Plymouth advertiser. [volume] (Plymouth, Ohio) 1853-1988, 1854-12-08


{ planlcr. but treated with radeness and vio-
: lenee those who sought 20 recover their
e Irep MY Sash. in A Ubs,Anoe. wese the
c laets submitted to nv eonsideratiOn. and
4 proved BY Trustworthy evidence. i could
n not doult that the case demanl lei the in
1 titerposition Of this Government.
: Justiee requires that Ieparatisn should
: be made for many and such gross wrongs,
aud that a course Of insolenoe and plum
der tending directly to the insecurity Of
the lives Uf numerous travellers, and OF
the treasure and goods belonging to our
citizens passing over this transit. way,
, should be promptly arrested. Whatey-
er il might be, in other respects, the COM
munity in question had power to do mis-
chief which was not despicable. 1t was
well found with ordnance, small arms,
and ammunition. and might easily seize
ON the unalmed boats, freighled with mil
lions Of property, which passed almost
daily within its reach. 1t did not pro-
Tess to belong 10 any regular government.
, and hal in fact no recognized dependence
t on or connection with any one, to which
b the United States or their injured citizens
n might apply for redress, or which could
, be held responsible in any way for the
, outrageS committed. Not standing before
I the world in the attitude of an organized
D political society, being neither competent
e to exercise the rights, nor to discharge
: thc obligations Of a government, it was
in fact, Il maIauding establishment, too
] guilty 10 pass unpuniShed, yet incapable
= Of being treated in any other way than as
ii resort of outlaws, or camp of sava-
geS, devastating on immigrant trains OF
caravans and the frontier settlements OF
civilization.
SeaSonablc notice was given to the peo-
pie OF Grcytown that this Government re-
qucsted them to repair the injuries they had
done our citizens: to make reasonable re-
Iply for the insult Of oar minister, and that
4 ship of war would be dispatched there
to enforce compliance with these demands.
But the notice passed Unheeded.
Thercnpon commander i'll the Navy,
in charge of the Sloop-of-War Cyanc,
was ordered to repeat the demands, and to
insiStupona compliance herewith Find
ing that neither the populace nor those as
suming to have authority over them, man
itcstcd any disposition to make the requis-
ite reparatlon, or even to offer an excuse
tor their conduct, he warned them by a
public Proclamation, that if they did not
give satisfaction within a time specified, he
would lombard the town. BY this pro-
ceeding he would be afEording them an op-
portunlty toproyide for their personal safe
ty. He also desired to avoid less of pro-
perty in the punishment about to b. in
iiictcl upou the offending town. He fur
nished themeans Of moving their effects by
the boats Of his own ship, and of steam
erwnich he procured ard rendered them for
that purpose.
At length, pcrceiving no disposition on
the part Of the town to comply with the
request he Appealed to the commander OF
her Britannia NIajesty'S Schooner Bermu-
da, who was seen to have intercourse and
apparently much influence with the lead
ers among them, to intcrposc and persuade
them to take some counsel and save the ne
ccsSity of resortilg to the extreme meas
ures indicated in this proclamation. But
that officer, instead Of acccding to the re-
quest, didnothing except to protest against
the contemplated bombartImcnt. No steps
Of any sort were taAen by the peoplo to
give the satisfaction required.
No individuals, if any there We're, who
regarded themselves as not responsible for
the misconduct Of the community, ,adoplcl /
any means to separate themselves from the
fate of The guilty. The several charges
on which the demands for redress were
founded, had been publicly known to all
for some time and were again announced
to th2m They did not deny any of these
charges. They offered no explanation,
nothing in cXtenuation of their conduct
but constantly refused to hold any inter-
course with the commander Of the Cyane.
By their obstinate silence they seemed rathr
Idi>irous to provoke chastisement than to
avoid it,
There is ample reason to believe that
this conduct or want Of dclclence oh their
part is imputablc chiefly to their delusive
idcu that the American Government would
be deferred from furnishing them, through
fear Of diSplcasing u formidable foreiga
Power, which they presumed to think,
looked with complaccncy on their aggrcss-
i've and insulting department towards the
Uuitcl States.
The Cyanc at length fired upon the
town. Before much injury had been done,
the fire was suspended, i'll order to afford
opportunity for arrangement but this
was declined. Most of the buildings of
the place were of little value, and were
destroyed. Owing to the consi leIate pre-
cautions taken by our naval commander,
there was no destruction of life. The
l Cyane's mission would have been con-
summatcd without any act Of public force !;
but the arrogant contumacy of the old Of
Tenders rendered it impossible to avoid the
alternative either to break up their es-
tablishment, or to leave them possessed
with the itlca that they might pcrseyere,
with impunity, in a course Of insolence
and plumber.
When the Cyanc was ordered to Cen
trail America, it was confidently hoped
, and expected that no occasion wculd arise
for a resort to violence, and destruction of
property and loss of life Instructions
Ito hat af1oct wore OF Won IN hn, nop,n,opJ