The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1854-08-02


bloodshed. Then will be the time for General
Quitman and his associates to step in and re-
store order.
The SAN JuAiI VICToRY.-WHo lie THE LUCKY
MAN I'VE have heard it suggestedthat Captain
Hollins should 1T once be put up against Cap
tain Ingraham for the Presidency, on the
ground that the victory at San Juan was o
triumph as glorious to the American navy. and
the inchoote American citizen, as the release Of
Koszta But there is this difference between
the two cases. The storming of San Juan was
an act Of the administration, Captain Hollins
was but the instrument employed in it's execu-
ton. The release. of Koszta was an affair in
which Captain Ingraham acted entirely upon
his own responsibility. The political capital Of
this enterprise, therefore, belongs to Ingraham,
while the laurels. of the San Juan affair must be
shared between Captain Hollins and the Cabi-
net.
But who Of the Cabinet is the lucky man; who
is mostly entitled TO the honors? Unquestiona-
bly, it is Gen. Pierce himself, the Commander
in Chief of the army and the navy. Who come
next, the Secretary of State. or the Secre-
tary Of the Navy ?-Dobbin or Marcy? Well,
we must decide that Marcy is the man.
He gays, in his letter of instructions in the
case, that the insult to Major Borland wa
''sn indignity offered the nation as vel
as himself individually, which cannot be
permitted to pass unnoticed." And he fur
ther says, that nothing short of an apollo
gy will save the place from the inaiction
which such an act justly merits" That's
what Marcy says. Now listen to what Dobbin
says. He is good deal milder than Marcy.
Dobbin says that it is Every much (mark that
very much to be hoped that you can effect the
purposes of your visit without resort to vio-
lence," and that 'the Department reposes much
confidence in your prudence and good sense"
But for more particular advice, he refers the
gallant Captain to the instructions of Marcy
to our resident commercial agent at San Juan,
Mr.. Fabens Marcy, therefore, next to the
President, is entitled to the honors of the vic
tory. Dobbin's instructions are rather pacific:
Marcy's are peremptory and belligerent. He
clearly suggests that unless the authorities of
San Juan apologize for the indignity to Bor-
land, San Juan must be destroyed. They did
not apologize, and The town was destroyed.
And what are the results? Marcy is salts
fed, Dobbin is mortified, Borland is appeased,
Gen. Pierce is glorifed, Congress is perplexed.
and the country is Disguised Borland got no
apology; but he is revenged. The Nicaragua
Company has secured no indemnity; but they
have secured the ruin Of the town which was
the Atlantic depot of their traffic. The best of
all is, that the administration will probably
succeed in creeping ont of the difficulty in the
House, with an apology, and in the Senate,
with an explanation. But If neither eNplana-
tions nor apologies will soften the scorn, the
contempt and disgust Of the manly American
people at suNh an act of savage cruelty cow
ardice and A9pidity, it is not the fault Of Capt.
Hollins. He simply carried out his insruc-
tions, as sent to Mr.. Fabens, from Marcy, by
order fthe President; and, we doubt not he
would have carried out those orders had there
been British naval force present of twice the
strength Of his own.
If we are, therefore, TO have Presidential
candidate or two upon the strength of the VIC
tory of Greytown, Gen. Pierce must be the
first choice, Marcy the second, Borland the
third. Captain Hollins, we presume, will be
Satisfied with gold medal, and Dobbin with
leather one.