Grant County herald. [volume] (Lancaster, Wis.) 1850-1968, 1854-12-18

But the notice passed UNDECIDED There
upon, commander of the navy, in charge
of the sloop-of-war "Cyane," was ordered
to repeat the demands, and insist upon q
compliance Herewith. Finding that nei-
Their the populace, nor those assuming to
have authority over them, manifested any
disposition to make the required PREPARATION,
or even to offer an excuse for their conduct
he warned them, by public proclamation,
that if they did not give satisfaction with
lin 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
Ito be inflicted on the offending town, he
furnished the means of removing their eff
Ifects, by The boats Of his own ship, and Of a
steamer which he procured and rendered
to them for that purpose. Atlength, per-
Iceiving no disposition on the part of the
town to comply with his acquisitions, he
appealed to the commander of Her Brit
tanic Majesty's schooner "Bermuda," who
was seen to have intercourse, and apparen-
thy much influence with the leaders among
them-to interpose and persuade them to
take some course calculated to save the ne
costly of resorting to the extreme measure
indicated in his proclamation; but that Of
ficer instead of aeceding to the request, did
nothing more than to protest against the
contemplated ,,bombardment No steps
of any sort were taken by the people, to
give the satisfaction required. No indi-
viduals, if any there were, who regarded
themselves as 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
Isome time, and were again announced to
them. They did not deny any of these
charges, they offered no explanation, moth
ing in extenuation of their conduct; but
lcontumaciously refused to hold any inter-
course with the commander of the "Cayne."
by their obstinate silence they seemed
rather DESTROYS to provoke chastisement
than to escape it.
There is ample reason to believe that
this conduct of wanton defiance, on their
part, is imputable chiefly to the delusive i
dea that the American government would
be deferred from Furnishing them, through
fear Of displeasing formidable foreign pow
er, which they presumed to think, looked
with complacency upon their aggressive and
insulting department towards the United
done, the fire was twice stspended, ii of SdfAf
to afford opportunity for an arrangement;
but this was declined. Most of the build
ings of the place, of little value generally,
were, in the sequel destroyed; but owing
to the considerate precautions taken by
our naval Commander, there was no des-
truction of life.
When the Cyane was ordered to Central
America it was confidently hoped and ex-
pected that no occasion would arise for a
''resort to violence and destruction Of
property and loss of life" Instructions to
that effect were given to her commander.
And no extreme act would have been re-
quisite, had not the people themselves, by
their extraordinary conduct in the affair,
frustrated all the possible mild measures
for obtaining satisfaction. A withdrawal
from the place, the object Of this visit en-
tirely defeated, would, under the circum-
stances in which the commander of the
Cyane found himself, have been absolute
abandonment of all claims Of our citizens
for indemnifcation, and submissive acquies-
icence in national indignity. 1t would
have encouraged in these lawless men a
spirit Of insolence and rapine, most danger
Gus to lives and property of our citizens
at Punta Arenas, and probably embolden-
them to grasp at the treasure and valua-
Bile merchandise continually passing
over the Nicaragua route. 1t Ger
tainly would have been most satisfacto-
ny to me, if the objects of the Cyane's mis-
sion could have been consummated with
out any act of public force; but the AFRO
giant contumacy of the offenders rendered
it impossible to avoid the alternative, cit
her to break up their establishment
or to to leave them impressed with the
idea that they might persevere with i'm
punity in a career of insolence and plum
der
\ This transaction has been the subject o
complaint on the part Of some foreign pow
ers, and has been characterized with NOR
i of harshness than Of justice. If comparl
sons were to be instituted, it would not b
difficult to present repeated instances in tn
history of states, standing on the very from
of modern civilization, where communities
far less offending and more defeneeles
! than Greytown, have been chastised witt
much greater severity, and where not cite
only have been laid in ruins, but human
!, life has been recklessly sacrificed and tn
blood of the innocent made profusely t
{ mingle with that of the guilty.
: Passing from foreign to domestic affairs
: your attention is naturally directed to tn
financial condition of the country, always
subject of generally interest. For complet
r and exact information regarding the 6nar
, lcial, and the various branches of the puE
lie service connected Herewith, refer 70
d to the report Of Secretary of the Treasury
r from which it will appear, that the amour
: of revenue during the last fiscal year, frol
t all sources, was seventy-three million fiv
. hundred and forty nine thousand seve
' hundred and FIVE dollars; and that th
ffpublic expenditures for the same perioc
q Exclusive of payments on account OF tt