The true Democrat., 1854-12-20
NO. 10.

rudeness and violence those who sought to re- cover their property.
 Oucn, m substance, are the facts submitted to my consideration, and proved by trustworthy evidence. l could not doubt that the case de- manded the interpostion of this government. Justice required that reparation should be made tor so many and such gross wrongs and that a course of lnsolence and plumber, teuding di- rectly to the insecurity of the lives of numer ous travellers, and of the rich treasure belopoinp to our citizens, passing over this transit way. should be peremptorly arrested What ever 1t might be in other respects, the community in question, in power to do mischief, was not des picable. It was we'll provided with ordinance. small arms and ammunition and might easily seize on the unarmed boats, freighted with mil lions of property, which passed almost daily within its reach.
 government, and, had in fact, no recognized dependence on, or connection with, any one to which the United States or their injured citi- zens might apply for redress or which could be held responsible, in any way, for the outrages committed. Not standing before the world Ill the attitude of an organized political society, being neither competent to exercise the rights nor discharge the obligations of government, 1t was in fact, marauding establishment too dangerous to be dlsregarded, and too guilty to pass unpunished, and yetincapable of being treat ed ln any other way than as piratical resort of outlaws, or camp of savages depending on emlgrant trains or caravans, and the frontier set dement's of civilized states
 Reasonable notice was given to the people of Greytown that this government required them to repair the injuries they had done to our citi- zens, and to make suitable apology for the in- suit of our minister and that ship-of-war would be dispatched thither to enforce con- plance with these commands. But the no- tice passed unheeded. Thereupon, com mander of the navy in the charge of the sloop of war "Cyane" was ordered to repeat the de- mands and to insist upon the compliance there- with. Finding that neither the populace, nor those assuming to have authority over them, manifested any disposition to make the re- qulred reparation, or even to offer excuse for their conduct, he warned them, by public proclamation, that if they did not give satisfac- ton within time specified he would lombard the town.
 By this procedure he afforded them opportu- nifty to provide for their personal safety. To tEOse also who desired to avoid loss of property i'll the punishment about to be inflicted on the town, he furnished the means of removing their effects, by the boats of his own ship and of a steamer which he procured and rendered to them for that purpose. At length, perceving no disposition on the part of the town to com ply with his acquisitions, he appealed to the commander of her Britanic Majesty's schooner " Bermuda" who was seen to have intercourse and apparently much influence with the lead- CTS among them to interpose and persude them to take some course calculated to save the ne- 4 II dicted in his proclamation; but that officer, in- stead of acceding to the request did nothing more than to protest against the contemplated bombardment. No steps of any sort were talk en, by the people, to give the satisfaction re- quired No individuals, if any there were, who regarded themselves as not responsible for the misconduct of the community adopted any means to separate themselves from the fate of the guilty. The several charges on which the demands for redress were founded, had been publicly known to all for some time, and were again announced to them. They did not deny any of these charges; they offered no explana- ton, nothing in attenuation of their conduct; but contumaciously refused to hold any inte- course with the commander of the Cyane."
 By their obstinate silence they seemed rather desirous to provoke chastisement than to escape 1t. There Is ample reason to believe that this con- duct of wanton defiance, on their part, is imputa- ble chiefly to the deluslve idea that the American government would be deterred from punshing them through fear of displeasing formidable foreign power, which they presumed to think looked with complacency upon their aggressive and insulting 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 an opportunity for arrangement, but this was de- clined- Most of the buildings of the place. of little value generally, were, in the sequal, de- stroyed; but towing to the considerate precaution taken by our naval commander there was no destruction of lfe
 When the Cyane was ordered to Central America, it was confidently hoped and expected that no occasion would arise for "resort to violence and destruction of property and loss Of llte." Instructions to that effect were given to her commander And no extreme act would have been requisite had not the people them selves by their extraordinary conduct in the af- fair frustrated all the possible mild measures for obtaining satisfaction. withdrawal from the place. the object of his visit entirely frustrated, would under the circumstances in which the commander of the Cyane found himself, have been an absolute abandonment of all claims of our citizens for ndemnifcation, and submissive acquisence in national indignity. It would have encouraged in these lawless men spirit of insolence and rapine most dangerous to the lives and property of our citizens at Punta Arenas, and probably emboldened them to grasp at the treasures and valuable merchandise continually passing over the Nicaragua route. It certainly would have been most satisfactory to me ii the objects of the "Cyane" mission could have been consummated without any act of public force; but the arrogant contumacy of the offen- ders rendered it impossible to avoid the alter native, either to break up their establishment, or to leave them impressed with the idea that they might persevere with impunity in a career of insolence and plunder
 This transaction has been the subject of complaint on the part of some foreign powers and has been characterized with more of harsh ness than of justice. If comparisons were to be instituted, it would not be difficult to present repeated instances in the history of states standing in the very front of modern civiliza~ ton, where communities, far less offending and more defenceless than Greytown, have been chastised with more severity, and where not
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