Republican vindicator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1849-1857, 1854-12-11

terpOSc and persuade them 10 take sohRo
course calculated to save the necessity OF re-
sorting to the extreme measures Indicated III
his pre-, lsmation but tho, officer, instead OF
aeerdms .aens rogue 81. a no.hing more than
10 protes. az asnst tAe coiiicnsp. ., niDard-
ment. NJ Steps vi ahY sppt were tdXth, ny
the people, TO give the satisfaction feqarea.-
No indy iiluals, II any there were, VINO regarded
themselycs as tot responsible tor the nlscon-
duct OF the community, adopted any means TO
seperate themselves from the fate OF the guilty
ty. The several charges, Oh which the dc
mands for rcdneSs were founded, had been
publicly known to all for some time, and were
again announced to them. hey did not deny
any OF these charges; they offered 10 tXlana-
tom nothing in extenuation of their conduct;
but consuulaeiously refused to mold any inter-
course with the commander OF tire "Cyane. -
B, their obstinate silence they seemed rather
DESTROYS to provoke chastisemtht than to es-
cape it. There is ample reason to believe that
this conduct Of wantun def,nee,on their part,
is imputabe chiefly to the delusive idea that
the American government would be deferred
from furnishing them, through tear OF dispieas-
ing formidable foreign power which, they
presumed to think, looked with competency
upon their aggressive and insulting depoU-
mcnt towards the United States. The "Cyanc"
at length fired upon the town. Before much
injury had been done, the fire was twice sus-
pended, i'll order to afford opportunity for an
arrangement; but this was declined. Mot of
the buildings Of the place, OF little .vc.lue gen.
orally, were, in the sequel, destroyed; but, ow-
ing to the considerable precautions taken by
our ncval Commander...i4crc was no destruc-
ton of life.
When the "Gyane" was ordered to Central
America, ). was confidently hoped and cxpec-
ted th".. no occasion would arise for ga resort
to violence and dc structionof property and loss
CT life Instructions TO that effect We're Civ
en- to her commander sne. no extreme act
would have been requisite had rot the people
themselves, by their Extraordinary conduct in
the affair, frustrated all the possible mild
measures fol obtaining satisfaction A with
dlawal from the place, the object Of his visit
entirely defeated, would, under the clrcum-
stances IN which the commander Of the Cyane
feuEd himself, have been absolute abandon
mcnt OF all claim of cur citizens for indemnih-
cation, and submissive acquiesccnsc in nation
al indlgnity. 1t would have encouraged i'll
these lawless men a spirit of nsolcnee and ra-
pine NEST dangerous to the lives and property
Of cur citizens at Punta Archss and probably
embaldened them to grasp at the treasures
and valuable merchandise continually passing
over the Nicaragua route. 1t certainly would
have been most satistac DRY to me if the ob-
jccts of the "Cyane's" mission could have been
consummated without any act of public force:
but the arrogant oorturnacy of the offenders
rendered il impossible to avoid the alternative,
either to break up their establishment, or to
leave them impressed with the idea that they
might persevcre with impunity in 4 career OF
insolence aid plumber.
Tiis transaction has been the subject of COM
plant on the part Of some foreign powers, and
been characterized with more ct harshness
than of justice. If comparisons we're to be III
stltutcd,lt wouldnot be difficult to present
repeated instances in the history Of States,
standing in tire very front of modern civiliza-
ton, where communities, far less offending
and moro defehcelcss than 6irt ytown, have
been cllassiscd With much greater severely,
and where not cities onl, have been laid IN
ruins, but human life has been reeklessly sac
rifced, and the blood Of the innocent made
profusely to mnglc 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 complete and exact in
formation regarding the finances, and the va
rious branches of the public service connec-
ted Herewith, refer you to the report of the
Secretary of the Treasury; from which it will
appear tina. the amount ofrevenue during the
list fiscal year, from all sources, was seventy
three million five hundred and forty nine thou
sand seven hundred and Ave dollars ;and that
the public expenditures for tic same period,
exclusive OF payments on cccount OF the pub
lie debt, amounted to titty-one million eighteen
thousand two hundred and fortyanine dollars.
During the same period, the payments made
in redemption ofthe public debt, including ill.,
! tercSts and premium, amounted to twenty -four
million three undrcd and thirty SIX thousand
three hundred and eighty dollars. Iothe
sum total of the receipts of til 1t year is to be
added balance .emanng in the Treasury at
the commencement thereof amounting to
twerty-onc million nine hundred and forty two
thousand eight hundred and ninety two dollars
and at tho close of the same year, a Lorrespqn-
OiilS " tWSity wv hilIi,1us
one hundred and thirty seven thous.tndniae hun
dredand sixty seven dollars IT receipts above
expenditures also remained III the Treasury
Although, inthe opinion OF the Secretary of the
Treasury the receipts Of the cur ent fiscal ear
are not likely to equal in amount those OF t.e
last, yettiley wiiinndoubtcdly exceed tae amount
! of expenditures by at least fifteen millions OF
dollars Shall, therefore,, continue to direct
that the surplus revenue be applied, so far as
| it Can be iudiciouslv and economically done, to
the r.duct ION of The public debt, the amount
/ of when, at the coHnmence .ii.nt If the hast
/ fiscal year, was sxty-se1en million three hua
drcd and forty Thousand six hundred and
twenty eight dollars; of which there had been
paid Oh lhe twentieth day Ut November, 1884
the sum 0stwcnty-two million three hundred
and sixty five thousand one hundred aud sew
kenty.two dollars; leaving a balance OF outstan-
ding public debt of only forty -four million nine
hundred and SC enty-tive thousands four hun
dred and fifty sin dollars, redeemable at diff.
terent periods within fourteen years. There
arc also remnants of other Government stocks
I most of which are already due, and on which
! the interest has ceased, but which have not