The daily union. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1845-1857, 1854-03-23


Il is useful to review such past and especially
So in front of the fact that the party which has stood
firm and faithful through all these trials is stronger
than ever and stands unimpaired majesty and power,
upon the enduring foundations OF its own victorious
and we-iried creed
On the other hand, the democracy has been amply
venged upon the foes OF democratic principles and demo-
cratic Legislation Amid the general welfare and pros
perily while progress and happiness 60 hand in hand
and extending borders and extending civilization and free
dom are convertible terms. the people realize the pracu
cal benefits of consistent party boldly adhering 10 great
truths, until through disaster and defeat. they are -
umphan,ly applied in the administration Of the govern
ment Foremost among those who are aided by this
harvest OF sound principles the very who have
vfed and opposed them for twenty years.
And what OF the futures What Of the years beyond
us What of the democratic party of the present day
Questions easily and successfully answered In the prov
idence OF God the democrats always called upon TO
meet and dispose of great questions What they have
done in other days they must do now let the temporary
consequences be what they may The ultimate result will
be as has beenthe triumph OF truth and the downfall
OF faction Nor will those who pognostcae evil have
long TO before they shall their dismal forebodngs
scattered the four winds Of Heaven, and in their own
which they oppose.
II is strange that in of the inyarabe defeat of the
efforts OF fac,ious and minded agatos, and with
the wholesome fruits of bold and patriotic measures scat
tered before and around u.s. there should be found
single public willing TO lend himself TO the passing
excemens Of the day. and afraid to trust himself to the
judgments OF a patriotic people,
Our Relations with Spain.-The Beecher Case.
In his late message on the Black Warrior affair, the
President laid stress upon the fact that outrages of
similar character had been heretofore pepetraed by the
Spanish officials in the Yves. India islands, for which
no reparaton had been made. His inmaton
msakabe that justice, full and satisfactory not only
for the Black Warrior affair." but for all similar outrages,
must now be done by Spain without further delay We
have before us the details of of these unsatised
claims of citizens upon the government Of Spain
given in message to the House of Representatives on
the goth of January 1854 which shows in the strongest
light the necessity for energetic and decisive measures on
the part of our government We alude to the cores
pondence in reference the seizure and imprisonment OF
Captain Thaddeus Beecher and crew of the schooner
"North Carolina in March, 1880 For the purpose Of
showing forciby the annoyances and delays attending
negotiations with Spain in regard 10 injuries inflicted upon
our citizens and their property in her West India pos
sessions and the absolute necessity for material change
in our diplomatic relations with that government we
propose to give the facts in the Beecher case
On the 10th OF june $780, Captain Beecher addressed
memorial to Mr. Clayton, the Secretary of State in
which the facts of the fully detailed The case,
as stated by him, is as follows
On the twelfth day Of March last he in command
of the schooner North Carolina OF and from New Haven
State of Connecticut, and then lying at the east end
Of the island OF Porto Rico and OF the Anle islands, in
the West Indies On that day the schooner sailed from
the east end OF Porto Rico, and the night
wrecked on the southwest point OF said island. The
and cargo nearly total loss As soon the
officers and crew safely landed, your memorast
paired to Mayaguez the nearest port to obtain the assist
ance of the American consul Very after his arrival
place, the captain OF the ordered him to return
10 the schooner and threatened him with immediate i'm
prisonmeut for any dsobedence of bis order In
quence of this ORDER your msmorast obliged to
turn TO the schooner without being able obtain
any assistance from the consul With the assistance, how
ever, of his officers and and at the imminent
peril OF their lives your memodalist succeeded In saving
sails and rigging from the wreck, and his spyglas
and chronometer These articles up Maya
guez boat sent by the consul for that purpose where
they seized by the Spanish authorities and
memorialis and his officers and forbidden
the island They detained for than thirty
days. until the arrival of the sloopof.war Albany, Com
IN Ander Randolph.
"As captain Of the port heard of the confer
between Ioutfn ander Randolph and memorial
Isl he order for the latter attend Immediately
his office, which order he obeyed Your mcmoriast
satisfied OF the determ naton of the captain Of the
port i'm prison him and his for having laid his
grievances before Commander Randolph, OF The Albany
Your memoralist, his officers and crew. were marched
through the by file Of soldiers, thrust fthy
cell with supposed felon, and few moments after their
confne sheep driven into their cell to be stabbed
purposely in aggrsvaton Of the insult we'll the
flag the United States then flying the masthead OF
American shp-ofwsr at that port to your menoralst
his officers and From this dtsgracclul conhne
your memorss, his officers and released by
the active ereuions Of Commander Randolph, whose
respondence with the authorities Of the island and whose
statement OF the facts OF the case, signed by himself
captains OF all American vessels then In port, and your
his officers snd crew, file In the
office Of the Secretary Of the Navy, aud which your
moalist begs leave refer In confirmation Of the repre-
senations this memorial "
This detail of the facts fully sustained by Captain
Randolph who characterized the transaction "a mon
srous act OF tyranny On The 18th OF April, $780, he
addressed note TO the Spanish military eommandsnt at
Mayaguez, Porto Rico, in which be makes of him per-
empory demand for information the nature OF The
crimes alleged against Captain Beecher and his crew. for
which they were ncarceraed The answer OF the Span
ish official is 50 rare curiosity that we give il entire:
In answer TO your polite communication OF this date
ahoug Oh there exists In this city consular agent Of your
nation directed be recognised by his exceency the gov
the special appointment Of the ene Of the United
States, Che same given the person Of Nr. Thomas
Turul) aud in consequence OF lhs amity and harmony
tnIar hat