The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1898-02-26

" tHH Cuhtb bHuW Inc Icnftul lOtA OF llLe
sustained by the Maine explosion, YET
they include many Instances In which
me United States hns adopted energet.
70 measures 10 redress the killing oi
American citizens In q foreign country
In a general way these methods OF re-
dress have Included demands for In.
domnity, prcelamations excluding the
warshipsso of the offending nation from
our harbors, display OF force. non. .inter-
course. Withdrawal OF our ministers,
rrprlBals and blockade. Some OF these
steps border very closely on war, al
though they are regarded ns the move
ments Just preliminary 10 actual hos.
tilitics and as amounting to a threa.
that force viii follow II rcparation ID
not made. z \. !, !.
Tho case OF the Water Witch Is con-
sldered 10 be the most analogous 10 that
OF the Maine. should Il be established
that the Maine disaster was not the re-
suit OF accident. The Water witch was
a United Statcs ship engaged In 1856 1t,
surveying the entrance to one OF the
rivers OF Paraguay. Without warning
and by orders OF President Lopez, OF
Paraguay. force OF troops opened fire
on the Water Witch. killing the man at
the helm and woundlng others. Intense
feeling was aroused In the United States
when the facts became known, The
President reported the facts to Congress
and in his message asked authority 10
make demonstration OF force which
would ensure suitable redress. In re-
sponsc TO this Congress authorized him
to "use such force rs Is necessary" to
secure ample reparatIon. Accordingly
an armed feet was hastily assembled
on n scale which was regarded as re-
rnarkable for those days. The eSpedt-
tioni Included nineteen armed ships,
twenty-five heavy guns and $500 sailors
and marines.
Accompanying this formidable outfit
were civilian plenipotentlaries prepared
to make the demands OF this govern
ment and then enforce them by calling
on the armed ships. The expedition
made q formidable showing, In South
American waters, and President Lopez
government was awed into complete
subsection by Its presence. The Ameri-
can commissioners and naval officers
were received at. Ascension with much
honor and every reparation within the
power OF the republic was given. This
included abject apology, q sweeping:
hais'-tSSNai aHd SiV,VVV lOf tuc SuItEeTS
from the outrage. AS the republic
was willing to grant full reparatlon, the
naval expedition did not exert the force
1t was prepared TO use In case refusal
had been offered. When the facts OF
the expedition were reported to the
American Congress the President stated
that the dispatch OF this formidable ma
val fleet had had salutary Influence
throughout the world and had convinc-
ed foreign nations that the United
States would protect the lives OF its cit
liens with all the force at its command.
The case OF the firing on the United
States ship Chesapeake. by the British
ship Leopard. is another case afrordlng
precedent us to the governments
mode of action. The Chesapeake was
proceeding to sea when she was hailed
by the commander OF the Leopard with
q demand that British deserters, said to
be In the hold OF the Chesapeake. be
surrendered. The American comr and
er refused to comply, whereupoa the
Leopard first fired shot across the.
bow OF the Chesapeake, and followed
this with two broadsidec. The American
commander was severely wounded, three
sailors were killed outright and many
were wounded. Being unprepared for
action. 1t being, q time OF peace. the
American commander hauled down his
colors and surrendered.
Tremendous excitement prevailed In
the United States over this outrage.
President Madison speedily issued a
proclamation, excluding from American
ports all British warships. He also
caused energetic protests and demands
to be presented at London. The British
authorities promptly dlsavowed the
action, recalled the admiral under whom
the outrage had been perpetrated and
without request, rendered It indemnity
sufficient to support the wives and
families of all those who had been kill
ed and wounded.
In later case the American ship
Promethers was fired upon In the har-
Dor OF Greytown. The ship had de-
clined TO pay excessive port charges I'M
posed by the king OF the Mosquito coun-
try then controlling the country under
British protectorate. The king called
on the British warship, Express, to
sustain his demands. and the Express
promptly sent broadside into the
Prometheus. There were no persons
killed, but the United States made 4
prompt demand for reparatlon. The
British government gave this In the
fullest manner and without question,
disavowing the act and condemnIng the
officer OF the Express.
Displays OF force were tresorted to by
the United States In 1852 against ia
pan and In 1858 against Java. In the
case OF Japan. American sailors had
been severely handled In Japanese
ports and the native court failed 20
give adequate redress. a naval expedi-
ton was sent to japanese waters and
this had the effect OF securing the full
est apology and also an agreement by
which every protection was guaranteed
TO American citizens nnd property In
Japan.
In the case OF Java, the secretary OF
the navy sent large naval force to the
waters OF Java TO demand that the
native trial courts should give the FULL
est protection to Americans. The ex-
pcdition was successful In Its purpose
and all the assurances desired were
given.
In 1915, seven Americans were killed
and about sixty were wounded, while
they were being detained In the Brit
ish prison at Bartmoor. This was
brought on by q clamor for ratlons.
which was resisted bv the prison
guard. The United States demanded
explanation and suitable rcpnratIon and
the British government complied by an
indemnity for the support OF the famil-
les OF those killed and wounded.
There ore quite q number OF recent
cases, the latest being that OF the Ger
man occupation OF Kiao-Chou for the
outrages committed by the Chinese on
German missionaries. In that case the
government acquired MS Indemnity n
large portion of Chinese territory, as
well as one OF the most valuable STRAIT