The Washington union. [volume] (City of Washington [D.C.]) 1857-1859, 1857-07-08
THE COMMANDMENT OF GREYTowN.

BY the last Liverpool steamer we received full
report of the debate which took place in the British
House of Commons, on the 9th ult., the lombard
ment of Greytown In reply to the interrogatorics
Of Lord Hamilton as to '.wlat steps her Majestys
government had taken to obtain compensation for
the British subjects residing at Greytown when that
town was bombarded in 1854" Lord Palmerston
said :
He was bound to say that the transaction was one
which must be characterized MS very violent and cruel
proceeding 1t was however, authorized by the govern
mcn of the United States though whether they meant it
TO be carried ont with such severity took place or
whether the officer who, he believed, was distinguished
and honorable officer in the United States service) mis-
took his instructions he could not say but he was
bound TO state that the severity which was exercised
reflected no credit the government which ordered or
on the officer which executed it. Hear, hear But the
question which her Majesty had to consider
was the international law which bore upon the point
Now IL unuestionablc principle of international
law that when government deemed II right to excr
else of hostility against any part OF the territory OF
another power, the subjects or citizens oil thrd power
who might happen TO be resident in the place attack
cd had claim whatever upon the government which
in the exercise of its natural rights committed those acts
Of hostility When, for instance IT WAS deemed heccs
sary by us to destroy the town OF Scbastopo although
there might have been there Germans Spaniar,s Poftu
quese or Americans, Of those parties had any
ground whatever upon which to found claim either upon
the English the French government loF conPeiso'
for the losses they might have sustained Those who went
10 foreign country abide the chances which might
befa that country If they had any claim Mt ALL 1t must
he upon the country in which they were but they had
certainly no claim upon the government which thought
Il right commit the acts Of hostility Her majesty
had therefore, been advised (and he Thought
| rightly that British subjects had no ground upon
| which claim could be made upon the government OF
the limited States compensation for the injuries which
they had suffered in that attack upon Greytown lhey
might think that that attack was not justihed ey the
which was assigned for il but we had no right as
an independent State to judge of the motives which
might have actuaed another independent State 70 assert
rgbts or To vindcate injuries which its citizens or sub
iects might have been supposed to have sustained There
was nothing too, in the relation between Great Britain
and Crcyown which gave exceptional right 70 IN
tertere Creyown part OF the Mosquito territory
which was under our protectorshp That was protec-
torbip which carried with il obligation to protect the
country from conquest but it did not give us right to
interfere in any dispute which might arise between that
country and any other There two sorts Of protec-
torships There of the kind which we exercised
the Ionian islands where nothing done except
bv the advice and counsel Of British representative In
case like that where were responsible for everything