Wilmington journal. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1844-1895, 1856-10-10

SOUTH AMERICAN SNAKEs.-In this part of the O.
rlnoca we repeatedly water.snakes swimming
from one island to another; and in some instances
they passed over the boats to the great alarm of the
passengers but without attempting to do any mis-
chlet. lhey are OF a lii ght green color six eight
1eet long, and they swim with about a third of their
body out OF the water-propelling themselves rapid
ly along by the undulating motion of their tail. We
were informed by the boamen that their prey consist
ed principally of water rats and Young birds The
steersmen OF the launches always endeavor 10 avoid
sailing under the trees that overhang the rivers,
least the mast might detach of the snakes from
the branches. We frequently saw numbers of them,
exhibiting the most brilliant coors while baskng in
the sun on the tree. A European traveller, who
VISITED these parts in 1885, Law down TO sleep upon
the banks OF the O1noca, and was presently awak ed
by cries of alarm and horror. What was his diamay
when he found himself encircIed in the elds of in
Vulnerable snakes The native boatmen, whose
cries had aroused him, proceeded to deliver him
from the hdeous coil in which he was enmeshed but
the traeler completely recovered from the shock
which he had received. His nerves were complete
ly unsrung and he died deIirious, about four wears
afterwards, at Porto Rico
Was Henry Clay a Highway I;obbcr!--A Question
for Honest Wings to Answer!
In the National InhHagencer of yesterday Mr..
John Barney, whom we take for know nothing
whg, is permitted 10 say of the Oslend manifesto
and Mr.. Buchanan:
The principles there asserted by him are those
OF the highway robber when ne asserts it duty il
Spain refuses to sell Cuba, that must take pos
session. because necessary to sefpreservation."
Rather than accept Mr.. Barney's version of the
Os,end manifesto, let US quote the precise words OF
that instrument upon the subject brought in review
They follows
"After we shall have offered Spain q price for
Cuba far beyond its present value, and this sha
have been refused it will then be time to consider
the question, Does Cuba in the possession of Spain
serlous endanger our internal peace and the exis.
ri boH 1Din ~;
ton be answered in the affirmative, then, by every
law, human and divinr, shall be justified in wres
ting 1t from Spain, if possess the power and
thls upon The very same principle that would Justify
an individual In tearing down the burning house o
his neighbor, if there other means of pre-.
venting the flames from destroying his own home
Under such circumstances, ought neither to coun
the cost nor regard the odds which Spain might en-
list against US"
Now let learn whether this sentiment is pecu
liar to Mr.. Buchanan and his associates in the pro
mitigation of that manifesto, whether they are no
the sentiments OF great statesmen in both the grea
political parties into which the republic has been 70
many years divided on political subjects. In III
, " Lille and Speeches of Henry Clay" by Mallory
volume hrst, pages 2O7 and 2O8, may be found th
: following passage from Mr.. CIay's defence of Pres
S dent Madison's seizure of West Florida
Il " Ii cannot be too often repeated, that if Cuba O
v the one hand, and Florida the other, are in th
possession of foreign maritime power, the iinmens
extent vi country belonging 10 The United States an
watered by streams discharging themselves into th
Gulf of Mexico, &C., &c., placed at the mercy
? that power. | have hesitation in sayins
that if parent country will not or cannot maintai
/, its authority in colony adjacent US. and thel
exists in it state of misrule and disorder menacir
our peace; and if, moreover, such colony, by passir
- ao the hands of any other power, would becon
, dangerous to the integrity of the Union and man
festly tend to the subverson of our laws we have
If right, upon the eternal principle of sepreservatio
10 iay hold upon it. This principle alone, indepe,
dent Of any title, would warrant our occupation
= West Florida"
. Upon what plea is Mr. Clay to bo pronounced ii
. nocent by those who denounce Mr.. Buchanan
r terms SO charitable and SO dignifed !-Union
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