The Caledonian. [volume] (St. Johnsbury, Vt.) 1837-1867, 1858-01-09
"Madnoss Rules tho Hour"
Prom the Boston Advertiser.

PROM the Boston Advertiser,
II further evidence were needed Of the in
sanity which charaotcrizes the movements of
the administration, il would be found in their
prompt disayowal OF the most mcritorioua act
that has been performed by any Of their Off
eials since they came into power The re-
lease from arrest of liibustcr Walker by or
der Of the Secretary Of State, OF which our
readers were advised yesterday morning by
lAe tllcguphic dispatch from Washington, i,
certainly a most extraordinary proceeding.
Not The lgasl rcmarkahlc feature attaching 10
il, is It's inconsistency with the previous pro-
fcssiorh Of the administration. Compare this
act with the uords OF the circular letter which
was addressed 10y the Secretary of State to all
L. $. marshals, and district attorneys, and to
many officers of the government, civil, naval
and military, Commodore furridius included
The circular was printed in our paper at the
time of It's date and also in our issue Of yes
,crday, but we repeat it in this place, in order
to bring it more directly under the eye of the
rcadcr;-
WASHINGTON, Sept. Is, 1857.
Sm-Frum Information received at this
Department. there is reason 10 believe that
lawloss persons are now engaged within the
limits -ni the United States in setting on foot
and preparing the means for military cXpcdi-
tions TO be carried on against the territories
of Mexico, Nicaragua aud Costa Nca-rc-
puhlics with whom the United States are at
pcacc--in direct violation Of the 9th section
of the act of Congress approved 10th April,
1918. And, under the eighth section OF the
said act, il is made lawful for the President,
or such person as h. shall empower, TO EN-
PlON THE. LAND AND NAVAL F0R-
ClsS of the United States, aud the militia
thereof, "iUr the purpose of preventing the
carving on of any such expedition or enter
prise from. the territories or jurisdiction of
the United States | am, therefore, directed
by the President to call your attention to the
subject, and to urge you to use all due dill
ECncc and to uvnil veursell Of ALL LEGIr-
MATE MEANS AT YOUR COMMAND,
to enforce these and other provisions Of the
said net of Goth April, 1918, against those
who may be found - bc engaged in setting
on foot or preparing military expeditions
against the territories of Mexico Costa Rica
and Nicaragua, so manifcstly prejudicial to
the national character, and 40 INJURIOUS to the
national interest And you nre hereby in
struc,cd promptly to communicate to this de-
partmcnt the earliest information YOU may
receive relative to such expeditions.
! am, sir, your obd't serv't
LEWIS CASs.
Here the Secretary cites the authority
granted by Congress to the President "to
employ the land and naval forces of the Uni
ed States" to suppress flibusterism, and he
directed the officials to whom the circular was
addressed, To avail themselves Of all legiti-
mate means in their command TO enforce
the neutrality act. If the Secretary, when he
issued this circular, had reason to believe
that a lawless enterprise was on foot, certain
~ Commodore Pauding had treason to be-
icvc" the same thing when he snws the fill
buster actually landed at the scene of Lis per-
posed operations, and fort of friendly pow
er seized by an officer acting under the fill
busters orders. No wonder the honest COM
modore, who has not yet learned TO intcfpret
the dispatches Of the administration by the
rule of contrnries, thought himself justified in
crushing this invasion by single hela and
successful stroke. BY his gallant and patri-
otir behavior in this respect Commodore
Puuldng has earned the gratitude Of the civ
ilizcd world and an honorable name 10 tho
latest poSterity.
We rccur to our files little more than "a
fortnight back, to reproduce halt-a-dozcn &c