New Orleans daily crescent. [volume] ([New Orleans, La.]) 1851-1866, 1855-12-27
PROCLAMATION BY rHg pagsTpErT.

4
to refer to it on q future occasion We now re-
deem the promise, and submit the document
| with accompanying remarks:
OFFICIAL. sy.#ss&.
By the President Of the United States Of America.
A PROCLAMATION
Whereas information has been received by me khas
snndy persons citizens Of the United States and othsrs
resident therein preparing within the Jurisdiction of
M same to enlist or enter themselves to hire
sts,s ~ Saacipsse In mirary operations within the
Now therefore, l. Franklin Pierce, President Of the
themselves with any enterprise and underking a.
being contrary 70 their duty "a good czss and p the
2, sns country and threatening to the peace Of the
do further adnonish persons who NAV dspsst from,
sne United states either sngy or in numbers organized
thereby to be entitled to the protection Of this gov
ernmsnt.
exhort a good citizens to discountenanse and pre-
vent any dsreputabie and criminal undertaking al sors
ssid charging all ofacsrs civil and military having law
u power in she premises to exereise same for the
purpose Of maintaining authority and ENFORCING tbe
laws Of the United States
In testimony whereof have ereuuto set my hand and
caused the seal Of the United States TO be axed 70 these
presents .55l5.-s
Done at she city Of Washington. the ei9bth aav 81 Ds
cembsr one thousand eight hundred and Hfty-
tL'I ase. and OF the Independence Of the United
FRANKLIN PIERCE
W. L. AARcY, Secretary Of State "a
President Pierce could do any thing in the
line Of inconsistency, absurdity and imbecility,
TO astonish mankind, the foregoing proclama
ton would furnish matter for especial wonder
ment. But, as he sounded the lowest depths
long since, the above pronunciamento will be
received by the people 8. as mater Of course
sort Of an affair. Tt is out Of his power to sur
prise any body now, as the whole world is con-
WINGED Of his non-appreciation Of the qualities
which go to make up the consistent, able and
patriotic statesman Should he do any thing
sensible there would be prodigious sensation,
but as there is no likelihood of that occurrence,
| the people vii be constrained to forego the
luxury of 8 sensation.
The proclamation is as bare Of fact, as un-
warranted by the actual condition of things,
| and as oppressive and wicked as it is unprece-
dented and contrary to the spirit and policy of
our institutions. In letter and in tenor this
production Of the Chief Magistrate Of the Uni
proceed to demonstrate 54-Y..
| The hrst paragraph Of the proclamation con-
veys an untrue impression. The President as
sumes that citizens or residents Of the United
States are preparing to enlist for the purpose Of
participating Sin military operations within
the State of Nicaragua Is this the fact
Not at all, even admitting that the process of
enlistment spoken Of was actually going on.
There are no military operations in progress
IN Nicaragua, any more than there are in the
| United States. None are contemplated that we
know of. The government is firmly placed in
the affections of the people, and is becoming
| doy ;ts ,-;,o
policy gradually unfolds itself And, granting
| that the government desired soldiers for its ma
tional army, still the proclamation is inapplica-
ble-still the doctrine of the President is worth
less. The State Of Nicaragua is at peace with
all the nations Of the earth. Consequently,
if she seeks to recruit soldiers, or settlers,
and offers extraordinary inducements for EN-
igration, our neutrality laws would not be
violated, no matter how many or how few of
our enterprising citizens or residents might
see proper to better their fortunes in that pro-
missing section of the continent. If Nicaragua
was engaged in war, then the enlistment Of SOL
diers on our soil would be highly improper, and
1t would be the duty of the President to put @
stop to such proceedings by exercising the su-
preme power with which he is invested by the
Constitution. But, as such is not the case, as
there was no intention, contingent or remote,
of violating the laws of the United States, the
proclamation of the President is as uucalled for
as it is unfortunate.
As things now exist, the President has bet
ter right to order his subordinates to prevent
emigration to England on the supposition that,
when in England, the emigrants would enlist
in the army--for England is warning against
Russia, with which government we are ON
friendly terms-as to prevent emigration to
, Nicaragua, the government of which is at
peace, and desirous of cultivating amicable
relations with all the nations of the earth.
The bare reference to these facts destroys every
important point in Mr. Pierce's manifesto.
We have no idea that any of the tribunals Of
the United States will enforce the views of Mr.
Pierce. Why, it would be monstrous to arrest
hne or lmprison, any man, or any number Of
men, because of a desire to make peaceful
change of residence. 1t would be denying the
right of expatriation and instituting the right
Of search, in face of the historical fact that we
declared war against Great Britain to make
+ her practically acknowledge the former and
renounce the latter! Such unparalleled incon.
sstency as this would lower US in the estima.
tion Of the civilized world
As long as Nicaragua remains as she is there
is no power under the constitution and laws to
| prevent citizens and residents of the United
States from going there if they choose They
may even carry their rites, with few rounds
of ammunition, if they feel SO disposed. Rifles
are not eontraband As we'll might the gov
ernment arrest a man going to the extreme
! frontiers of Texas because he had rifle, sup.
ply of powder and bullets, as to arrest Nioar.
aguan emigrant because he had furnished him
self with similar articles
The warnings and admonitions of Presiden,
Pierce will no doubt receive from the people tn,
consideration to which they are entitled, and
that is precious little. As we have shown
that the main point upon which the document
hinges, is altogether unsupported by substan
tial truth, the whole structure falls to the
ground.
; We trust this subject will receive due atten.
ton at the hands of our members of Congress
Vast results are involved in its determination