Lynchburg daily Virginian. [volume] (Lynchburg [Va.]) 1852-1861, 1856-01-07

Il INue Wtto
of the Democratic press and party, a short time
AGO. During the administration Of Mr.. Pierce's
PREDECESSOR. the Southern Democracy burned
for 4 war with Spain. Every exercise Of police
authority in Cuba, ip the case of American citi-
gems, vas an outrage demanding the i%nterfer-
ence of the Executive, and every enforcement of
barbor regulations at Havana was u fragrant and
intolerable violation of our flag. The war feel
ing ran 20 high that filibusterism was openly ad-
vocated. and Mr.. Fillmore was denounced as Il
murderer for permitting the Lopez prisoners to
be executed. War with Spain and the acquisi-
ton Of Cuba were powerful elements, on the De
mocra,ic side. in the Presidential canvass. Mr..
Pierce was the representative of young Amer
ica." and wa. to give free scope to our mani
fest destiny" He was to avenge, IN the most
summary way, the insults which 1t was alleged
had been heaped upon us by Spanish officials
That he regarded himself as committed TO the
policy of the flibusters was shown by his selec-
ton Of Minister to the Court Of Madrid. No
one believed that Mr.. Soule went on any mission
of peace. MIR. Soul6 did not himself believe it,
rs was proved by his speech in New York, be-
fore his departure. As if fortune designed to
favor MI. Pierce and his filibusier friends. and
Justify what would have been. otherwise, an un.
justifable proceeding. the outrages upon the FL
Dorado and the Black Warrior happened oppor-
timely for the execution Of their purposes. 1t
was no longer doubted that we should have i'm
mediate war with Spain. 1t was given out in
official quarters that the most stringent demands
were 20 be made upon the government of her
Catholic Majesty. The commanders of the
Spanish vessels engaged in these outragcs were
to be punished; the Captain General Of Cuba was
to be removed; the government Of Cuba was TO
be made directly responsible for It's acts. without
reference to the supreme authority ut Madrid; u
war squadron was to be dispatched to the mouth
of the Gulf; a conference of European Ministers
was to be had at Ostend. and various other high
and warlike ceremonials were TO be gone through
with, to eventuate inevitably in our becoming
masters Of the fair Queen of the Antilles
The country stood tiptoe with expectation, md
filibusterism was jubilnnt with hope. Whit was
the issuel Tho Spanish government refused
the demands upon it; the commander of our Gu
ba squadron of war dined With the Captain Gen
eral and returned home; and the message now
i Informs us that .some progress has been made
III kfcuIIuS TtuItss VI WIouRs touIihintu VI ny
this government" Oh, mos, lame and impo,eni
conclusion! If with these reminisoonoes freshly
II mind, and Il vivid remembrance also ofthe
clustering menaces of another Democratic ad-
ministIation, when fifty -fourforty or fight" WAS
the motto, we should be u little dlstrusiful Of the
bold stand now taken against England, who shall
say that awe-are uneharitable1 But 10 proceed
to other topics
The next notable passage IN the message rela-
ting TO foreign affairs concerns the republic Of
Nicaragua. The inability of that state 10 ,epress
lawless irruptions end its distracted %internal
condition "have made it incumben on mel
the President says" to appeal to the good
faith Of our citizens to abstain from unlawful in
terv entio in it, affairs, and to adopt preventive
measures to the same end, which, ol a similar oc.
Ca sion, had the best results in reassuring the
peace Of the Mexican States of Sonora and Lower
California" Now it SO happens tina, the Presi
dents preventive measures were not applied when
I hey should have been, aud were applied when
they should not have been. When the expedition
under Walker, which was against the peace ofan
o ther country, add consequently in violation Of
our laws, was being fitted out in California. the
President made no effort to prevent it. But since
Walker has conquered the country. established
government, restored peace, and gained the nc
quiescence Of the people, the President has irter.
fered to prevent emigrants going there, peacefully
and without arms, to settle the country. In one
case be sinned by omission and IN the other com.
mission. lie failed to doin the first place what
the law required of him; he did in the second place
what the law forbade him. He allowed an expe-
dition of war to be fitted up in, and to sail from.
this country against another with which we were
at peace-but he would not allow a ship.load
of emigrants to go without arms, from one
Of oar ports. to become citizens of country with
er they were invited. 1t is not necessary Ia
contrast the course of the President with refer.
ence to the Northern Light with what was pronoun
ced by democratic authority as proper in the case
of the Lopez expedition, 1t needs no contrast to
expose its palpable absurdity. its gross aud mi
quitous improperly. We leave to his friends to
make what vindication they can of his conduct, and
to the country to pass its judgment upon it.
Passing from the foreign policy to the interior
management of our governmental affairs, a.
developed by the message. the first thing which
arrests attention is tho enormous expenditure
under this Democratic administration those
who make accounts against themselves are apt
to make the most favorable exhibit possible. New
ertheless we find in the document before US the
confession that the expenditures for the last f-.
cal year amounted to the sum Of 6fy-sir million
three hundred and sirty fire thousand, three
hundred aud ninety.three dollars and we are
told that taking the expenditures of the first
quarter Of the current fiscal year as the stan
dard of calculation, the cost of government for