Richmond daily Whig. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1842-1861, 1854-08-04
The Ou,rar. .t San Ju,u.

San Juan. Seeing that this outrage has excited pre-
found disgust and indignation throughout the
try they trying to make the impression that the
skirts Of Mr. Pierce aud his Cabinet are clear Of all
blame in the matter-that the destruction OF Grey
town was not indicated in the instructions given to
Capt. Holins, and that, therefore, this officer acted
entirely upon his own hook, and that he alone must
be held accountable. IT. however, the applause Of the
public, instead Of its indignant and almost universal
censure had followed the bombardment and burning
Of San Juan, should have been favored by the
Administration press with a vastly different tune. We
should have been sickened with fulsomc eulogies
upon the marvellous promptitude and energy Of Mr..
Pierce in resentng national insults and protecting the
rights Of American citizens We should have been
nauseated with disgusting homilies upon the rmness
determination, and wonderful he had displayed
in defending the national honor and visiting merit
ed chastisement upon the insoent wretches who had
dared to insult or to injure In short this small
and contemplate affair would have been macnifiel
into great and uncommon achievement the credit
Of which would have been attributed to the forecast
Judgment patriotism and chivalrc spirit of the Pres
dent and his advisors. We should never have heard
the last Of 1.-THE whole country would have been
full of its praises, and the dauness daring and gal
lantry of the Brgadier would have been upon the lip
Of every Democratic organ from Maine to Texas
The Washington Union true to its funkeyish in
stncts, and true to the mental service of its master
undertakes to relieve the Admnis alton of all respon.
sbity in the premises, by alleging, by implication,
that Capt Hollns transcribed his instructions, and
in destroying San JUAN acted without authority from
the Government. 1t distinctly states that the de-
struction Of Greytown was not indicated" in his in
frupt I'm oil ntrtpf Il ,,.l
at will be seen that the course of the Presidcn,
and his Cabinet has been grossly and wickedly mis-
represented by those New York journals Some o,
them have undertaken in the most positive terms 10
state the instructions given to Capt. Rollins and To-
assert that the course pursued by him in the desruc
ton OF Greytown was distinctly indicated in hrs
instructions Upon turning TO the letter of in
structions, the recklessnesS of these assertions will
be apparent. That letter was drawn by Secretary
Dobbin, and is prepared with singular prudence and
caution We do not propose to indulge in any COM
ments either Of commentator or of censurt as Ia
the conduct of Capt. Holins. Certainly we should
DE nexcusable for intimating anything like censure
of his conduct in the absence of any authentic Sto,.
ment of the immediate facts on which he acted .,
Inc " AH'.'-sso" c<"ti"-' r.r':-g ~ ILL., ...,,r
from the Cnio", defending Capt. Ions from its in
sidious attacks, and says that tie remarks of tha,
journal ARE OF n singular character and they ar.
well calculated to injure Captain Hons by in,ima-
ting that his official report does not fully Justify him
and to convey the impression that the administration
has not yet determined whether it will approve or
censure his conduct" This is, and has been the en-
ACT position of the administration. 1t knew no,
whether to approve or ccnsure. It was aforeeone con-
ciusion with it however not to do either until il as.
certained what the public thought of the affair That
being known, it would have taken the popular side
no matter which it might be- Such iesuitical niece
ofconsderatenessi is in entire keeping with its ackpow
lodged character and its previous conduct There i
nothing in this, however, to excite surprise As the
master is, will the disciple be-as Van Buren v,s
SO Mr.. Pierce is-entrely and perfectly non commit
tai when ever his personal interest require him to he
The Sentinel continues its reply to the Unions articles
by saying: at indicates disposition on the part Of
the Washington Union, to claim credit for the bonn
bsrdment of San Juan, if public opinion should an
plaud the vigorous conduct of Captain ollins and to
evadc all responsibility if public opinion should con-
denim the proceedings of that gallant officerrv The
SntineI here gives the true and only Interpretation
to the Unions article. 1t comprises in nptsbo,l
the miserable and cowardly purpose of the admins
tration.
The Sentinel being Democratic paper. we cive .
further extract from its article in defense of Can,in
Hollns, which will show cOnclusively that he acod
ba,
the whole responsibility for the disgracefu OUTRAGE
upon the citizens and property OF San Juan must
rest upon the shoulders Of the President. I, sovs.
"Tbe instructions under which CAPTAIN Uollin, .o,o,
did not require him in many words TO Jss,,oy O.
Juan PREPARATION made for the robberv NJ a.
Transit Company, and suitable apology offered for The
insult 70 minister 10 Central America Rnt Lo ~ i
structed specifically demand reparaon and snoi w
and TO teach the people OF San Juan that the o. oi
oS 'oerAe such ouuages as those complained or and
hey nave the power and the determination to check
nem. lie was also Instructed 10 remain lopper b.r
necessary IN that warm and unhealthy climate C,n,aa
on was referred oy his instructions to Mr. Marcy Let
I 70 our commercial agent at San Juan for guidance =
Inat letter characterzes the outrage On the ssns c.
psny az felony; and it declared that nothing bo ~
.poo8y Ior the outrage on minister 10 Genital g.
ACT iusv %O'I,s 'e Pace from the infection that such an
.yus'y norris captain Holins proceeded win dns
cauuon 10 making the demands which the ynvc,na,
ordered nim TO make, and they were treated vi,b
;.i u ,' una proclamation was published by him
giving ample and sufficient warning Of the
tended TO pursue II the demands OF his government " w
not properly responded 20 within given ,i,n W,
Jane opened her batteries the town - '''
We bold that Capt. lloins acted ia stric, scc,,,.
he ns ana the discretion reposed in him BY
e 'u,petoui lilo could not have acted others so
rhn9ut Masking bic mission ridiculous failure IL
could not renain AZ San juan aud the demand n, rae,
u'Sn ano redress hsd been secuted and scorned when
sIeu py on. eornmereal agent, aud treated with Z,
iepl contempt when preferred by him What was he to
90 under these cironmsauce having Mr Dobbn' in.,,
lions and Mr. Nsrcys letter before him lie had hnsr
courses TO choose betNeen. H. hal eitber IN 90, t a.
tue United SiAtes amidst the inzolsnt oers n ns,,,
buccaneers, or punish thu outrJgos for which no
sahsactoo. u he bad reIested " the uited S,,s b
would have been arrested, aud, in all pfo,,biiit, ni,
10 bs profession 20 that the botubatdment M e. f
was necessity which could not be avoided"
hCaptain Iollius, acted in strict accordance cit,
his inst uctons and the discretion reposed in hin
by those instructions" asserted by tho Sssiig,y
how does It happen that 'ihe administration ar
not responsible for the bombardment of San Juan
~ IS aedged by the Enquirer in is issue Of yesler
day. The Ea7Hiro, also siys that che act itself
not deserving Of censure, "--w whilst the Charlesto
Mercury, another Democratic print Indignantly al
firms that 1t haS neither the excuse Of passion or In
grare Of chivalry."
Denouncing the conduct Of the administration an
the act ITSELF we leave these eminent Democratic au
'hnrities TO reconcile their differences Of opinion
best they may,
The PhV'eisns Of the New York Hospital give som
facts showing tina, seven eishhs Of oil person. suacke
By oholera ace those who have assdy been long