The Press.
London, England, 1853-12-31 00:00:00

THE PRESS.

over, we read in the latest intelligence from
America, Battle and Capture of Pil7.; the
•' Republic of Lower California; the Ewen-
" tive ; Army and Navy." A despatch dated
" Ilead-Quarters of the Republic of Lower
" California, Nov. th, 1813," informs us that

on the 3rd day of that auspicious mouth a
ship, containing as its precious cargo " the
first independent battalion for Lower Cali-
" fornia," anchored before the Mexican town of
La Paz. Without wasting valuable time in
words, preliminary negotiations. or explain'
Lion of their intentions, they went to work at
once. A party was lauded ; "in less than thirty
" minutes the town was taken, and the (lover-
" nor secured. We hauled down the Mexican

" flag in front of the Governor's 'Louse, pro-
" elaimed the independence of Lower Cali-
" fornia, and our independent flag floated
" triumphantly where but a few moments
" before that of Mexico had waved in supposed
" security." Security ! Did " ex-Governor
EscixosA" really suppose himself to be
secure as long as he was within wadi of
a " first independent battalion" of " the
smartest nation in all ovation"? Then he was

unfit for his post. So SANTA ANNA seems to
have thought, for shortly after the capture of
La Paz, when the free and enlightened citizens
had embarked to pay a similar visit to the
neighbouring town of St. Lucas, a vessel
came into port. having on board Colonel
lionoLLEto, who wax sent by the Government
of Mexico to supersede ex Governor Eseisosa."
llouou.mo met with the fate of Esrisosx. The

Yankees bagged them both. And if the dis-
missal of ExpixosA was caused by the intrigues
of RoaoLi.Elo, who can imagine the astonish-
ment and conflict of their feelings when
triumph and disgrace were terminated and
reduced to equality by a common captivity,
in the clutches of the conquering WALKKR,
the commander of the " first indepen-
dent battalion "? If our EnwARD 111. is
painted with two crowns on his sword, be-
cause he took two kings prisoners in battle,
with what emblems should the portrait of the
clever and enterprising WALKER be distin-
guished ? What would be emblematic of the
capture of two Governors stupidly reposing
" in the supposed security " of race? We
know how it would be drawn in England : it
would appear in the illustrated papers in a
manner similar in every particular to those of
Rash, Manniay, and other " independent"
heroes, who, despising the tyrannical laws and
benighted customs of the old country, made war
on their own account. Hero WALKER here would
be condemned convict, murderer, and pirate ;
for, with a singular mixture of the horrible
and the ludicrous, the despatch of these
ruffians proceeds to relate how they continued
their course to St. Lucas, and there killed
and wounded many Mexicans, whilst " our
" men did not so much as receive a wound.
" except from the cactus." The leaders of
this expedition are twelve in number, classi-
fied in divisions under the heads—Executive,
Military, and Naval. But the whole strength
of the first independent battalion is only
stated to be forty-five men—that is, enough to
make an efficient piratical crew, sailing as they
did in one vessel. We know what American
exaggeration is. You inquire the way to New
Londonopolis : "Goon a mile, take the mill-
" tary road to the right—the city is three miles
" straight ahead along that road." You
follow the directions, and pass a sheep-path.
When you next inquire you find the lath is
the military road ; you proceed along it, and,
when you ask where is the city, discover it is
a pothouse at which you baited your horse au
hour ago. Now, making every allowance for
American exaggeration, we ask, will they
I attempt to distinguish this buccaneering ex
pedition from piracy because those engaged
in it burlesque the forms of international war?
How will the Government of America act? or
will it act at all ? One account says that the
" citizens " think these proceedings laugh-
able,—another, that the President has " con-
demned " them. But this is not enough : the
Executive must pursue, seize, and bang some
of those engaged in them, or the United States
may justly be regarded as the harbourers of
pirates and robbers, the common enemies of
the civilised world. We know bow indig-
nantly they will disclaim the imputation, and

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►lcnonnec this huttritteti 44- junging a gram
nation by the acts of some of its citizens. We
know it beeause they do so in the ease of
Repudiation, of the Lone Star Association, of
the invasion of Cuba by Lorsz, of the recep-
tion of the contemptible NlP:Nurt►s by the Pre-
sident of America. and of his companions by
the corporation of New York. and, lastly, of the
existence of slavery.
But when we tied so much piracy, dis-
honesty. violation of international law, and
horrible cruelty flourishing, which the virtuous
portion of the community are unable to re-
strain, we are inclined to ask what is America
—where is it? if not in repudiating Missis-
sippi. is it in New York. the glorifiers of
Nirretm. ? It not in New York, is it in bue•
officering California? or, if not there, in slave-
hteerating Carolina? Sever from the Union
the States th.it have been guilty of any one of
these crimes. and bow mneh will remain of
America ? What says the Minister of America
at Madrid—the valiant father of a valiant son
—Saul and Jonathan—what
-mays M. Soctit?

That the host is answerable for the conduct of
" the guests." On this principle he shot the
French Ambassador in the knee for words
spoken by a guest whom M. de TratioT could
not avoid having in his house. Let the Ame-
limns rest assured that the principle of M.
Soria.: will be applied by the civilised world
to themselves. The buccaneer may disclaim the
slaveholder, the slaveholder the repudiator,
and the abolitionist, disclaiming all the rest,
take NIITCHNI. to his bosom ; but all will
be held guilty of the sin of each as long
as they constitute one Union. It is as in a
pettifogging firm of attorneys—" I would not
be guilty of such an net myself; but, sir, I
"have a partner." But as the firm is respon•
Bible for the act of one of its members, so is
it with America ; and however great she may
be in material resources, in wealth and num-
bers, territorial extent and commerce, so long
as she is destitute of a governing power to
restrain the passions of sections of the com-
munity, so long as the only law is man's un-
bridled will, so long will mime, in some one
shape or the other, set its seal and brand on
each broad State of her vast Union, and mark
with infamy every truly-written page of her
history ; she will go down to posterity
as a nation, great—perhaps greater than
any other in all that belongs to the ph
sisal and the material—the lowest and
least in all that appertains to the moral gran-
deur of communities.

ALDEIthIANIc 1,17111.14; SPIRIT.

Tar. sufferings of the horses, arising from the state
of the streets during the recent severe frosts, have at
length attracted attention in an influential quarter,
and the evil is now in a fair way of being remedied,
if, indeed, the old saying be true, that a beginning
NVERYthing. ifolhorn-hill is the worst thorough-
fare in the metropolis—it in probably no exaggera-
tion to say, that horses fell there dady in hundreds.
A viaduct is considered to be the only effectual
eure for this, but the expense is estimated at. two
millions, and thin has hitherto deterred the Corpo-
ration of the City (so justly esteemed for a rigorous
economy of the public money) from moving in the
mattet. What the public could not afford is now
to be aecomplished by the voluntary donations
of private individuals. tln Monday last Alderman
Sir Joim Mrsouove entered the t Wildhall, and then
and liege, in terms more eloquent than we have
room for, Imitated the appalling horrors of " the
middle passage " of llolborn-hill in a frost. 'the
conclusion of the w. rtity alderman's address was,
that he was willing out of Ida own pocket to give
.fire shill;nyd to remedy the evil. The task of the
aldermen of London is not no easy as was that of
the Peon and Chapter of St. Paul's in paring the
thoroughfare round the cathedral with blocks of
wood. To accomplish this, one member of their
body, SIIINKY %mu, said " they had only to lay their
heads together." That was a joke; but for an
alderman to " fork nut" five shillings appears a
serious matter. Let us trust, however, it will be
accomplished : el., which, at the rate of five shillings
cads, would, we think, be the amount of the united
contributions of the Court of Aldermen, would Le
sufficient if, as we said before, a beginning is every-
thing. Be that as it may, at a time wheu the Cor-
poration of London is so much vilified for corruption
and profligate waste of the public money, we have
thought it right, by calling attention to this spirited,
not to say " sporting, " offer of Sir J. MUSGROVE, to
show that, at least, one member of that body can be
avish of his own. In Alderman Sir J. Mrsontere
him horses of London have indeed a friend.

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