The Empire County argus., 1855-12-15
American Filibusterfng.


The fttest place where can die,
Is where he dies for man!
American Filibustering.
The English Government is omittng no opportu-
nifty of reinforcing the West India squadron, and
thus interposng powerful fleet between this coun-
try and the North American Continent. This pro.
ceedng will, we doubt not, call forth from large
portion of the American press that species of mild
and temperate comment in which they delight
whenever the conduct of England is in question,
and little political capital is to be manufactured
by making her the object of invective and depreci-
alton. We shall be told no doubt of the fiendsh
hatred of England to Republican America, and of
the insoient menace behind which she wells her in
sidious and treacherous designs Without the
slightest wish to reflect in any way on the press
which allows itself to be made the vehicle of such
statements, Or upon the constituencies whose votes
are found to be influenced by such calumnies, we
wish to point out to the good sense and moderation
OF the American people the causes which have led
us, even IN time of war; to increase our squadron
in their seas and may possibly lead us still further
IN a direction the first step towards which we are
now most unwingly taking.
We entreat, then, the American public to be-
eve, Notwithstanding the assertions to the contra
ry with which they are SO assiduously piled that
there is no party or body of men in this country
that regards them with any other feeling than that
OF the utmost good will, or would wish for them
any other fate than the enjoyment of the utmost
private liberty and security, We have neither the
wish nor the right to intrude our opinion on that
form of government which has been established in
the United States but we have, and we claim the
right, to take every reasonable precaution against
that spirit OF unbrdled license which the present
Government of the United States seems inclined to
tolerate. At this moment North America is ia pro-
found peace with the whole world yet it is not
the less true that in her ports are fitting out at this
moment piratical tilibustering expeditions destined
to carry war and bloodshed into the dominions of
an unofending neighbor These expeditions do
not receive the sanction of the American Govern
ment, are equipped by its funds, will not be con-
Quoted by its oficers-but their preparation is
nevertheless known to the President and his Ad-
mlnistration and receives no check from that quar-
ter lhls toleratlon, we are willing to suppose,
proceeds from weakness merely and would be ex-
changed for vigorous action only that the power to
act is utterly wanting. The American people are
SO free that they will not be controlled by Gov
ernment OF their own creating, and though lauda-
by eager for the preservation of their own dignity
and the assertion of their own rights cannot bring
themselves to tolerate an Executive sufficiently
strong to compel respect for the rights of foreign
nations.
1t is because we see no hope of finding in the
United States Government capable of preventing
It's citizens from waging private war on their own
account against the best friends and truest allies of
the great republic that we are most unwillingly
compelled, even in the midst of the great European
struggle in which we are engaged, to assume de-
tenslVe attitude in order to trampe out the first
sparks of this fire, and prevent a confagration
which, if once allowed to spread, may cause meal
culable misery to the human race. 1t is the mis-
fortune OF the American Republic that she contains
within her borders so many desperate and lawless
men ; it is still more her misfortune that she does
not possess an organization sufficiently powerful
crush these criminal attempts. That which she
cannot do compelled at least so far as these
lawess enterprises directed against ourselves co. to
do for her. We cannot wait patiently till these
lawess emlssares OF insurrection and plunder have
set their feet on Her Najesty's donnions and en-
countered there the resistance which is to over
whelm their wild and desperate schemes We
cannot wait till placed in the terrible dlem-
ma OF either sparing men to whom cltmency is
cruelty to the human race of which they are the
enemies, or of inficting just punishment, which
may be the means of inhaming against us the pas
slons OF the American people and leading to dis
astrous and fratricdal war We will, if it be pos
sible, prevent the crime that otherwise it would be
our duty most severely to punish, and this do in
the name and in the hope OF peace. We cannot
oeheve that those who are now engaged in enroll
ing unhappy men for these desperate and criminal
enterprises really contemplate the success of de-
scent upon Ireland, for instance, as probable, or
even possible. All they can hape is that the mis-
cradle fate sure to attend such wretched adventur
ers may be the means of inaaming the public mind
against England, and stirring up the passions of
the peaple to point at which mil ght render war
inevitable. This consummaton it is the duty of
the American Government if it can to prevent and,
as 1t cannot, of the Government against which such
attempts are aimed by all means to avert. If We
can prevent these from sailing, or intercept them
IN the mid ocean we shall have done much towards
avertng the danger that must arise should they be
carried out to their natural development The
course of action we have adopted is bold, but for
that very reason we believe it to be prudent and
safe.
We are fully aware of the advantage that such