The daily union. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1845-1857, 1845-10-24

buii, esq, and trust TO show, before we done,
that it would have been better for England and her
myrmidons to have sought our friendship rather
than our enmty; to have cultivated feelings of kind
ness, SO much better suited to the numerous ties of
interest which ought to unite the two nations in
bonds Of kindness and respect.
In my former communication, showed the ra-
pacious disposition of England; her numerous an
nexations of terrtory-not adjoining territory, but
scattered over the whole world-not by consent OF
the inhabitants, but against their will-not by am
icable treaties mutually advantageous to both par
ties, but by the sword and the bayone The follow
ing is imperfect catalogue of her exploits in that
line
Canada and its dependencies, from France.
New Amsterdam, New York; from Holland
West Indies, from France, Spain, &c.
Gibraltar, from Spain.
Malta, from the Knights of 81. John.
Ionian islands, from the Greeks.
Cape of Good Hope, from Holland.
India, in part from France and Holland, and
in part from the native sovereigns
The island of Chusan, from China
Various islands in all the oceans, from their ma
tive governors.
In extent Of territory and amount of population,
the British empire far exceeds the ancient Roman
or modern Russian empire. China alone exceeds
her in population, while she falls far behind in ex-
tent Of territory.
There is one territory owned by England on this
continent, which overlooked; but will now add it
to the catalogue acquisition from Spain. 1t is
the Baze-part of Honduras, in Central America
hope it will not be considered offensive by the
"Times," if add that its acquisition, past history
and present condition, are highly characteristic Of
its owner!
Mr.. Stephens thus describes it in his "Central
American
"The Honduras Almanac, which assumes to be
the chronicler of this settlement, throws romance
aIr L.,-
a Scotch buccaneer named Wallace. The fame Of
the wealth of the New World, and the return Of the
Spanish galleons laden with the riches of Mexico
and Peru, brought upon the coast of America
hordes Of adyenturers TO call them by no harsher
nancy from England and France, of whom Wallace,
of the most noted and daring, found refuge and
security behind the keys and reefs which protect
the harbor Of Balze. = Strengthened by
close alliance with the Indians of the Moscheto
shore, and by the adhesion of numerous British adj
venturers, who descended upon the coast of Hondu-
ras to cut mahogany, he set the Spanisrds at def
ance Ever since, the territory of Balize has been
the subject Of negotiation and contest; and to this
day. the people Of Central America claim it as their
own. It has grown by the expectation of mahoga-
ny; but the trees in the neighborhood have been
almost all cut down, and Central America is SO i'm
povershed by wars that it offers but poor market
for British goods, the place is languishing," &c
The climax in the history of Balize is, that its
population is an amalgamaton Of English, Scotch,
and negroes-the latter being the majority, form
ing all the military force, and equal portion of
the civil officers of the colony. very suitable or
ganization of community established by pirates
and outlaws, and owned by the English government!
But, leaving the contemplation Of her rapacy, let
us expose her inhumanity and cruelty.
This exposure needs no apology from an Ameri-
citizen, who feels that his country is fouy SLAM
dered by those who guilty of violations of
every great moral principle than any nation in ex-
istence. II would have been far better if this war
had never been waged upon us; but, being waged,
il is impossible il should not provoke reprisas
Mark, then, her conduct TO this nation in the two
wars which we have waged with her. Towns and
villages plundered and burned; this city, the metrop
oils Of the Union, taken and her public buildings
reduced TO ashes crops furniture and slaves carried
off from our fields; prisoners of cruelty starved
TO DEATH and their bones permitted to bleach under
the guns ofthe Jersey prison-shp, the shores of
Long Island. Sayages, "whose known mode Of
warfare is an indiscrimnate massacre of men,
women, and children" were precptated upon our
frontiers, and made war horrible by their cruelties
Prisoners of war surrendered under capitalization,
for whose safety the honor of British officers was
pledged, Ia frail guarantee, confess) barbarously
murdered in cold blood, and their mutilated remains
denied the rites of sepulture the bloody banks of
Raisin. Outrages perpetrated on female innocence
in vnrious instances; and when manly courage fail
ed to win success such hellish stimulants as con-
vert man into brute officially offered, and "beauty
and booty" made the price of victory.
We might be induced to believe that these dis
graceful outrages the result Of the bitter resent
ment which has marked their department towards
this nation ever since the epoch Of l776 But how
ever they were multiplied and aggravated by that
feeling in case, impartial justice requires to
say that the soldiery of Britain have everywhere
shown themselves too capable of many things which
degrade humanity, and make man blush for his
species
The wars of the Duke Of Wellington in Spain
have many instances of barbarity committed by his
troops, which are an indebe stain upon their char
acter. His biographcr gives the shocking details
with regret; but avows that his Partially for his
countrymen shall not make him forget his higher
duties to truth. We extract from his work some
details of the storming Of Badajoz
Badajoz was aSpanish city; Of course, an ally and
friend Of England. Her troops were called the de-
liverers of Spain from French barbariy and tyran-
ny. Doubtless the inhabitants rejoced at the pros
pect of British trumphs, and onged to be relieved
from French cruelty Let us see what were the
realities of British success The author, after sta
ting that the fortress stormed and the city taken,
proceeds, in the language Of an eyewitness and
sharer in the glory Of the achievement to describe
the general plumber of the vast wealth contained in
it, and which continued two days and a half, and
then proceeds as follows:
"If the reader can for moment fancy fine city,
containing an immense population, among which
may be reckoned proportion Of the finest women
which Andausia or perhapsthe world, can boast Of;
if he can fancy that population and those females
left to the mercy of twenty thousand Infatuated and
centous soldiers for two days and two nights; it,
say, he can fancy this he can well imagine the hor-
rors that we're acted within the walls of Badajoz"
"Tbe plumber SO captured was deposited in the
camp, and placed under guard composed chiefly
of soldiers wives A few hours were suf-
fcient for this; night was fast drawing near, and
then scene took place that has seldom fallen 10 the
lot Of any rrifer 10 describe. Every insult every
infamy, with which human invention could torture
our language, was practised. Agcas well as youth
was alike unrespected and perhaps not one house or
female in this rast torn escaped injury But war is
terrible engine, and when once set in motion, Il is
not possible to calculate when where it will STOP.
"The soldiers then fred on their comrades;
then would they turn the already too deeply in
jured females, and from them the trinkets that
adorned their necks fingers, or ears; and finally they
would strip ihen Of their nearing apparel"