Gallipolis journal. [volume] (Gallipolis, Ohio) 1837-1919, 1854-12-14

10 orepair the injuries they have done TO our cti-
Gems, and to make suitable apology for their
insult Of our Minister and that a ship Of war
would be despatched thither 70 enforce the
compliance with these demands. But the no
tice passed unheeded- Thereupon, com
mander-of the navy, in charge Of the sloop uf
war "Cyane;;" was ordered to repeat the de
mands, and insist upon compliance there-
with. Finding that neither the populace, nor
those assuming to have authority over them.
manifested any disposition TO make the re-
ddifed reparafion, q even to offer an excuse for
their conduct, he warned them, BY public
proclamatiofg that if they did not give salts
faction withinra time specified, he would bonn
lard the town By this procedure he afforded
fhem an opportunity to provide for their per
sonal safety. 70 these also who desired 10
avoid loss Of property. the punishment about
70 be inflicted on the offending town, he fur
nisl1rd the means of removing their effects, by
ate boats Of his own ship, and Of a steamer
which he procured and rendered TO them for
that purpose. AT length, perceiving no dispo-
sition on the part Of the town to comply with
his acquisitions, he appealed to the commander
of her Britanic Majesty's schooner Bermuda
who was seen to have intercourse, and appar-
antly much influence with the leaders among
them, to interpose. and persuade them to take
some course calculated to save the necessity Of
fesorting to the extreme measure indicated in
his proclamation; but that officer, instead Of
aceeeding to the request, did nothing more than
protest against thec contemplated bombardment
Nosteps 0f any sort we're taken by the people
TO give the satisfaction required. No indi-
viduals. if any there were, who regarded them
selves responsible for the misconduct of the
community, adopted any means to separate
themselves from the fate Of the guilty
When the "Cyane" was ordered to
Central America, it was confidently
hoped and expected that no occasion
would af1se for "a resort to violence,
and destruction Of property and loss OF
life." Instructions to that effect were
given to her commander. And no ex-
treme act would have been requisite had
not the people themselves, by their ex-
traordinary conduct in the affair, frus-
trated all the possible mild measures for
obtaining satisfaction. A withdrawal
from the place, the object Of visit entire
" defeated, would, under the circum-
stances In which the commander of the
Cyane found himself, would have been
absolute abandonment of all claim of
our citizens for indemnifcation, and
submissive acquiescence in national in
dignity. 1t 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. 1t certainly would
have been most satisfactory to me if the
objects Of the Cyane's mission could
have been eonsummated without any
act of public force; but the arrogant
contumacy of the offenders rendered it
impossible to- avoid the alternative,
either to break up their establishment,
or TO leave them impressed with the
idea that they might perseyere with i'm
punity in career Of insolence and plum
der.
This transaction has been the subject
of complaint on the part of some for
eign powers, and has been characterized
with more of harshness than of justice.
II comparisons were to be instituted, it
would not be difficult to present repeated
instances in the history of States. stand
ing in the very front of modern civiliza-
ton, where communities, far less offend
ing and more defenceless than Grey
town, have been chastised with much
greater seventies, and where not cities
only have been laid in ruins, but human
life has been recklessly sacrificed, and
the blood of the innocent made profuse-
ly to mingle with that of the guilty.
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