The Lancaster ledger. [volume] (Lancaster, S.C.) 1852-1905, 1854-12-13
IN ADVANCE
N U N B ER 43

IT
garded themselves as not responsible for
the misconduct Of the community, adopt
Ell any means to separate themselves from
the fate Of the guilty.
The several charges, on which the de-
mands for redress were founded. had been
publicly known to all for some time, and
were again announced to them. They
ana not deny any Of these charges, they
ohered no explanation, nothing in ex-
tenuation of their conduct; but contunia.
ciousIy refused to hold any intercourse,
with the commander of the "Cyane." By
their obstinate silence they seemed rather
desrous 10 provoke chastisement than to
escape 1t. There is ample reason to be-
lieve that this conduct Of wanton defiance
on their part, is imputable chiefly to the
deluslve idea that the American govern
ment would be deferred from publishing
them, through fear of dispeasing a formi.
dabIe foreign power which they presumed
TO think, looked with complacency upon
Their aggressive and insulting department
towards the United States. The sCyane'
at length fired upon the town. Before
much injury had been done, the fire was
twice suspended, in order to afford oppor.
tunlty for an arrangement; but this was
declined. Most of the buildings of the
place, of little value generally, were. in
the sequel, destroyed; but, owing to the
conslderate precautions taken by our ma.
val Commander, there was no destrucs
ton of life.
Wacn the Cyane was ordered to Cen
tral America, it was confidently hoped
and expected that no occasion would arise
Tor resort to violence, and destruction of
property and loss of life. Instructions to
that effect was given to her commander.
And no extreme act would have been re-
4u's'te had not the people themselves, by {
their extraordinary conduct in the affair
frustrated all the possible mid measures
Tor obtaining satisfaction, A withdrawl
from the place, the object of his visit en-.
urely defeated, would, under the circum:
stances in which the commander of the
Cyane found himself, have been absolute
abandonment Of all claim of our citizens
&C decentralization. and submissive sequi-
have encouraged in these lawless men a
spirit of insolence and rapine most dam
gerous to the lives and property Of our
citizens at Punta Arenas and probably
emboldened them to grasp at tue treas
ures and valuable merchandise continusli
ly passing over the Nicaragua Route.-
1t certainly would have been most salts:
factory to me, if the objects Of the Cyane's
mission could have been consummated
without any act of public force, but the
arrogant contumacy of the offenders, ren-
dered 1t impossible TO avoid the alternative
either to break up their establishment, or
to leave them impressed with the idea
that they might preserve with impunity
in career of insolehce and pIunder.
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. IL COM
parisons were to be instituted, it would
not be difficult to present repeated instan4
ces in the history of States, standing in
the very front Of modern civilization, where
communities, far less offended and more
detenceless than Greytown, have been
chastised with much greater severity, land
where not cities only have been laid in
ruins, but human life has been reckiessly
sacrificed, and the blood of the innocent
made profusely to ningle with that Of the
guilty.
Passing from foreign to domestic affairs
your attention is naturally directed to the
financial condition of the country. always
subject of general interest. For COM
Plete and exact information regarding the
finances and the various branches Of the
public service connected herewith, refer
you to the report of the Secretary of the
Treasury; from which it will appear, that
the amount Of revenue during the last,
fiscal year, from all sources, was seventy,
three million FIVE hundred and forty-nine
thousand seven hundred and five dollars;
and that the public expenditures for the
same period, exclusive Of payments on ac~
count of the public debt, amounted TO
fifty one million eighteen thousand two
hundred and forty-nine dollars. During
the same period, the payments made in
redemption of the public debt, including
interest and premiums, amounted to twenty
four million three hundred and thirty-six
thousand three hundred and eighty dol
lars. To the sum total Of the receipts 81
that year is to be added a baiance re-
naming in the Treasury at the comrnencs-
ment thereof, amounting 10 twenty -oao
million nine hundred aud forty-two thou
sand eight hundred and ninety-two dollars
and al the close of the SAME year, q cor
responding balance amounting to twsaty
million one hundred aud thirty -seven tbou-
sand nine hundred and sixtyseyen dollars
of receipts above expenditures, also ~
maincd in the Treasury. Although, in
the opinion Of the Secretary Of sI,e Treas.
bury, the receipts Of the current fiscal yesr
are no. likely to equal in. a,lount those
Of the lest, yet they win uadonbtedIy exs
coed the amount Of expenditures bs Il
least aiseen millions o. dollars.
/ shall tlaercfofe. continue 10 direct that
! she surplus sesenae be applied, So fst Is
Il can te ju,lisionsIy and ersaoniiceiIy i .Ione
% Tie feduction. u the pubic debt, tbe
Amount Of which. " the carpmeacsmons
Of the last fiscal yetfwas sixty seven nail.
j Eon three hundred AMI forty iayasal.d s.s