Semi-weekly standard. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1853-18??, 1854-12-09

in order to ensure the safety of passengers and
perry passing ever the route, temporary force was
organized, at considerable expense to the United
States for which provision was made at the last
sion of Congress.
This pretended community, heterogeneous as
senabiage gathered from various countries and COM
posed, for the most part of blacks and persons of
mixed blood, had previously given other indications
of mischievous and dangerous propensities. EARLY
in the same MONTH property was clandcstinely ex-
tractcd from the depot of the Transit company, and
taken to Greytown. The plunderers obtained shell
ter there and. their pursuers were driven back by
its people, who not only protected the wrongdoers
and shared the plumber, but treated with rudeness
and violence those who sought to recover their pro-
perty.
Such in substance, are the facts submitted to my
consider alton, and proved by trustworthy evidence
could not doubt that the case demanded the inter-
position of this government. Justice required that
PREPARATION should be made for SO many and such
gross wrongs, and that a course of insoence and
plumber, tending directly to the insecurity of the
lives of numerous travellers, and OF the rich trea-
belonging to citizens, passing over this tran
sit way should be pcrcmptorily arrested. Whatever
it might be in other respects the community in
question, in power to do mischief, was not dSpica-
BILE. 1t was we'll provided with ordnance, small
and ammunition, and mig ht easily seize on the
unarmed boats, 1reghted with millions of property,
which passed almost daily within their reach. 1t did
not profess to belong to any regular government,
and had, in fact no recognized dependence on,
connection with any to which the United States
their ured citizens NIL ht apply for redress,
which could be held responsible i'll any way, for the
outrages committed Not standing before the world
in the attitude of organized political society, be-
ing neither competent 10 exercise the rights nor to
discharge the obligations of government, it was, in
fact a marauding establishment, too dangerous to be
disregarded, and too guilty to pass unpunlshed and
yet incapable of being treated in any other way than
piratical resort of outlaws, a camp of savag-
es, depredating emigrant trains or caravans and
the frontier settlements of civil lied states
Seasonable notice given to the people of Grey
town that this government required them to repair
the injuries they had done to citizens, and to
make suitable apology for their insult of minis
ter, and that ship-owar would be despatched Thu
Their to enforce compliance with these demands But
the notice passed UNDECIDED Thereupon, comman
der of the navy, in charge of the sloop-of-war "Cy
ane, ordered to repeat the demands, and to in
sist upon compliance Herewith. Finding that
neither the populacc, nor those assuming to nave
authority them, manifested any disposition to
make the required reparation to offer excuse
for their conduct, he warned them, by public pro-
canaon, that if they did not give satisfaction with
in time specified, he would lombard the town.
By this procedure he afforded them opportunity to
provide for their personal safety To those also who
desired to avoid loss of property, in the punishment
about to be inflicted the offending town, he fur
n:shcd the means of removing their effects, by the
boats of their ship, and of steamer which lie
procured and rendered to them for that purpose. At
length perccivilg disposition the part Of the
town to comply with his acquisitions, DC appealed to
the commander OF her Britannia MajestyS schooner
apparently much influence with the leaders among
thcnl-to intcrpose to persuade them TO take some
course calculated to the necessity of resort'ng
the extreme measures indicated in his prociama
ton but that officer, instead of accedng to the
quest did nothing more than to protest against the
contemplated bombardment. No steps of any sort
taken, 10y the people, to give the satisfaction
required. No individuals, if any there were, who
regarded Themselves not responsible for the mis-
conduct of the community adopted 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 them.
They did not deny any Of these charges; they Of
fercd explanation, nothing in cxtenuaton of their
conduct; but contnmaciou>ly refused to ho:d any
intercourse with the commander of the "Cyane. "
By their obstinate silence they seemed rather dcsr-
to provokechastisement than to escape it There
is ample to believe that this conduct of
ton Defiance on their part, is imputabe chiefly to
the delusive idea that the American government
would be debarrcd from Furnishing them, through
fear of dispicasing formidable foreign power which
they presumed to think, looked with complacency
upon their aggressive and insulting department to-
wards the United States The "Cyane" at length
fired upon the town. Before much injury had been
DONE the fire was twice suspended, in order to al
ford opportunity for arrangement; but this
declined Most of the buildings of the place, of lit
tie value generally, were, in the sequel destroyed;
but owing to the considerable precautions taken by
naval commander, there was no destruction of
life.
When the "Cvane" was ordered to Central Anne
RIGA, it was confidently hoped and expected that
occasion would arise for a resort to violence and
destruction of property and loss of life. " Instruc-
tons to that effect given to her commander.
And extreme act would have been requisite had
not the people themselves, by their exit aor,iinary
conduct in the affair." frustrated all the possible mild
measures for obtaining satisfaction. \ withdrawal
from the place, the object of his visit entirc!yeea
ted, would, under the circumstances in which the
commander of the Cyane found himself have been
absolute abandonment of all claim of citizens
for Naturalization, and submissive acqueScencc in
national indgnity. 1t would have encouraged in
these lawless spirit of insolence and rapine
most dangerous to the lives and property of our cti
zens of Punta Arena, and probably enboldenedt them
to grasp at the treasures and merchandise continue
ally passing over the Nicaragua route. 1t certainly
would have been most satisfactory to me if the OBJ
jects of the "Cyane's" mission could have been
consummated without any act of public force; but
the arrogant contumacy of the offenders rendered
up their establishment, to leave them impressed
with the idea that they might persevere with impu-
nifty in course of nsolence and plumber.
The transaction has been the subject of complaint
on the part of some foreign powers and has been
with of hashness than Of Justice
If comparisons were to be instituted it would not be
difficult to present repeated instances in the history
of States, standing in the very front of modern civil
lization where communities, far less offending and
more defenceless than Greytown, have been chas-
tised with much greater severity, and where not CT
ties only have been laid in ruins but human life has
been reckessly sacrificed, and the blood of the in
nocent made profusely to mngle with that Of the
guilty.
Passing from foreign to domestic affairs your at
tention is naturally directed to the financial condi-
ton of the country always subject of general in
For lafo &c