The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1854-12-05

sanr % emaGrAut ffatna Or Carasa0s ana mo Housn
sraflefueufs of civilized States.
sessonabIe notico was given 10 the people Of
ryreytuwu that this government required them 70
repair the injuries they had dono ~ our citizeus,
and TO make suitable apology for their insuh OF our
ed thither TO enforce compliance with these de-
u1snds But the notice passed unheeded. There
upon, commander Of the navy. In charge OF the
roop OF war "cyane,r was ordered to repeat the
desnsnds, and 10 insist upon compliance there
with Finding that neither the populacc, nor those
assuming to have authority over them, manifested
any disposition to make the required reparation, or
even to offer excuse tor their conduct he warned
them. by public proclamation, that hthey did not
give Satisfaction within timo specified, he would
lombard the town. By this procedure he afforded
them opportunity TO provide for their personal sale
ty. To those also who desired to avoid loss OF
properly in the punishment about to be inflicted on
the offending town, he furnished the means OF re-
moving their effects, by tie boats of his ship,
and OF a steamer which he procured and rendered
to them for that purpose.
At length, perceiving no disposition on the
part of the town to comply with his requisi-
tions, he appealed to the commander of her
Britannia Majesty's schooner Bermuda
who was seen to have intercourse, and appa-
rently much influence with the leaders among
them-to interpose, and persuade them to
take some course calculated to save the me-
cessity of resorting to the extreme measure
indicated in his proclamation; but that officer,
instead of acceding to the request, did no.
thing more than to protest against the con-
templated bombardment No steps of any
sort were taken, by the people, to give the
satisfaction required No individuals if any
| there were, who regarded themselves as not
responsible for the misconduct of the commu-
nifty, adopted any means to separate them
selves from the fate of the guilty. The sew
eral charges, on which the demands for re.
dress were founded, had been publicly known
| to all for some time, and were again annoup.
ced to them. They did not deny any of these
charges; they offered no explanation, nothing
in extenuation of their conduct; but contu.
maciously refused to hold any intercourse
with the commander of the "Cyane." BY
/ their obstinate silence they seemed rather de-
| sirOuS to provoke chastisement than to escape
it. There is ample reason to believe that this
conduct of wanton defiance, on their part, is
| imputable chiefly to the delusive idea that
| the American government would be deferred
from Furnishing them, through fear of dis
| pleasing formidable foreign power, which,
| they presumed to think, looked with compla-
ceney upon their aggressive and in.
sulting department towards the United
| States. The "Cyane " at length fired
upon the town. Before much injury had
| been done, the fire was twice suspended, in
order to afford opportunity for an arrange
ment; but this was declined. Most of the
buildings of the place, of little value gene
rally, were, in the sequel, destroyed; but ow-
| our naval commander, there was no dsstruc.
ton of life.
| When the 'Cyane' was ordered to Central Anne
| rica it was confidently hoped and expected that no
occasion would arise for "a resort to violence and
/ destruction of property and loss of life" Instruc-
tions to that effect were given to her commander.
And no extreme act would have been requisite had
not the people themselves, by their extraordinary
conduct in the affair, frustrated all the possible
mild measures for obtaining satisfaction. A with
drawa from the place. the object OF his visit entire
| ly defeated, would, under the circumstances In
| which the commander Of the Cyane found himself,
have been absolute abandonment of all claim of our
citizens for indemnifcation, and submissive acqui-
escence in national indignity. 1t would have en-
couraged in these lawless men spirit of nsolence
| and rapine most dangerous to the lives and pro.
perty of our citizens at Punta Arenas and probably
| emboldened them to grasp at the treasures and
valuable merchandise continually passing over the
| Nicaragua route. 1t certainly would have been
most satisfactory to me il the objects of the sCy-
ane's' mission could have been consummated
without any act of public force; but the arrogant
contumacy of the offenders rendered 1t impossible
| to avoid the alternative, either to break up their
establishment or to leave them impressed with the
Idea that they might persevere with impun,ty in a
| career OF insolence and plumber.
This transaction has been the subject of com.
plant on the part of some foreign powers and has
been characterized with more of harshness than of
justice. If comparisons were to be Instituted 1t
would not be difficult to present repeated instances
| of modern civilization, where communities, far
less offending and more defenceless than Greytowp,
| have been chastised 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 mngle
| with that of the guilty.
| Passing from foreign to domestic affars your
attention Is naturally directed to the financial COM
dition OF the country, always subject of general
| interest. For complete 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 ;
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 account of the public
debt, amounted to fifty one million eighteen thou.
sand two hundred and forty nine dollars During
the same period, the payments made in redemption
of the public debt, including interest and premium
amounted to twenty four million three hundred and
thirty six thousand three hundred and eighty dol
lars.
To the sum tota of the receipts of that year Is to
be added balance remaining In the Treasury at the
commencement thereof, amounting to twenty one
million nine hundred and forty two thousand eight
hundred and ninety two dollars; and at the close
of the same year, corresponding balance amount.
ing to twenty million one hundred and thirty seven
thousand nine hundred and sixty seven dollars of
receipts above expenditures, also remained in the
Treasury. Although, in the opinion of the Score.
tary of the Treasury, the receipts of the current
fiscal year not likely to equal in amount those
of the last, yet they will undoubtedly exceed the
amount of expenditures by at least fifteen
millions of dollars. l shall, therefore, con.
tinue to direct that the surplus revenue
be applied, so far as 1t can be Judi
ciously and economically done, to the
reduction of the public debt, the amount
of which, at the commencement of the last fiscal
year, was sixty seven million three hundred
and forty thousand six hundred and twenty
eight dollars; OF which there had been paid on the
twentieth day of November 1854, the sum OF TWEEN.
ty two million three hundred aud sixty five thou.
sand one hundred and seventy two dollars; leaving
balance of outstanding public debt of only forty
four million nine hundred and seventy five thou
sand four hundred and fifty six dollars, redeemable
at different periods within fourteen 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 thirty three thousand hundred and seventy
nine dollars This statement exhibits the fact that
| the annual income of the government greatly ex-
ceeds the amount of Its public debt which latter
remains unpaid, only because the time of payment
has not yet mstured land it cannot be discharged at
once except at the option of public creditors, who