The Sun.
London, England, 1854-08-15 00:00:00

THE AFFAIR AT GRBYTOWN.

At the sitting of the House of Representatives of the
United States of America on July 31, the Speaker laid
before the house a message from the President, in reply
to Mr. Chandler's resolution, calling for information re-
lative to the recent destruction of Greytown. Among
the documents is a letter from Secretary Marcy, dated
June 9, 1854, addressed to Mr. Fabens, United States
Commercial agent, at San Juan del Norte, in which the
following passages occur :
Mr. Borland, our Minister to Central America, has
repre,ented to this Government that, while recently at
San Juan, he was insulted by the authorities or people
at that place—an indignity offered to the nation as
well as to him, which cannot be permitted to pass
unnoticed. If done by order of the authorities of the

place, they muss answer for it in their assumed poli-
tical character. Nothing short of an apology will save
the place from the infliction that such an act justly m rite.
It is expected that this apology will be promptly made,
and satisfactory assurances given to Commander Hollins
of future good conduct towards the United States and
public functionaries who may in future be at that place.
If the outrage was committed by lawless individuals,
without the authority or connivance of the town, then
it is clearly the duty of those who exercise the civil
power at San Juan to inflict upon them exemplary pu-
nishment. The neglect to bring them to justice is assum-
ing, on the part of the nominal magistrates there, the
responsibility for the act of these individuals. In such
a case, not to punish is an implied sanction of the acts
of the transgressors. It is hoped the authorities wi.l be
prepared to satisfy Commander Hollins that they have
done what was incumbent on them, in the way of bring-
ing the offenders to punishment.
The following is Secretary Dobbins's letter to Com-
mander Hollins :
"Navy Department, June 10, 1854,

"Sir,—The government has recently received intern-
geuce that the interests of our countrymen require the
presence of a national vessel at Sin Juan, or Gieytown,
and from your experience in that region, and confidence
in your prudence and energy, and in pursuance of the
wishes of the President of the Department, has con-
cluded to direct that you proceed with the Cyane to that
port, so soon as she can fully he ready for the cruise.
The property of the American citizens interested in the
accessory Transit Company, it is sail, has been unlaw-
fully detained by persons re iding in Gieytown, and ap.
prelien-ion is felt thst further outrages will be cominit-
ted. Our minister, Mr. Borland, has been treated with
rudeness and disrespect. You will, however, learn from
Mr. Fabens, our commercial agent at Greytown, more
particularly the conduct of these people, and the views
of our Government which have been communicated to
him from the State department. You will consult with
him freely, and ascertain the state of the facts.
Now, it is very desirable that the people should be
taught that the United States will not tolerate these
outrages, and that they have the power and the deter-
mination to check them. It is, however, very much
to be hoped that you can effect the purposes of your
visit without a resort to violence and that destruction of
property and loss of life. The presence of your vessel

GREAT TEMPERANCE DEMONSTRATION.— Several thou- will no doubt work much good. The department re-
sands of teetotallers congregrated yesterday morning in poses much in your presence and good sense."
Russell-square, for the purpose of paying their fourth Among the documents is the correspondence between
annual visit to the Surrey Zoological Gardens. Every fW. D. Jolly, commander of H.B.M. schooner Bermuda,
part of London and its suburbs contributed its quota to and Captain Hollins. The former under date Greytown,
the general mass ; and by the time the procession was I July 12, enters his most solemn protest against the
ready to start, it was found that Russell-square, cepa- course which Hollins had intimated to him he intended
cious as it is, would not hold it, and large bodies of per-1 to pursue towards Greytown. The inhabitants of the
sons had to move down the adjoining streets, in order ! city, as well as the houses and property, he says, are
to give the leaders an opportunity of making a dignified entirely defenceless, and quite at your disposal.wil
will do,without
exit. Every description of vehicle which could be therefore, notify you that si!chsanso
actd
I beg to call your
begged or borrowed was brought ii:to requisition to precedent among civilisedanation
large 'amount of property of
, olBl7inilut%line'
convey the enthusiastic teetotallers, and the procession attention to the fact that
was made up of omnibuses, cabs, clarences, British subjects; well as others, which it is my uty
broughams, gigs, &c.,
headed by bands of music, the to protect, wiltiobseaasldlyestireoaydeecql.ula)tuet afsotrhetfhoirsnephuirsroldtseeincrtcim'euryies
vigourof which must have taken the aristocraticresidents command is
of Russell-square and its neighbourhood not a little he Cyane, I can only enter this my protest.
by surprise. Shortly after eleven o'clock the proses- against the
replies (July 12), expressing
ertyneanpdeopPeire-
sion made a start, amidst the deafening cheers of the per- reger'etttehsattngCaajpots.tJthoellyaefteieolisi hhiemwsealsf
aubneduetrttohiet,ankeeceinssit
sons who composed it, some hundreds of whom were to p
after a manner
re-
children, designated the " Band of Hope," who are laatdiero to the city of San Juan del Nortrae(i.tp
sneoefnefiittizteoncsoomfmtihteouutroaigteetsi ostitta,h,ter p
bound by a solemn league and covenant never to take
regeaadrdireedcteads piratical. ceanliorce
that reparation
l iree plaryast i oi in
alcoholic liquors themselves, and to discourage the peas- i
tics in others. Mr. Gough, the well-known temperance ,
orator, whose sudden and renSarkable conversion from I c"
by my
excess to total abstinence is well known, headed the pro- 'demanded
you in the reue of government.Be assured I sympathise
cession, which moved along Tottenham•court-road, Ox- !withier
the circumstances, English subjects and property
ford-street, Regent-street, Pall-mall, Whitehall, Parlia
theu farce underyour nn"'
and regret exceedingly that
ment-street, over Westminster-bridge, down the York- command is not doubly equal to
of the C
' .and thence through Walworth that ytine.
road, to Blackfriar s-rooil,
place. Commander Hollins
to the Surrey-gardens, where a grand fete tookcommunicated a full account of
the , his action tothe '
On entering tee gardees there was a gathering of
Band of hope, when each member was presented by Mr. concludingri. with--" rrasting the course I have pursued
Gough with his " Address to the Young. ' Afterwards , in e aiian to the affairs of this place, Greytown,and
there was a meeting on the lawn, at which Mr. Gough, i my intention of proceeding directly to the north, may
3
met,
Mr. Bormond, and other gentlemen spoke on the evils with the enlightened
apnroval. of the department,'nla'
of intemperance. Later in the day there were salutes I will bring my communication to a close, respectfully
of cannon, performances by Miss Poole, Miss Bamford, asking orders in company with Mr.' Fabens to
Mr. Manvers, and other professionals. In the evening Washington, on the announcement of the arrival of the
there was a display of fireworks and olher represents- l ship, by telegraph."
tions, for which the Surrey-gardens are so reinarkabhe i COL. 1' REMON'T'S ACCOUNT.
The whole of the proceedings were under the direction A Washington cor I
isspetir wit of the Arm York Daily
of the London Tenipsrance League. i Times makes the following statement :
GAROTTE ROBBERlES.—Robberies of this description ; " Col. J. C. Fremont was one American •• of the citizens
have of late been of frequent
occurrence inthe neigh- '
present at Greytown at the Occurrence of the ' outrage '
bourhood of Eckington, and the thieves Live, in every . upon Mr. Borland, fur which such fearful retribution
instance, escaped detection. About a week since a per- ' has been visited bys upon
Captain
Hollins the town. As
1 son named Hall, employed at Itenishaw Works, was he is well known to the world as a cool, clear-
attacked and plundered of a sum of moneyoiviieer,
white walk- headed, and truthful gentleman, statement of that
ing between Eekhigton and the railway station. On the transaction, and the facts connected with it, cannot be
previous Saturday nightanother man had a quaritvy of otherwise than highly interesting at the present time.
is
prov ions stolen from his basket in the same locality ; Upon questioning him on the subject this mottling,
.11e
the thieves, in this instance also, preventing resistance very communicated his d rataucling
cheerfully to me un e
Other
by strangulation.cases have occurred with the i of the affair, which is substantially as follows :
, like result.-15Actlicid Boantincr.n or other,
1 "it was quite evident that, for some realm

- -
a very strong prejudice existed at Greytown against all
Americans ; a prejudice amounting almost to positive
hostility, and to conceal which no pains whatever were
taken. The immediate origin of the difficulty in which
Borland participated, was the homicide of the negro
captain of a bungo, or river boat, committed by Captain
Smith, ofa steamer plying on the river. Notwithstanding
published statements directly the reverse, this homicide
was considere I by theAmerotans, almost without excep-
tion, as a deliberate and cold-blooded murder, without
a shadow of palliation. There had been some previous
difficulty between Smith and the negro. On the day of the
homicide Smith's steamer ran into the negro's bongo,
when the latter threatened to shoot Smith if he broke
his boat. The bungo, however, was uninjured. Sub-
sequently the steamer started down the river, and after
it had proceeded some distance, put back again, appa-
rently for ao other purpose than to run into the bungo,
which it did, crushing it like an eggshell. At this time'
the negro was sitting in his boat with his gun across his
knees. The weight of testimony is, that he made no
hostile demonstration against Smith, having neither
risen from hii seat nor raised his gun, when Smith delibe-
rately shot him. Immediately upon being shot the poor
fellow got up, and while attempting to step from the
wreck of the bungo, into the boat alongside of it, his
strength failed him, and he fell into the river. Andyestt
persons who esteem it their duty to defend the
victory, right or wrong, tell us it was universally ad-
mitted that the negro was shot by Smith in self-defenoe.
"A warrant was issued by the Mayor of Greytown for
Smith's arrest, and an officer went onboard the steamer,
as everybody knows, but was prevented from getting his
prisoner by the forcible resistance of the passengers,
headed by Borland. In aiding the minister thus to re-
sist the officers, the passengers did not intend to endorse
the murder of the negro, or absolve the murderer. Oa
the contrary, it would have been a very easy matter to
have had him hung on brief notice by a Committee of
Vigilance,' had either of the acknowledged leaders pro-
posed it. But Mr. Borland, in a speech he made to the
crowd, as well as in private conversation, told them he
*WI instructed not in any way to recognise the authority
of Greytown (deriving its authority from the Mosquito
Klee) as separate and distinct from Nicaragua.
"To permit the Greytown officers to arrest an
American citizen and try him for crime, would be to
recognise the authority of the town government in the
fullest sense ; and so Mr. Borland urged them to aid
him in crushing nut' this scion of the Mosquitos. If
the government of Greytown was illegal, deriving its
powers from incompetent authority, the act of the
officers who attempted to arrest Smith could only be
looked upon as the act of a mob, proper to be resisted
by mob force. In this opinion the whole steamer's
party concurred. And of course the arrest and impri-
sonment of Mr. Boland that night was also looked upon
as the act of an irresponsible mob, without law or an.
thority of any kind.