Keowee courier. [volume] (Pickens Court House, S.C.) 1849-current, 1858-01-23

laws but a jury of the country rendered
q verdict of "not guilty." almost without
leaving the bar. Again like effort would
DC crowned with a like result
After long effort and much patient cndu-
rance, we at length sailed from Mobile for
San Juan dc Nicaragua on the 18th day of
November last. The vessel in which we
sailed was regularly cleared by the collector
OF the port, and special inspector was sent
aboard to examine the cargo and the pas
sengcS. Our rights, too, as Nicaraguans
were acknowledged, for the collector re-
fused to clear the Fashion with Captain
FussooS commanding, ON the ground that
he was citizen of the United States
With a regular register and clearance,
We supposed when once on the high seas
we were beyond the possible Interference of
any United States authority; for even if
we were admitted belligcrents against a
power with which the United States was at
peace, the owners Of the neutral vessel had
clear right to carry warliko persons as
well as contraband of war, subject only to
the risk of capture by the cneny's cruisers.
Ne did not for moment imagine that ma
val officers would undertake to place re-
straints on American commerce in the alb
Tsence of Federal law and of Congressional
authority The Difference, too, we know
your Excellency has for the Constitutions of
the United States precluded the supposi-
ton that any orders had been issued to de-
tain or capture an American vessel whose
papers showed she was engaged in lawful
voyage.
T Satisfied as VIC were of the entire legality
OF ourvoyagc, we d;l not hesitate to enter
the port OF San Juan de Nicaragua, al
though we knew U. S, sloop- -of-war was
present in the harbor. But we had scarce
~ landed before we were subjected to a Sc
res OF illegal and insulting acts of the com
mandcr of the Saratoga. These acts have
been detailed in two letters addressed by
me to Commodore Paulding, and now on
file, | presume, in the Navy Department.,
While we were being embarrassed by the
action of the Saratoga we had not been idle.
Col. Anderson, who had served his native
country throughout the Mexican war, at
the head Of fifty men hadascended the riv-
er and gained possession of the stronghold;
which in the last century had for years de-
fed the genius of the prou1cst naval name
III British annals. Not only this, but he
had rcgained possession of valuable Ameri-
can property, unlawfuIly held by Costa Ri
can soldiers, and had given the order to
restore it to the agent claiming it for the
owners. Permit me to ask whether it is
such acts as these which authorize your ma
val officers to apply to us the vilest epithets
of the language?
Scarcely, however, had the possession of
Castillo Viego oponed to us the way to Lake
Nicaragua, and to the regainng of all we
had To-. t by Capt. DAVIS interference, than
a most grievous wrong was again inflicted
on us by Commodore Paulding. On the
Sth of December the latter officer sum.
moned Inc to surrender TO him, and the
Nicaraguan flag was second time hauled
down ON Nicaraguan soil by the orders of
the United States Navy.
1t would be supcrrogatory, sir, for me to
say that the act of Capt. Pauldng was
without warrant of law. Much, too, as we
felt the wrong, it was not the act itself, as
much as the manner in which it was doue,
that cut us to the quick. We knew that
the act was in violation of the sacred char
ter--the Constitution of the United States.
We knew that an authority higher than
that of any ommodore-higher even than
the President of the United Statcs-would
vindicate the sanctity of violated law and
punish the offenders against the American
Constitution. We felt, too, that the august
and most potent sovereign-the people of
the United States-would render Justice
for the injuries sustained But ffar more
gricyous than the surrender far more gall
ing than to see our own flag lowered on our
own soil-ywas it to be told that we were
there to the dishonor of the United States.
There were men ON that sandy beach, Mr..
President, who had carried your flag aloft
amidst the thicllest of the foe, and one had
been promoted by predecessor in your Of
fioefof first planting your colors upon the
heights of Ccrro Gordo. Others among
them had led your soldiers across the con
fluent, and always in the path of duty and
of honor. For such mon to be told that
they dsgraced the country they once had
served so nobly and so well, wa pang,
sharper than that of death, and might have
wrpg a tear from men harder and more
calloAs than he who inflicted the ,irrepera-
able injury
] need not tell you that ] was unable to
anticipate the act Of Capt, Paulding. Mil
itary necessity. required me TO hold Puuta
Arenas, and the idea never entered my
mind that an American officer, protesting
TO execute the law, would SC fa-.S eo@gef his
duty as to infringe, not only we'll estab-
lished international law, bat also she re-
qlirements Of that Instrument with which
are involved the best hopes of mankind--z
the Constitution of the United States,t-r