The Hillsborough recorder. [volume] (Hillsborough, N.C.) 1820-1879, 1854-08-16
5.564
The SAN Juan Anair.

The Sam Juan Amair.
In our paper Of to-day, win DO found 4 brie
summary Of the Official communications in re
gard 70 the destruction Of San Juan BY one o
our ships Of war. We regret that these do mo-
place the matter in any more favorable light 20.
our Government than the frsl accounts publish
ed. But on the contrary. they show that the &C
ton Of Capt Holins. il not specially directed By
the Government, was at least authorized by the
instructions given him-thc whole matter seem.
70 have been left 70 his discretion. So tina,
whatever Of glory or shame attaches 10 the de.
struetion Of Greytown, belongs TO the present
administration. We cannot but condemn i,
as INJECTING an indelible stain upon our es.
cufcheon.
Even were all the facts true. as commuu;cat.
ed to our government by Mr. Borland and the
agent Of the transit company, il docs not appear
to US that the sudden and indiscriminatc yen-
geance with which the town was visited, could
be IN any wise justified. But there appears to
have been much exaggeraiion on one side. and
much LEFT out on the other, in the statement of
facts upon which the Government has aetei.
The treatment Of Mr.. Borland has been repre-
sented as wanton outrage, and gross insult
20 the country which he represented. But n
apparently disintcrcstcd witnesses are 10 10 be-
iisved, Mr.. Borland brought the indignity upon
himself by an act Of imprudencc which in him
was not at all remarkable. The authorities Of
the place had issued a warrant for the arrest Of
Captain Smith, who had the COMMAND, Of a
small steamer on the river, who bad deliberately
shot native Of the place, while on board his
own boat along side. Smith was not an Anne.
rican citizen, but mrlaiio. half Portuguese and
half negro. The arrest Of this man, Mr.. Hor-
land intcrposed forcibly to prevent, and in the
turmoil which cnsued, Mr.. Borlsnd was hit
BY some missile, which struck his face and in |
iicted slight injury. This was the insult,
complained Of.
The difficulties between the Transit Compa. |
y and the citizens OF Greytown, appear also 10
lave grown out Of disregard Of the laws Of
ne place BY the Company, and the damages,
which they have estimStcd at 10000 dollars.
lave been greatly oyercstiinated, if other sour.
cs Of information are entitled to credit.
The apologists Of Mr.. Borlsnd and Of This act
I the Administration, alcgc that Grcytown
vas nest of pirates, and therefore its dcsttue.
ion was unsuitable. But this. allegation nm.
cars to be disproved by reliable testimony. A
oHesPondcnt of the New York Journal Of Com.
'erce, writing from Washington, says There
re those now here, who are really entitled to
rcdit' and who have had much experience in
araus communities and countries. and who !,
ave been often at Grcytown, and were there
ithin the last four months, who assert that MS !
sober quiet, and orderly community, IL has ,
superior even in the United States And /.
&c same writer continues: I've have official
en and private individuals of unIoubted inter.
y and intelligence who are ready to make
bod this assertion II will be recolIected that
c Journal from which VIC quote is friend to
c Administration.
Bnt the vengeance inflicted has not fallen
one on the natives Of that place. a large por. !.
m Of the property destroyed, if not the princi-
! portion of it, belonged to citizens Of tho ),
n,ted States, and to English and French SUBJ
rs, engaged there in mercantile operations. !,
he amount Of their losses, whatever il NAV he
Government viii be called upon to replace.
me have estimated these losses TO exceed half
million Of dollars. The inhabitants had all
town; the bombaedmcnt was therefore upon II
antlcss houses. and resulted only in.the de. i,
nction Of property. Can an actrof vengeance. nj
Is inf cted, be justified on the score of expe. ci
ncy lfthc claim Of the Transi, Company M
re ever so just, are they likely to recover it bi
Of battered houses and burnt effects,
3ut there is another and more serious point Sc
new in which this matter is to be considered. th
he President Of the United States. without &C
suiting congress, may rightfllly order oe
p OF war TO batter down a small town on
coast Of Nicaragua, could he not With the eu
c show Of authority order fsct to lombard
as Or Liverpool Aud if tho President up. -
us own motion can rightfully make the in. =. -
I'VE IN hostilities, what becomes Of that pro, ~.
IN in our constitution which gives to Con. 90.
5 only the power to declare war! Pho an.
'rlcan people were once jealous OF absolute me
rr; arc they now ready to see it usurped ne,
n American President,
l'c standards Discontinue. wa,