The Hillsdale standard. [volume] (Hillsdale, Mich.) 1851-1909, 1854-12-12

W 10 uilscnlct WAS HOt uesplcuDle. IL Wub
well provided with ordinance, small arms and
ammunition, aud might easily sieze upon un-.
atified bUats, freightod with millions OF pro-
porty which passed almost daily within its
roach. II did nod profess to bolong to any
regular Government, and had, in fact, no ro-
cognized dependence or connection with any
one to which tho United States or the ipjur-
cd citizens might apply for redress, or which
could bo held rcsposiblo in any way for tho
outrages committed. Not standing before
the world, in the attttedo of an organized po-
litical state being neither competent to exer-
else tho rights nor to discharge tho obliga-
tions of a Government, twas, in fact, mar
auding establishment, too dangerous to be
disregarded, and too guilty to pass unpun-
ished and yet incapable of boing treated in
any other way than as a resort of outlaws
or camp of savages depredating on emi-
grant trains or caravans on tho frontier set
Elements ofcisilizod siatos.
Soasonabc notice was given to the pooplp
of Greytown that this Government required
them to repair the injury they had donc to
our citizons, and to make suitable apology
for their insult of our Minister, and that a
ship of war would bo dispatched thiher TO
enforce compliance with these dcmrnds, but
the noticed passed UNDECIDED. Toreupon, a
commander Of tho navy, in chage of tho
sloop-of-war Cyane, was ordered to repeat
tho demands and to insist upon o compliance
tlierewiih
Finding that neihor tho populacc, nor
those assuming to have authority over .hem,
manifested any disposition to mako repara-
ton or offer an excuse for thoir conduct, he
warned them by public proclamation, that
# they did not give satisfaction within timo
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 pro-
perty in the punishment about to be inflicted
on tho offending town,h no furnished the means
of removing their effect, by the boats of his
own ship and of steamer which he procured
and rendered to them for that purpose. At
length, perceiving no disposition OIL the part
Of the town to comply with his requsition, no
appealed 10 tho commander of Her Britanic
Majesty's schooner Burmuda, who was seen
to have intercourse and apparently much iu-
flueneo with tho leaders, asking him to in
torpose and persuade them to take some
course calculated to save the necessity ofre-
sorting to tho extreme measures indicated
in his proclamation; but that officer. instead
of accedng to his request, did nothing moro
Than to protest against the contemplated bonn
bardment.
No steps of any sort were taken by the
people to give the satisfaction required, no
individual il any there were who regar-
ded themselves as not responsible for the
misconduct Of the community, adopted
any means to separate themselves from
the fate of the guilty. The several char
ges on which the demands 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 offered no explanation-nothing in
extenuation Of their conduct, but contu-
maciously refused to hold any intercourse
with the commander of the Cyane. By
their obstinate silence, they seemed rath-
er desirous TO provoke chastisement than
to escape it. There is ample reason to be-
licvc that this conduct Of wanton defiance
on their part, is imputable to the delusivc
idea chiefly, that the American Govern
mcnt would be deferred from furnishing
them through fear of displeasing formi
dable foreign power, which they presum-
ed to think looked complacently upon
their aggressive and insulting conduct to-
wards the United States. The Cyane
fred upon the town and before much in
jury had been done the fire was twice sus-
pended in order to afford an opportunity
for an arrangement, but this was declined.
Most of the buildings Of the place, of
little value generally, were in the sequel
destroyed, but, owing TO the considerate
precautions taken by our naval comman-
der, there was no destruction of life
When the Cyane was ordered TO Central
America, it was confidently hoped and
expected that no occasion would arise for
a resort to violence and destruction of
property and loss of life. Instructions
to that effect were given 10 her comman-
der, and no extreme act would have been
requisite, had not the people themselves,
by their extraordinary conduct in the af-
fair, frustrated all honorable measures for
satisfaction. A withdrawal from the
place would have entirely defeated the
object of his visit, and under the circum-
stances, the commander of the Cyane
would have found himself absolutely
compelled to an abandonment of all
claims of our citizens for indemnifcation,
and to submissive acquieseence in nation
al indignity,. 1t would have encouraged
in these lawless persons spirit of inso-
lence and rapine most dangerous to the
lives and property of our citizens at Pun
Ia Arenas, and probaly embodened them
to grasp at the treasures and valuable
merchandise continually traversing over
the Nicaragua route.
1t certainly would have been most sat
isfactory to me if the object of the Cy-
ane's mission could have been consummat-
ed without any act of public force. But
the arrogant contumacy of the offenders
rendered it impossible TO avoid the alter
native, either to break up their establish
ments or to leave them impressed with
the idea that they might persevere with
impunity in insolence and plunder.
This transaction has been the subject Of
complaint on the part of some foreign
powers, and has been characterized with
more Of harshness than of Justice. If
comparisons were 10 be instituted, il
would not be difficult to present instances
in the history of states standing in the