The Washington union. [volume] (City of Washington [D.C.]) 1857-1859, 1858-01-16

the reading pubic
From the Boston Post Jan IA
MIRANDA AND DEMOCRATIC STATESMEN.
The failure Of the United States to cooperate with
Miranda did discourage this brilliant and enthusiastic
adventurer and for years, he continued to urge his
projects for the liberation OF his native land The British
administration continued ALSO to rcpose confidence in
him Thus Mr. Pitt, in 1904, instructed Sir Home Pop
ham, British naval commander, 'to cooperate with
General Miranda to the extent of taking advantage of
of his proceedings which might tend to attaining po
ston the continent of South America favorable to
British trade
1t was with such purpose to set on foot military
expedition against friendly powerthat Miranda, in
1906 again appeared in the United States AT this time
Jefferson was President and Madison Secretary of
State and to say nothing of Others these lustrous
statesmen had long conceded that the policy of our
country of neutrality, peace and ndepcn-
dence to foreign nations This will be found urged
by jefferson in letters contemporary with the formation
OF the government and while he was in Europe in
s7S and this policy he pursued through his splendid
career as Secretary Of State under Washington. In
1898 he thus gives emphatic assurances OF public faith
and neutrality Ms to foreign nations !:
Our real friendship for them ALL desire to pur
ourselves the path Of peace the only leading
surely to prosperity and wish to preserve the morals
of our citizens from being Initiated by of lawess
plumber and murder, may you that proceed
ns in this respect will be with good faith, feryor, and
vigilance =
Columns from Jeesons correspondence at this period
might be quoted showing that he not only in favor
of Ito use his Words "a mere English neutrality,
but "a manly neutrality claiming the liberal rights
cred to that condition He knew at the period of the
remarkable negotiations have related as well as be-
fore it, the tendency Of Hamilton and the federal leaders
to English alliance and language deprccatory Of it
will be found all along this period of his correspondence
1t was in pursuance OF his advocacy Of "a manly
neutrality that Jefferson, Secretary of State, en-
countered the mad projects of Genet with sound
ness Of principle and strength of argument that will
remain enduring monument of his genius and
were largely in sympathy with Genet; but conf
IDENTIFY did Jefferson rely the good sense and intel
lgence of the peopleso sure he that public faith
and honor would be and appreciated that the
9th Of August 1793 when the Genet fever at its
heghth, he assured President Washington that Genet
would be abandoned by the republicans the moment they
knew the nature of his conduct.
With such views and such application of them did
President Jefferson in 1901 announce, of the
inns of good government peace, commerce, and honest
friendship with all nations entangng alliances with none
and his 1904 inaugural after his experience he
declared We firmly convinced and we act on that
conviction that with nations with individuals our in
eress souny calculated will be found nseparable from
our moral duties While all through his correspondence
there is the usest sympathy with nations struggling for
their freedom, there will be found schemes Of ambition
no plans of conquest grand alliances other view
than confidence that time would peacefully and properly
widen national area
1t was to cabinet with such views that Miranda made
in 1906 his application for cooperation He informed
us Jefferson writes he about to attempt the ber
alton of his native country from bondage, and inma
ted hope Of aid connivance at least He at
once informed that although had great Of complaint
against SPAN and of ar, get meneuer shoad think
proper r enemy should be openly and aboreboar
and hostility should be Exercised by such petty
Still the political enemies of the President charged him
with avoring this expedition but he repels the charge
with Indignation g That the expedition Of Miranda
he writes March %, 1906 countenanced by me is
absolute falsehood, let it have gone from whom it
might and satisfied it is equally to Mr.. Madi-
son. To know much Of it as could was our duty,
but not to encourage it, Jefferson concludes long and
admirable letter this subject in 1902 with these
orable words never did, countenanced in public
e single act inconsistent with the stricest good faith
having believed there code of morality for
public and another for private man. What a mark
ed difference all this presents to the gigantic scheme of
war; conquest, and alliance which the federal leaders en-
tcrtained in 1898
The administration knew that Miranda was engaged in
purchasing military stores but against this there
law, and accordingly authority for its intervention.
The enlistment of kept profound secret and
length Miranda in the Lcaner with about three hum
drcd men, sailed from New York. AtSt. Domingo he
joined by two schooners but from this place intelligence
sent to the governor Of Caracas who sent out few
Spanish vessels against Miranda As he pursuing his
voyage to araccas they fell in with the expedition cap
tued the two schooners while Miranda escaped in the Le
ander to Grenada and thence to Trinidad. Fifty
of his followers taken in the schooncw. Miranda
landed the continent but the people did join him,
and the expedition ar entire failure
The Spanish consul, at the time Miranda sailed, in
ments that he gave information to the government
to enlisng until it too late to prevent their
departure. Col. Smith, John Adams's son n-law,
one of Mirandas friends, and his son. William Steuben
Smith, John Adams writes twas taken from college
when senior sophister and the point of taking de-
gree, and sent with Miranda and he figures as aidde-
camp to the commander chief with the rank OF leu
tenant colonel John Adams knew nothing of this until
weeks after Miranda sailed But it is not necessary to
purpose TO follow the romantic narrative OF this ex
petition The collector of the customs who aided Mi
randa in enlisting men dismissed Mr. Ogden, who
supplied the arms prosecuted but was acquitted by
Jury
The asseverations of President Jefferson, in perfect
keeping with his whole neutrality policy must be deem
ed conclusive as his refusal to encourage Mirandas
expedition and it is worthy of notice that the procla
nations issued by Miranda wofully disappointed his fol-
lowers by being entirely silent about any conncxion of
the expedition with the American government, for they
had been made to believe that they had not put them
selves out of the protection Of the United States But
Il was not to Great Britain Il Is certain that Mi
randa had the countenance Of the British government
and when the Leander ut Trinidad Miranda received