The national era. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1847-1860, 1855-04-05
JUSTICE TO THE PRIVATE CITIZEN

Fraudulent or extravagant claims upon
the Federal Executive or Congress, are so
common, that, in the opinion of some people,
every claim for justice set up by private citi-
zen is presumed to be groundless, ard he, mem.
Der of Congress or Executive officer, who pro-
nounces against it in advance, wins golden
opinions for his stern integrity. Bat, Justice
is even-handed While it guards ehe public
treasury against fraud it will take care to main
tain the public faith In its determination to
protect the interests of the Governatent it will
not sacrifice the rights of the individual A
claim on the Government or any branch Of it
for indemnity for losses alleged to have been
sustained through its positive action, or its
criminal delinquency, is not necessarily cheat
Its presentation is an arraignment of the ius-
tice of the Government or of its officers, and it
owes 1T to its own character, and to the rights
OF the claimant, to examine it promptly and
without prejudice, and, if found to be valid, to
satisfy it without denial or delay. A Govern
ment is guilty Of an immortality that inconsid-
erately postpones or denies an appeal to its JUS
,ice: it degrades ITSELF and forfeits the respeos
and confidence of the citizen.
We have observed that in Congress no claims
are more promptly and earnestly attended to,
than claims fer damages to what is called
"sldUe property" and that by the Federal Ex-
ecutive, no foreign Government IL held to so
rigid a responsibility for wrongs inflicted on
American citizens, as that of Spain. Be the
l.
to the amount of ten thousand OF hundred
thousand dollars, not moment intervenes be-
tween the complaint of the aggrieTed and the
demand for redress the demand is urged
with an importantly which brooks no evasion
or delay"
We are not aware that the same zeal for JUS
tice is apt to be manifested in othIS cases, and
yet it may be fairly presumed that ther people
than Shareholders are liable to loss! g. and other
Governments than that of Spain capable of
inficting wrongs upon American tizens.
That feature in the Inaugural 81 the Presi-
dent which awakened the special lmiration of
his friends was, his emphatic recog aition of the
sacredness of American citizenship, Listen:
"The rights which belong to ia as a nation
are not alone to be regarded, but those which
pertain to every citizen in his ifdicidudl ca
pacity, at home and abroad, must be sacredly
maintained. So long as he can discover every
star in its place upon that ensign, without
wealth to purchase for him preferment, or title
to secure him place, it will be his privilege and
must be his acknowledged right to stand I'M
abashed even in the presence of princes, with q
proud consciousness that he is himself one of a
nation of sovereigns, and that he cannot wan
der so far from home that the agent whom he
leaves behind in the place which now occupy
will not see that no rude hand of power or ty-
rannical passion be laid upon him with impu-
nifty. He must realize that upon every sea and
on every soil where our enterprise may right
fully seek the protection of our fag american
citizenship is an invioable panoply for the Sc
curity of American rights"
These are fine words, but we have yet to learn
that they have been followed by corresponding
deeds. American citizenship in Europe has
not since then always proved Dan inviolable
panoply for the security of American rights"
The only marked case of interposition to pro-
tect these rights was that of Martin Koszta,
and Captain Ingraham alone is entitled to the
credit of that.
few months after the delivery of the Inau-
gural the President had fair opportunity to
show the sincerity of his professions. Several
American shipmasters at the Ctincha Islands
went on board the guard-ship lying there, to
inquire of the captain of the pori about the i'm
prisonment of their men and officers. Not find
ing him aboard, they sent ashore for him. On
his arrival, instead of giving them an audience,
as he was bound to do, he became furious,
rushed into his cabin, vociferating Americans
all ID rascals, id rascaE!" and forth
with ordered his marines to cbarge on them,
and drive them overheard at tho point of the
bayonet. The order was executed with such
violence, that some were basoneted, some
thrust into the sea, some tumbled across the
gunwales, thwarts, and thole-pins, nearly all
| injured, more or less. Not a few were injured
seriously, and some were manned for life, so
that they are now disabled from assuming the
command of a ship. The outrage was brought
to the notice of the President, = memorial,
we think, addressed to him by tie sufferers, but
to this day it is unatoned' for. THE miserable
officials of miserable Government infict in
Juries upon some of our most eaterprising citi-
zens, belonging to class that has made our
country the rival in commerce Of the most
powerful maritime nation on the globe, and
the infamous outrage goes unpublished. The
aagent who in his Inaugural talked SO grand
iioquently Of his duty to "see that no rude
hand of power or tyrannical passion be laid "