New-York daily tribune. [volume] (New-York [N.Y.]) 1842-1866, 1854-07-29

the Administrations and though it cannot prevent its
punishment political body, it may at least allevi-
ate the sentence which history will have to pro-
nounce upon its individual members.
We cannot recall any other public question with re-
gard to which there has been such unity of opinion
Journals labitualy opposed on every other subject
representing every shade OF party feeling, every d.
vergence of interest and every antagonsm O.. nation
atty concur to declare the destruction If san Juan
needless, unusti6able, inhuman exercise OF warlhs
force. Conservatives and radicals wings and Demo
Gratis Americans and Foreigners all agree in this one
tLirg-all express the same horror and disgust In
deed among all the papers which have yet spoken,
we know OF but and that al obscure and souri,
lous sheet in this City which has attempted 10 lad
excuse for the measure. That excuse is, that the
! people of San Juan were s set OF dishonest
and vsgabond characters who served right no
matter what might happen to them, and
whose houses snd stores might accordingly have
been rightfully burned down on general principles any
day This advocate for wholesale ylany orgets that the
| house even Of gambler or burglar is much pro-
tected by the law any other and also that San Juan
wac not burned account of the reputation Of its
inhabitants, but because they said TO have in
suited Scion BOrland of Arkansas. That insult was
alone the for the bombs and torches which
Messrs. Pierce and Marcy 30 triumphantly employed
against eighty frame buildings and their non resistant
furniture and merchandise. We say that was the
sole reason, for though they also ordered the town
to pay the Transit Company @2i, 600 for having re-
moved a shed worth some $50 this was a nero
make. weight in business revived for the occasion after
! having slept a year or Had there been nothing
more than the refusal to pay flat money, the town
would still have been standing and the shells and pow
der of the Cyaue would still be resting peacefully in
| her magazine The dubious insult to ambassador
engaged in defending homicide against the law,
as exclusively the of the sack Of Greyown rs
the rape of Helen for the burning of Troy and unless
that insult be made to app, sufficient reason
for such punishment it will be in vain TO defend the
latter by any mpuatiOns true false, upon the char
actcr of the Greytown people.
The ground upon which BOrland claimed to inter
fere in behalf of the alleged murderer to the extent
of threatening to kill with his band the officer
who sought 10 arrest him, that the United States
had never recognized the authorities of San Jusn and
consequently be would not allow them TO enforce
their Jurisdiction upon an American citizen or per-
son when he chose to consider es such This ground
was Substantially reallrmed by Mr.. Marcy aud Mr..
Pierce when they cent the Cysne to take vengeance
for Borlands insuted dignity for unless the author
tiles of the place were grossly transcendins their
powers and were violating the rights Of tho
United States by Furnishing murderer within
their limits, Borland's interference was clearly
nothing but presumption for winch he should
at once have been reprmanded and dismissed
by the President, and the demonstration against him,
nothing but justifabls burst of feeling for which
thort ha he eutk al gan ma
should for an instant have been held to an account
The only defense which even Borand can attempt TO
make turns, therefore, upon the question whether
Government had had not recognized those authOri
ties To say that it had not and that it regarded tho
authorities interlOpers and usurpers, cannot
indeed Justify tho terrible chastisement it has nfict
ed; but if il had recognized them it is deprived of
the last shadow OF an excuse and will find it difficult
TO furnish any for the of those who may hereafter
undertake 10 defend it, On ths head The record stands
against Messrs Pierce and Marcy to degree which
they must have forgotten when they gave Commander
UOns his barbarous orders Hardly year ago
Lord Clarendon in a dispatch to the British Embas.
sador at Washington, dated July -, 1888, states that
both the British and American Governments had or
dercd their naval commanders in Central America to
support the de jacto Government of san juan and
Mr. Marcy himself, in dispatch to Mr.. Ingersoll,
dated June @ 1858, says in many words that the
purpose Of such joint orders to preserve the pub
lie peace at San Juan and to punish wrong doors This
being the case, the pretense which B0rand acted /
is swept away he appears with other authority for
the prot ctiOn Of murderers than would belong to any
other bully from Arkansas and the indignant feeling
Of the people of San Juan is shown to have had per-
fecty legitimate occasion.
1t is lucky for the many Americans whose property
has thus been destroyed, that they are not alone in
this calamity; but that subjects of other powerful
nation, have also been despOied. Had nobody suf
ertd but citizens Of this country it probable that
the victims would never have had their losses made
good At least the for une of other creditors of the
Government, such the claimants from the French
spoations would only authorize the new sufferers to
despair. But now that the IeclamatiOns of English
and French subjects must be listened 10, and their
destroyed property paid for, cur own citizens may
Likewise expect 10 be compensated. The deed is
done, and it only remains for the natsn. far as
possible 10 repair the wsnton injuries inflicted by its
sge1ts We can only hope that Congress will do its
duty in the premises, as promptly as may be. II We
cannot wipe out the shame of the country, at
least restore the wealth that has been destroyed aud
TO great eAteu; relieve the misery that has been
caused; and in doing this there should not be need
ess hours delay.
THE BRUTAL FIGHT.
We give in another column a letter from Capt.
Alderman of the Ninth Ward Police in regard to the
late feht st the foot of Amos-st. The writer says 10
I