The Sun. — 1856-10-08 (London, England)

SPORTING NOTES.  October 8.  The report of the special commissioner, Mr. Corwine, appointed by our Government to investigate the circumstances attending the massacre of American citizens at Panama by the natives fixes the responsibility of that fearful outrage upon the Panamenos and upon the native authorities. The riot which ended so disastrously was, as was stated at the time, commenced by a native firing a pistol at an American passenger who was intoxicated, connived tns w ere t h ar es s a and Mr. Corwine has satisfied himself that the subsequent attack on the railroad depot and the general attack on h e were pas a ste concernedhg eer outrages in n the edu plan,excessesl t n of d o a s . previouslylt formed. He states that the evidence shows that the police thatf pthlae n at nhet vmilitarye authorities not only failed to perform their duty, but is stated in the reports from Washington that Mr. Corwine expressed the opinion that the New Grenadian authoritiee are utterly incompetent to afford protection to life and property on the Isthmus, and he therefore regards it as the imperative duty of the Government of the United States, if the route is to be maintained, to occupy the Isthmus and provide for safe transit from ocean to ocean, unless New Granada make ample atonement for the wrongs endured in the past, and sa.atsfy our Government that she is able and willing to give the protection to our citizens in the future. Mr. Corwine's report, which is now occupying the attention of the Cabinet at Washington, is said to be a very full and able document. He leans very strongly to the idea that the local Government, however it may promise, is wholly inadequate to the task of protecting the route, and he supports his views by unanswerable arguments. He refers to the occurrences of the past few years as showing that no reliance can be placed on the looal authorities, and he furnishes statistics of the trade and travel carried on over the Isthmus to prove the neceseity which exists for effective measures of protection be' ing taken by the country principally interested. Every newspaper reader is aware of the number of robberies and murders which have been committed on the Isthmus since CA California emigration commenced, and 7et we have scarcely the first instance of conviction and punishment of an offender by the native authorities. li,` the brutal massacre the authorities showed theniselve,i to be in sympathy with the infuriated native mob, and they have not since evinced any honest determination to execute justice upon the rioters. On the contrary, their .conduct has been evasive, and even if now, under the influence of fear, they should promise better things for the future no reliance could be placed on their sincerity. Our Crovernment has a delicate duty to perform. It must give protection to its citizens at all hanards ; and, if the occupation of the Isthmus route is essential to that protection, it must, even against any clamour which may be raised, go to that extreme. The Panama massacre cannot be allowed to pass with impunity ; and if the native authorities do not make an example of the ringleaders in the outrage, and give co Government must take the whole matter into its own hands. We are opposed to extreme measures in any controversy which lies between a strong Government and a weak onR, but when a Government is vicious as well as weak its; weakness should not protect it from its just liabilities fo r acts which are the direct consequences of its own loinioralitie,.-I.Vew York Sun.  i