Demoine courier., 1854-12-21

Central America, it was confidently
hoped and expected that no occasion
would arise for ga resort TO violence and
destruction of property and loss of life. -
instructions to that effect were given 10
her commander. And no extreme &C,
would have been requisite had not the
people themselves. BY their cxtraordina.
~ conduct ia the affair, frustrated all the
possible mild measures for obtaining sat-
isfaction. A withdrawal from the place,
the object Of his visit entirely defented,
would, under the circumstances in which
the commander of the Cyane found him.
self, have been absolute abandonment, oil
all claim of onr citizens for lndemnif-
cation, and submissive acquiesence in
national lndignity. II would have en-.
couraged in these lawless men a spirit
Of insolence and rapine most dangerous
TO the lives and property of our ci,lzens
ut Puma Arenas, and probably embold.
ened them 10 grasp at the treasures and
valuable merchandise continually passing
over the Nicaragua route. Ii certainly
would have been most satisfactory to me
if the objects of the "Cyane's" mission
could nave been contaminated without
any act of public force; but the arrogan,
contumacy of the offenders rendered il
impossible to avoid the alternative, either
to break up their establishment, or to
leave them impressed with the idea that
they might persevere with impuni,y in a
career of insolence and plumber.
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. II
comparisons were to be Instituted, il
would not be difficult to present repeated
instances in the history Of States, Sand.
ing in the very front of modern civiliza.
ton, where communities, far less offend
ing and more defenceless than Graytown,
have been chastlsed with much greater
severity, and where not cities only have
been laid in ruins, but human life has
been recklessly sacrificed, and the blood
OF the innocent made profusely TO mingle
with that of the guilty.
Passing from foreign 10 domestic az.
fairs, your attention is naturally directed
10 the financial condition of the country,
always subjec. of general interest,"
For complete and exact information re-
garding the finances, and the various
branches Of the public service connected
herewith, / refer you to the repor, of the
Secretary of tie Treasury; from which
it will! appear, that the amount of reve-
nue. during the last fiscal year, from all
sources, was seventv-threc millions FIVE
hundred and forty nine thousand sevsa
hundred and i've dollars; and that the
public expenditures for the same period,
exclusive of payments on sccoun. of the
public debt, amounted to fifty lone millions
eighteen thousand two hundred and forty.
nine dollars.
Duriag the sare period, the payments
made in redemption of the public debt.
including interest and premium, amount
ed to swenty-four millions three humid
red and thirty six thousand three hund.
red and eighty dollars. To the sum to.
tai of the receipts Of that year is 10 be
added balance remaining in the Treas
ury al the commencement thereof, a
mounting to twenty -one millions nine
hundred and for,ytw thousand eigh,
hundred and ninety two dollars and at the
close of the same year, a corresponding
balance amounting to twenty millions
one hundred and thirty-seyen thousand
nine hundred andssixty seven dollars Of
receipts above expenditures. also remain
ed in the Treasury. Although, in the
opinion Of the Secretary OF the Treasury,
the receipts of the current fiscal year are
mol likely 10 equal in amount those OF
the last, yet they will undoubtedly ex-
coed the amount of expenditures by at
least fifteen millions of dollars.
| shall, therefore, continue TO direct
that the surplus revenue be applied, SO
far as il can be judiciously and econo-
mically done, TO the reduction Of the
public debt. the amount of which, at the
commencement of the last fiscal year.
was sixty-seve millions three hundred
and forty thousand six hundred and
atwenty .eigh. dollars; of which there had
been paid on the twentieth day of No.
yember, 1854, the sum of twenty-five
millions three hundred and sixty five
thousand one hundred and sevenly-two
dollars; leaving balance of outstanding
public debt Of only fortv.four milIions
nine hundred and seventy.fve shousand
four hundred and fifty six dollars, re.
deemable a. different periods within
four.seh years.
There are also remnants of other
government stocks, most of which are
already due, and on which the interest
has ceased, but which have not yet been
presented for payment. amounting to two
hundred and shirly.three thousand one
hundred and seventy nine dollars. This
statement exhibits the fac. that the
annual income of the Government great.
~ly exceeds the amount of its public debt.
which latter remains unpaid only because
the time Of payment has not yet ma
tured, and itseannot be discharged al
once, except at the option Of public
creditors, who prefer to retain the Sc
curitiss Of the United States; and the
other fact, not less striking, that The an
nual revenue from all sources exceeds by
n