Loudon free press. (Loudon, Tenn.) 1852-1855, 1854-12-13


cover their property.
b. Such, IN substance, are the facts subuitte
to my consideration, and proved by trGstworh
evidence. | could not doubt that the case de
manded the nterpnsition of this government
Justice requiled that reparation should be mad
for SO many and such gross wrongs, and tina
course o.iHsolence and pluLder, tending di
rectly to the insecurity of the lives of numer
Gus travellers, and Of the rich treasure belong
ing to our citizens, passing over this trsusi
way, Should be perempt3rily arrested. What
ever 1t might be in other respects, the commu
nifty IN question, in power to do mischief, was
not despicahle. 1t was we'll provided with or
nance, small arms, and ammunition, and iyh
easily seize on the unarmel boats, freghte(
with millions of property. which passed almos
daily within its reach. 1t did not profess t
belong to any regular government, ard had, il
fact, 20 recognized dependence on, or connec
tion with, any one TO which the United States
or their in ured citizens might applT for re-
dfess, or which could be held responsible, IL
any way, for the outraues committed. Not
starIeF4iH.s befere the world in an attitu1e of an
organized political society. being neither com
petent to exercise the rights nor to discharge
the obligations Of government it WAS, in fact
narauding establishments too dangerous tc
bee disre@arded, and too guilty to bass unpun.
ished and yet incapable of being treated in
any other way than as a piratical resort Of out
laws, or a camp Of savages, deprcdating on EN-
i@rant trains or caravans and the froatier set
Elements Of civilized states.
SeaSonable notice was given to the people of
Grey town that this government required them
to repair the inuries they had done to our
citizens. and to make suitable apology for their
Insult OF our minister, and thar a ship-ofwar
would be despatched thither to enfrce compli-
ance with these demands But The notice pass
ell unheeded. Thereupon. a commander of the
navy; in charge of the sloop of war Cvane. was
ordered to repeat the demands, and to insist
upon a compliance therewitt Finding that
neither the populace; nor those assuming to
have authority over them, manifested ary dis
position to make the required reparaion. or
even to offer excuse for their conduct, he warn
ed them, by a pr lie proclamation, that if they
did not give sat Iiaction within time srecfed
he would lombard the town. Bv his nroce.
dure he afforded them opportunity to provide
for their personal safety. To those also who
desired to avoid loss or property. in the punish,
ment about to be inflicted on the offending
town, he furnished the means Cf removing their
effects by the boats ofh's own ship. and of
steamer which he procured and rendered to
them for that purpose. At length, pcrcevng
no disp isition on the part Of the town to comply
with his acquisitions, he apppaled to the com
mander of her Britannia Maiestv's schooner
Bermuda. who was seen to have intercourse
and apparently much influence with the leaders
among them-tO interpoSe, and persuade them
to take some course calculated to save the
necessity Of frpSortinr to the extreme measure
in his proclamation; but that officer
instead of acceding to the request, did nothing
more than to protest against the contemplated
bombardmert. No steps Of any sort were ia
ken ny tho faoFle, - =ivv the satisfaction re
Iulred. No individuals, if any there were.
who regarded themselves rs not responsible for
he misconduct of the community, adopted anv
means to separate themselves from the fate of
he guilty. The several charges. on which the
demands for redress were founded, had been
publicly known to all for some time. and were
lgain announced to them. They did not DENY
my of these charges; they offered no explana-
ion, nothing in exclamation of their conduct:
,ut contumaciously refused 70 hold anv inter
curse with the commander of the "Cvane' Bv
heir obstinate silence they seemed rather de- (
irouS to provoke chastisement than to escape
/. There is ample reason to believe that this /
onduct of wantnn Defiance on their part. is
mpuable chiefly to the deluSive idea that the
lmerican government would he deferred from
uniShinr them, through fear of displeasinr n
'rmid able foreign power, which, they presumed .
, think, looked with cOmplncencv upon their
g"resSlve and insulting department towards
,e United States The "Cvane" at length
red npon the town. Before much injury hal
zen done; the fire was twice SUSPENDED. in
-rln. .,.l. a I
Mt this was declined Most Of the buildings of
ie place, Of little value generally. were in the
.Guel. DESTROYED; but, owing to the considerate
'ecautious taken by our naval Commander,
erp WAS no destruction Of life.
When the ''Cvanr" was ordered TO Central
merica. It was confidently hoped and expected
ut no occasion would arise for "a resort to
olcnco and destruction of property and loss
life" Instructions to that effect were given
her commander: and no extreme act would {
I've been requisite had the people themselves,
their extraordinary conduct in the affair, {
Istratrd all the possible mild measures for I
staining satisfaction. A withdrawal from the S
ace, the object of his visit entirely defeated, |
)uld, under the circumstances in which the c
of the Cyane found himself have
en- absolute abandonment OF all claim Of
r citizens for indemnifcation, and submis
We acQuiescencc in national irdignity 1t t
'uld have encouraged in these lawless men Y
irit Of insoence and rapince most dangerous t
the lives and property OF our citizens at Punta s
'enas. and probably emboidrned them to r
lsp at the treasures and valuable merchan- u
e continually passing over the Nicaragua
lte. 1t certainly would have been most salts a
tory to me if the objects of the"Cyane's" miss c
could been cOnsummated without any act of n
bic force; but the arrogant cOntHmacy Of !.
Offenders rendered it impossible to avoid u
alternative. either to break up their estab-- 81
lment or to leave them impressed with the ~
a that they might persevere with imPunify +
a career Of insolence and plunder. IN
ThiS transaction has been the subject of on
nplaint on the part of some foreign powers, N
has been characterized with more of harsh I
S than of Justice. If comparisons were to p'
instituted, it would not be difficult to pre- 81
{ repeated instances in the history of staies oC
nding in the very front of modern civiiza dc
I, where communities. far less defending and hf
re- defencless than Greytowp, have been hs
stised with much greater severity and where vi
es not only bave been laid in ruins. but be
nan life has been recklessly sacrificed, and
blood Of the innocent: made profusely to en-
gle with that of the guilty. wi
'assing from foreign to domestic affairs be
r attention is naturally directed to the finan- ha
condition Of the country, always subject itl
'eneral interest. For complete and exact an
rmation regarding the finances, and the un
Gus branches of the public service counec.