The Feliciana Democrat. (Clinton, La.) 1855-186?, 1856-05-31
D.,

iudiNiN'NutS Ill tIlc y Illtcu totulCS W
armed aggressions 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 oil the authority in
him vested to repress such enterprise, because
they are in violation of the law of the land,
which the Constitution requires him to execute
faithfully; because they are contrary to the
policy Of the Government, and because to per-
nit them would be a departure from good faith
towards those American Republics in amity
with us, which are entitled to, and will never
cease to enjoy, in their calamities the cordial
sympathy, 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
sometimes violated Or successfully evaded is
only to say what is true of oil laws in all coun-
tries, but not more SO in the United States
than in any one whatever of the countries of
Europe. Suffice it to repeat that the laws of
the United States prohibiting all foreign mill
tary cnlistments or expeditions within our
territory have been executed with impartial
good faith, and, so far as the nature of things
permits, as well in repression 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
prominence is that Of Nicaragua, by reason of
its particular position on the isthmus. Cit-
Zens of the United States have established in
its territory 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 prosper
GUS than it has been but for the occupation of
its only Atlantic port by a foreign power, and
of the disturbing authority set up and sustain
cd by the same power in portion of its terri.
tory, 10y means of which its domestic sover.
eighty was impaired, its public lands were
withheld from settlement, and il was deprived
Of all the maritime revenue which it would
otherwise collect on imported merchandise at
Jan Juan del Norte.
In these circumstances of the political dcbil-
ity of the Republic of Nicaragua, and when
its inhabitants were exhausted by long contin-
ued civil war between parties, neither of them
strong enough to overcome the other or per-
manently maintain internal tranquility, one of
the contending factions of the Republic invited
the assistanc. and cooperation of small body
OF citizens of the United States from the State
OF California whose presence, as it appears,
put an end at once to civil war and restored
apparent order throughout the territory of
Nicaragua, with new administration, having
at its head distinguished individual, by birth
citizen of the Republic, ID. Patricio Rivas,
as its provisional President
1t 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 persons
attain their power, provided there be Gov
ernment de facto accepted by the people Of the
country, and with reserve only of time rs to
the recognition of revolutionary Governments
arising out Of the subdivision of parent States
with which We arc in relations of amity. We
do not 60 behind the fact of a foreign Govern
mcnt exercising actual power to investigate
questions of legitimacy; we do not inquire into
the cases which may have led TO q change of
Government To us it is Indifferent whether n
successful revolution has been aided by foreign
intervention or not; whether insurrection has
overthrow existing Governments and another
has been established in its place according to
pre-existing forms, or in a manner 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
VI WV pa oie"'ei souhti w uSoS'h'i"bt "he
their determination whether it be by positive
action or by ascertaned acquiescence, 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 undisturbcd
domestic tranquility we have had occasion to
recognize Governments de .Jacto founded eth
er by domestic revolution or by military nya-
sion from abroad in many of the Governments
of Europe.
1t is the more imperativey necessary to APP
ply this rule to the Spanish American Repub-
. lies in consideration of the frequent and not
seldom anomalous changes Of organization Or
administration which they undergo, and the
revolutionary nature ofmost of these changes,
of which the recent series of revolutions in the
Mexican Republic is an example, where five
successive revolutionary Governments have
made their appearance in the course of a few
months, and been recognized successfully each
as the political power of that country by the
United States.