at the last moment, and the register having been taken out in the name of a previous master, the consul said that if he would make oath that the vessel was owned wholly by citizens of the
United States he would give him a sea-letter, which would enable him to return to any port in the
United States, but that he should retain his register and forward it to
Washington.
The case was an anomalous one; the owners might be really loyal citizens, but forced in absence of regular
United States officers, to take out
Confederate States papers, and in the absence of any instructions from
Washington,
Mr. Savage hardly felt willing to take the responsibility of entirely refusing to have any thing to do with the vessel, after she had hoisted the
United States flag, and thus of condemning her to lie here, unable to leave, an indefinite time.
Perhaps it would have been better to have assumed the responsibility, and have declined any connection with a vessel that could not prove her right to fly the
United States flag, by her papers.
But for a
Vice-Consul, and so near home, and so easily within reach of instructions, to assume to decide in so grave a case, is a thing that could hardly be expected.
It would certainly seem, however, as if it were very desirable that immediate instructions should be given
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by our Government, in regard to such cases.--
N. Y. Express, April 27.
