The daily union. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1845-1857, 1846-04-14
1857
EDITORS CORRESPONDENTS.
lFrom our regular correspondent
p.... ANN. sI,,. Anil q ISI

Prom our regular correspondent
PHnADELrHiA, April 9, 1916.
The OveT-erowded columns of every evenings
Union, aud the frequent postponemen ofimp ortsnt de-
bates forewarn me TO add to your difficulties ss e ~
possible by any letters ofmine. Nor am assured that
your readers would thank you for their publication
except occasionally, during the present exciting and
wellreported discussions on profound and absorbnS
questions Every eye is turned TO the debates
when the Union arrives, and all appear equally de-
lighted with the faithful and ample reports in your
columns.
have been greatly amused at the manner in
which the wings labor TO find fault with Mr.. Polk,
Before his message Of the 24th Of March, in reply
to the resolution of the Senate was sent N, he
soundly abused because he did not, or v oud moi,
tell Congress ,ohai 10 do! because he would not say
whether or no the country should be armed, forti-
fed, and prepared. As IT. indeed, he could
say all voluntarily and without the expressed
wish of Congress- Had he done so, there
is not a wing leader whowoud not have de-
claimed against his high handed usurpauon of
power" or his "oficious intermeddling with le-
gisarion," His message has, however, appeared
IN answer To very proper call from the right quar-
| ter, and what is the complaint now' Why, on the
one hand II is alleged that he has not recommended
appropriations or preparations large enough while
the other hand 10 asserted that he is RESPONSE
bic for the large and extravagant estimates mot
| even endorsed by MIR. BancrofO Of the naval bu-
reau Ii occurs 10 me, however, that this very diff
ference IN the assaults Of tho foes Of the President is
the best evidence in his favor and proves the wis
dom and propriety OF his course as well as the dos
peraton Of his enemies.
The matter of the baIque Pons, captured IN the
| 30th of November last by the United States ship
| Yorktown, Commander Chas. III. Bell, as concern
cd in the deportation Of slaves in violation Of
| act Of Congress, has come up before the district
court Of the United States. The monition having
been returnabe on the 9th inst, and answer fled
10 the libel heretofore presented, proclamation
made according TO the admiralty practice, three
different days, to wit; on the 9th, It'll, and 9Th OF
April; and the last named day. on motion Of that
prompt and interchangeable officer Mr. Petit, the at
torney Of the United States, decree Of eOndsmna-
| lion was pronounced by the court. The next step
/ is writ Of sale, and after reasonable notice, the
vessel will be publicly sold.
The four men Tor rather the three boys and one
many captured in the Pons were, on the 9Th instant
brought on habeas corpus before the district Judge
They had been committed their arrival at Phil
adelphia upon the charge Of having been found on
board OF the Pons part Of her crew, and as hav-
ing been conveyed TO the civil authority Of the Uni.
ted States, to be proceeded against in due course OF
! aw-ths step being authorized by the act Of Con-
| gress Of 1900. Lieutenant Cogdell, Of the York
| town sloop-ofwar, examined, and stated the
circumstances Of the capture. As 10 these prison
ers it appeared that two Of them, (mere boys) sub
ects ofPortugal, had shipped on board OF the Pons
| when she was under an American captain and in a
awful trade; and that the other two, Zone Portu-
guese, and one Spaniard had gone on board with
the Portuguese captain. IL did not appear that the
first two had any voluntary participation in the slave
/ operations-having been left on board when they
could not do otherwise than remain and il was plain
that the other tive had reason TO suppose they were
on board Of Portuguese vessel. Under all the cir
cumstances, it was found, after full investigation,
that their case was not within any act Of Congress-
and, az they were not wanted as witnesses, they
| were discharged
The Portuguese captain managed to effect his es-
| cape at Monrovia Even il these persons had not
been strictly entitled to their discharge, it would
probably have been regarded by many as arepreach
10 the law, and mockery of justice TO have pressed
hard upon such merely subordinate and passive in
struments while the active offenders against HUI
manity-the master spirits Of crime-contrlved 10
avoid the effect Of criminal process. look out
will still be kept and if an opportunity shall pre-
sent itself, the guilty will yet be made to answer IN
their own proper persons. At present, the liberia
| ton of the Africans and the condemnation Of the
vessel attest the value Of the services Of our nation
| al ships on the African coast.