pily, it is not. I cannot doubt that your excellency will agree with me that an end ought to be put to these annoyances. They produce feelings of insecurity, and of distrust and dissatisfaction. Inoffensive and respectable travelers in Prussia, from the United States, ought to be relieved from them, and from all apprehension of them; and I trust that I may have the assurance that the just influence and authority of his Majesty's government will be exerted to prevent their occurrence. Receive, I pray you, Monsieur le Baron, on this occasion, the assurance of my very distinguished consideration. D. D. BARNARD. His Excellency Monsieur LE BARON VON MANTEUFFEL, Mr. Born to Mr. Barnard. &c., &c., &c. BREMEN, HILLMAN'S HOTEL, July 12, 1852. SIR: The undersigned, Christian George Born, merchant, a naturalized citizen of the United States, carrying on business under the firm of Born, Schlieper & Haarhaus, in the city of New York, finds himself compelled to bring to your notice "the arrest and unprovoked outrages which have been practiced and perpetrated on him by Prussian officials in Minden," a frontier town and fortress of said kingdom, laying near Schaumburg-Lippe, Buckeburg, "on his arrival there by the so-called quick railroad train from Deutz, about half past four o'clock, a. m., yesterday." Before going into a true narration of the said outrages, it seems to be proper to give you a sketch of my origin and history, and to say that I have never meddled with politics of any kind in Germany, either previous or since I am a citizen of the United States; nor have I ever been before any one of their courts of police or justice whatsoever, until yesterday. I was born December 14, 1803, in Bergenhausen, county of Wittzenstein, Berleburg, district of Armberg, Westphalia; and when of the age of about seventeen years, I was sent into the mercantile house of John Motte & Co., in Ronsdorf, with whom I remained seven and half years; then went into the house of Gilruder Boedinghaus, manufacturer of merino, &c., in Elberfeld, with whom I stayed about four and a half years; and from them, into the business of Gilruder Colsman, large silk manufacturers in Langenberg, near Elberfeld, with whom I served five years, during which, acting for them as principal in the sale of their goods at the fairs of Leipzic and Frankfort, up to the end of August, 1837, when I left for New York, having associated myself with John H. Albers, (at present consular agent of the United States in Bremen,) who then had been carrying on business in the city of New York about fifteen years past, and which, ever since, I have continued under the firms of J. H. Albers & Born, C. G. Born & Co., Born & Schuchardt, and at present, Born, Schlieper & Haarhaus. On my arrival in the city of New York, in October, 1837, I lawfully declared my intentions of becoming a citizen of the United States, and, after the lapse of about seven or eight years, (not leaving the Union on a visit to foreign countries until the 25th April, 1844,) the certificate of citizenship was given me, and ever since it has been my constant study and pleasure to be a true citizen of the Union in every sense in words and acts, and when abroad abstaining entirely from expressing an opinion on measures or politics of European governments. As at the present time, I have visited Europe for business purposes in 1844, 1846, 1848, and twice in 1851, without being troubled, at any time, till yesterday, except on my arrival from New York on the 31st May, 1844, in Havre, where a custom-house officer wanted to search my pockets, which I resisted, and my conduct was approved by the collector of said port. This time, I left New York on the 29th day of May last, in the United States steamer Atlantic, and entered Prussia, June 12th, as per visé on my passport by the police at Aix-la-Chapelle. In Aix-la-Chapelle, Burtschied, and Duren, I remained then up to about June 18, 22, transacting business with cloth manufacturers, and then left by railroad, via Cologne and Dusseldorf, to Langenburg, where I stayed three days with my friends, then visiting Elberfeld, Burmen, Swheren, Ronsdorf, Lennep, and Huckeowagen on business, and returning to Langenburg, July 5. On the 6th instant proceeded to Langenburg, via Velbert, Werden, and Kettwig, &c., to Viersen; spent the 7th with Fred. Diergardt in Viersen, William Ditthey in Rheydt, and arrived the same evening in Crefeld. In the morning of the 8th instant attended to business in Crefeld, and went in the afternoon via Dusseldorf to Deutz. Spent the morning of the 9th with Director Merrisen, at the counting-house of A. Schaaffhausen's Banking Associations, and in the afternoon went back to Dusseldorf. Spent the 10th in Dusseldorf with Feldmann Simons and lady, who are the parents-in-law of my partner Schleiper. The same day, in the evening, at 11 o'clock, left Dusseldorf in the quick railroad train taking a second-class place through to Bremen, arriving at 41 o'clock at Minden, and there passengers were informed by the conductor that we had to change cars, and time for taking a cup of coffee. Having scarcely sat down in the first and second-class room to the coffee table, a police officer came and demanded the passport of each passenger, when it struck me that I had left mine in the trunk, and informing said officer thereof, and sitting just by the side of Mr. Frowein, a merchant from Elberfeld, who then was delivering his passport, I said, inquiringly, that this gentleman knew me well during the last thirty years, and if, in consequence, my card would suffice? To which the officer returned in rage, No; and added that he would keep me here. I then ran to the baggage-car, procured my trunk, took out in a hurry my passport, and unintentionally with it a commission which I held from the Department of State as bearer of despatches to our legation at Vienna. Coming back to the first and second-class room, I found the officer who had spoken to me, and whose name he afterwards made me understand was Commissarius Von Hassenkrug, engaged in still visaing passports, of which he had left about eight or ten laying unfinished before him, and when just done with one, I handed him mine and said, "I would be thankful for his visaing it now, and thereby enable me to finish my cup of coffee." To which he again replied, with rage, that "I had scarcely got hold of it when I wanted to be helped first," to which I remained silent, and he, meanwhile taking and looking into the same, said, "it was not in order, for having to be visaed at every place I had been staying since entering the frontier of Prussia;" to which I pleaded my ignorance in the matter, and remarking, politely, "that if such was the police regulation the hotel-keeper ought to be instructed to advise foreigners of it," to which he made no reply, but commencing to write a long line on my passport, and during which the inferior officer putting a letterstamp on it. On his handing the same, folded, with a hard look back to me, and without my looking at what he had written, I thoughtlessly remarked that "I was going to Bremen," which word seemed to raise his suspicion, and in a furious manner he commanded the lower police officer to "retain me, with my baggage, which latter should be searched and examined very minutely," and thereupon I requested him, still politely, but earnestly, "not to give me any unnecessary delay, as everything was right with me, and that besides my passport, (which again he had taken away from me and given for safe-keeping to the lower police officer,) I was holding from my government a commission as bearer of dispatches, or courier passport, then showing it to him, in which he rejoined, "Bah, I will show you that you are in Prussia, and that we shit on your government and couriers." I then again, coolly and politely, told him that I would make the government of Prussia responsible for his violent acts and insults, to which he returned new epithets, and ordered me with my baggage to be brought to the room for the third and fourth-class passengers, apparently with the sole view of lording it over me in the presence of a more ignorant crowd of people. Here my luggage was thoroughly examined, and the delivery of my papers and scriptures to them demanded, which I resisted, saying, that "I would not separate from anything of mine." Thereupon I was informed that, after half past seven o'clock, I would be brought to the police court in the city, but twice previous to this time arriving, they wanted to take to the city my baggage without me, and and I dare say with no other view than to smuggle political papers, &c., into the same. At last it struck 7 o'clock, and shortly after, the lower police officer called in a porter to put in the cart my baggage, which I never left, and then I was accompanied by said officer, and was taken to the police court in the city, a distance of about one and a half English miles. In going thus through the city, the people being about, followed; and arriving at the house of police, a considerable crowd had collected, all of whom seemed to view me as a thief, a spy, or a murderer; and at this moment, sir, it would be in vain for me to attempt giving a correct description of my painful sensation of mind. On my being ushered into the police room, they again attempted, in a most ingenious manner, to separate me from my baggage, but I had made up my mind rather to die, and thanks be to a gracious God I was successful. There I was left with another inferior officer, not the same who had brought me there, until 9 o'clock, when Police Sergeant Ruhl, as I heard him called, entered, whose business seemed to be "visaing the books of wandering professionists," of whom a number came in and left. At last, towards 10 o'clock, a young man who was called lieutenant, came in, and called me to the stand by my name; he then commenced an examination with me, and his sole aim thereby seemed to be bent on perverting and misunderstanding every word that I answered; and discovering and seeing that he was for and in coalition with my maltreator, Von Hassenkrug, I earnestly requested of him more than half a dozen times that "Herr landrath, the chief of police, would deign to be present at the examination of my papers and scriptures," to which at last he replied he would go and see about it, and actually leaving the room; but it so happening at this moment that my eyes fell on the face of the above-mentioned Mr. Ruhl, I actually thought to read in it that "Herr landrath would not be present;" and then again I repeated my request to several of the police officers going in and out, to solicit the favor for me from Herr landrath, which several promised to do, but, after half an hour's delay, the above-mentioned lieutenant came in again, accompanied by Commissarius Von Hassenkrug, and said to me the landrath was prevented by official duty to be present, and he was ordered to examine into and read my papers, unless I would deliver the same to him to be taken to the landrath, which I refused to do, saying at the same moment, it would be my duty to inform your excellency that the landrath could not, or either would not be present. I then opened my trunk, and he, in presence of Von Hassenkrug and myself, opened and read every piece of paper and writing in my possession, in all of which he could not find a single line nor word to be turned against me, except that I was carrying with me "one sealed letter" which is addressed as follows: "Herr H. Thomas, Mechaniker, Montbijin Platz, No. 10;" this letter was given to me in New York previous to my departure by Frederick Mohl, Esq., of Berlin, who spent last winter on a visit to the States, to Havana, &c., and who informed me that Mr. Thomas was furnishing machinery to cloth manufacturers, and would be the best person to tell me who of said cloth manufacturers in Silesia was turning out and finishing his goods suitable for our markets. The place of destination, for instance, "Berlin" is not written on the letter, as I am going to prove to you, sir, next week, when I hope to arrive in Berlin, from Hamburg, and have the honor of paying my respects in person to your excellency. Mr. Mohl I suppose to be also now in Berlin, in which case I will take the liberty of bringing him along with me, and introducing him to you. The above-mentioned lieutenant and examinator told me that it was punishable carrying that sealed letter to Mr. Thomas, and I requested him to mention it in his report, as I did not wish evading to pay the fine the law imposed for carrying it. Failing entirely to find anything else in my possession but that sealed letter without its complete address on which to hang a feather, the said lieutenant again endeavored willfully to interpret and pervert my language to Commissioner Von Hassenkrug, insinuating even that I had raised latter's suspicion by claiming to be a courier, all which is a mere contrivance of these swaggering officials, for my very first mention of holding and showing to him my commission or courier's pass port was only after he had ordered me and my baggage to stay behind, and be treated as a prisoner. At last, towards 12 o'clock, I was suffered to depart free and without police accompaniment from the police court of the city back to the railroad station, where I arrived just in time for the departure of a train to this place, and though during my examination I had thought of proceeding direct to your legation at Berlin, but on consideration of the uncertainty of finding you home at once, and the pressing nature of the business I have to attend to here previous to the departure of the steamer Hermann the 16th instant, I concluded to come to this city, and inform you of my arrest and maltreatment at Minden in writing. Sir, to the truth of every word I have written down here I am ready, at any time and place, to make oath in the presence of my God and Creator, and I now expect your excellency to act in this matter with energy and dispatch. My arrest and detention was not made in entering the territory of Prussia, but in leaving it, which is without excuse, and the more aggravating by its casting on me either the guilt of a thief or a spy, or something still worse; and as everything is likely to be resorted to by the officials of Prussia to disparage my statement and question my veracity, I herewith inclose a list of names of highly respectable persons, and subjects of Prussia, to whom I am personally known, to many of whom from childhood, and whose opinions of me can easily be ascertained. To most of the better class of inhabitants in Ronsdorf, Elberfeld, and Langenburg I am particularly long and well known. It may perhaps be proper to mention to your excellency also, that I enjoy the honor, since the 1st day of January, 1839, of being personally and intimately known to his excellency Millard Fillmore, the faithful President of the United States. Sir, I most earnestly deplore having been the object of such highhanded insults and outrages, the like of which amongst friendly nations I have never heard of before, and I would not dare showing my face with my fellow-citizens at home again, without having done all I can to obtain redress. I therefore claim from the government of Prussia the payment of twenty thousand rix dollars for the arrest and insults which have been practiced on me personally in its name, and by its official servants, yesterday morning; and besides, such suitable national apology from it to our government as may be deemed sufficient and satisfactory to our President. I have the honor to be, most respectfully, your excellency's obedient servant, CHRISTIAN GEORGE BORN, His Excellency D. D. BARNARD, |