The republic. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1849-1853, 1849-10-25
7 H E R L ? u BLIC.
WASHING TON:
THURSDAY MORNING. OCTOBER IS, ls4s

cat a future time may examine the points in
the diplomatic conduct of MIR. Clayton set forth by
the National Iatelligencer, u do so ioithout
disiracting the public attention from the Nicaragua
and Mosquito questions. Mr. Claytons organ doubt
less wishes to lead us off from that point; but
must respectfully inform that journal, in the words
used by Mr. Webster under October sun, 'we
are not soft enough for that - Union.
If the URtOn meant to say, in the above
extract, that it would be soft to let the
Nicaragua and Mosquito question drop, it
may boast of emulating the ripest kind of
squash; for it has been as silent of late
| about the doings of the last administration
in that matter as though the members Of
the Polk Cabinet had minstered to it
drowsy syrup concocted of their own in
terminable reports. Considering with what
a pompous and truculent air the sole organ
claims for its party the especial mission OF
protecting the American continent from
foreign aggression, of all kinds and from
all quarters, the history of the last admin
lstration will exhibit a succumbing to Brit
ish pretension more disgraceful than the
pusilanimity with which the remainder of
Europe witnessed the partition Of Poland
between the allied powers of the North.
There is no parallel to the miserable truck
ling and tlmid submission with which the
spoil of Nicaragua was acquiesced in. AT
time when Locofocracy was as brave and
as bloody minded as paragraphs couched in
the most sanguinary phraseology could
make it, this Mosquito farce was played
off in the face of the world, and the Polk
Cabinet looked on in stolid wonder or
trembling admiration. Though implored
by Nicaragua for help; though appraised of
every step in the progress of usurpation;
though the importantly of personal appl-
cation was added to the prayers of repeated
dispatches, they folded their arms in sub
mission, and yielded up neighboring re-
public to forcible ACKNOWLEDGMENT and for
eign spoil.
Yet these are the people who fret and
fume if General TAYLOR does not catch
every foreign potentate by the beard,
with or without cause, and compicate
| the affairs of the United States with
the destinies of revolutionary Europe.
These are the people who have seen the
| President Of the United States open the
dungeon of Cuba and bring to light and
liberty man supposed to have been alb
Quoted from our soil, and yet rave because
something more is not done before the
crime of abduction is proven by the con-
victon of the Spanish consul or the avowal
of the Spanish court. Their Wanting
threats to take the whole of Oregon up to
'fiIty-four forty" coupled with their igno-
bic and compulsory retreat upon forty
nine" might have prepared the public
mind for acts which fall short Of their
Boosting but nothing had ever transpired
in the history of America which could
have given token of so lamentable shrink
ing up and collapse of bombastc patriot
ism as the surrender, by the last admins
tration, of the Monroe doctrine without a
blow or preliminary parley. They, the
boosted exclusive proprietors of this doc
trine the peculiar and appointed defend
ers of all America, North and South the
discoveries and patentees of non-interven-
tion-that they should have blanched
from the contest upon the presentation of
the first occasion to illustrate the sincerity
Of their professions, was scarcely to have
been expected by even those who bore
their fity-four forty' exploits in depre-
catory remembrance. From the swelling
tone of the Locofoco press, one might have
imagined that the Polk cabinet would have
resented the slightest movement of Great
Britain towards the acquisition OF a foot
hold in Nicaragua, by selling all the Can
adas and wrestling Ireland from the crown,
at least. But how awful the gap between
promise and performance What diff
ference between gas and gunpowder
| The ILo,o, wants to lynou ic Tho ,rag