Washington sentinel., 1856-05-17

solicitude and regret on their own account
while il has been the source of continual em
barrassment in our public and private relations
with them. In the midst of the violent revo
lutions and the wars by which they are con
tinually agitated, their public authorities are
unable TO afford due protection to foreigners
and 10 foreign interests within their territory
or even to defend their own soil against indi
vidual aggressors, foreign or domestic, the bur
den OF the inconvenience and losses of which,
therefore, devolves, in no inconsiderable degree,
upon the foreign States associated with them
in close relations of geographical vicinity or Of
commercial intercourse.
Such is, more empbatically, the situation OF
the United States with respect to the Republics
of Mexico and of Central America. Notwith-
standing, however, the relative remoteness OF
the European States from America, facts of the
same order have not failed to appear conspicu-
ousy in their intercourse with Spanish-Amer
can Republics. Great Britain has repeatedly
/ been constrained to recur to measures of force
for the protection of British interests in those
countries France found it necessary to attack
the castle ofSan Juan de Uloa and even to de-
bark troops at Vera Cruz, and in order to OBJ
| tain redress of wrongs done to Frenchmen in
| Mexico.
What is memorable in this respect in the
conduct and policy of the United States is, that
while it would be as easy for US to annex and
| absorb new territories from America as it is for
| European States to do this in Asia or Africa,
| and while, if done by u.s. it might be justified as
| well on the alleged ground OF the advantage
| which would accrue therefrom to the territories
| annexed and absorbed, yet we have abstained
from doing it, in obedience to considerations of
right not less than of policy; and that while the
courageous and selfrelant spirit Of our people
prompts them to hardy enterprises, and they oc-
casionally yield to the temptation of taking part
in the troubles of countries near at hand where
they know how potential their influence, moral
and material, must be, the American Govern
ment has uniformly and steadily resisted all at
tempts of individuals in the United States to
undertake armed aggression against friendly
Spanish American Republics.
While the present incumbent of the execu-
tive office has been in discharge of its duties he
has never failed to exert all the authority in
him vested to repress such enterprises, because
they are in violation of the law of the land,
which the Constitution requires him to execute
faithfully, because they contrary to the poll
cy Of the Government and because to permit
them would be departure from good faith to.
wards those American Republics in amity with
us, which are entitled to, and will never cease
to enjoy, in their calamites the cordial sympa-
thy and in their prosperity the efficient good
will of the Government and of the people Of the
United States.
To say that our laws in this respect are some
times violated or successfully evaded is only to
say what is true of all laws in all countries, but
not more so in the United States than in any
one whatever of the countries of Europe. Suf
fee it torepeat that the laws of the United States
prohibiting all foreign military enlistments or
expeditions within our territory have been ex-
ecu,ed with impartial good faith; and, SO far as
the nature of things permits, as well in repres-
sion Of private persons as of the official agents
of other Governments, both of Europe and
America.
Among the Central American Republics to
which modern events have impaired most pro-
minence is that of Nicaragua, by reason of its
particular position on the isthmus. Citizens
of the United States have established in its
territory a regular interoceanic transit route,
second only in utility and value to the one
previously established in the territory Of New
Granada. The condition of Nicaragua would,
it is believed have been much more prosperous
than it has been but for the occupation of its
only Atlantic port by foreign Power, and Of
the disturbing authority set up and sustained
by the same Power in a portion of its territory,
by means of which its domestic sovereignty
was impaired, its public lands we're withheld
from settlement, and it was deprived of all the
maritime revenue it would otherwise collect on
imported merchandise at San Juan del Norte.
In these circumstances of the political de-
bility of the Republic of Nicaragua, and when
its inhabitants we're exhausted by long-con-
tinued civil war between parties, neither of
them strong enough to overcome the other or
permanently maintain internal tranquility, one
ar IL e of, he lin IN
vited the assistance and cooperation of a small
BODY Of citizens Of the United States from the
State Of California, whose presence, as it ap-
pears, put an end at once to civil war and re-
stored apparent order throughout the territory
Of Nicaragua, with a new administration, hav-
ing at its head distinguished individual, by
birth a citizen Of the Republic, ID. Patricio
aivas, as its provisional President.
II is the established policy Of the United
States to recognize all Governments without
question of their source, or their organization,
or of the means by which the governing per
sons attain their power, provided there be a
Government de fdcto accepted by the people of
the country, and with reserve only of time as
TO the recognition of revolutionary Govern
ments arising out Of the subdivision of parent
States with which we are in relations OF amity.
We do not 90 behind the fact Of foreign
Government exercising actual power to investi-
gate questions Of Legitimacy; we do not in
quire into the causes which may have led to a
change Of Government To us it is Indifferent
whether a successful revolution has been aided
by foreign Intervention or not whether insur-
rection has overthrown existing governments
and another has been established in its place
according to pre-existing forms, or in a man
ner adopted for the occasion by those whom
we may find in The actual possession Of power.
All these matters we leave TO the people and
public authorities Of the particular country to
determine and their determination, whether
it be by positive action or by ascertained &C
quiescence, is to us a sufficient warranty Of the
legitimacy Of the new Government
| During the sixty-seven years which have
elapsed since the establishment Of the existing
Government of the United States, in all which
time this Union has maintained undisturbed
domestic tranquility, we have had occasion to
recognize Governments de fdcto, founded either
by domestic revolution or by military invasion