Mr. Harvey's Defence

Mr. Ilarvey, Minister to Portugal, has published a long letter in the l'liiladelphia North American respecting the allogatious against him in refereuee to corrosponding with traitors at Gharloaton, in whieh, aniong great doal that is uothing to the purpose, üe say ; It is proper, however, for me to state right liere that the pretended discovery of any information embarrassing to me is a delibérate deception, contrived to give forco to tb e slanders. The fact , the Government ivas inpossession of every. tittle of the evidences which had (tfpumnlated in, Washington long before tU pntkliê aimvt was ordered, scveral ice-ks before I had left there, and before I liad reccived or accepled mi commmion. If there was amjthing to know, it was hwwn iully and entirely, as will be shown tvhenever necessary. I assert the f net distinctfy, without condition or reservation. It is porfectly true, as was weU ivnd,erstood by my friends, that I labored zealously, cangtantly and honestly, down to ho Jast hour, to avert the collisian at Fort Sumter. I had good reasau to hope hat it might bo prevented, and adopted the best means to atta.i the end. All the intclligence ftt the %'mo I took this ifirt, threatonPtl a ijaily attack by the socaUed confoderate army, the sacrifico of Anderson and his gallaut garrisou, and he inauguratiou of that civil war which ho rcokless oonspirators at Moutgomery dfto'vards procipitated on tb. eoftutry, and for whioU thoy, and they only, are responsible before God and man. The state of fact3 existing tben at Washington justified my eilbrts, such as they were, ai)d whioh were not oiihj known (o those high in autharity, bat were cammended as useful and wwthy. I submitted to their impedían everi Uw veceived y tel egraph, and never held any. other correspondence lut Ihat direct oy indirect. My whole actiou was voluntary, and it' I know myself, was uspired by the highcst impulses of patriotistn. I caa appeal to God, truly and learlessly, for the rectitude of' wy intentions and for thcir purity aüd disiuterostedness. But whea nll nteofc before the bar of etcrual justicc, and our hearts are exposcd, I have au abidiug faith that tho onc act of ray life whieh will plead most successfully for raorcy, and for the forgiveness of niany errors and intirmities, will be that which has öo unjuftly provoked this cruel caluiuny.