North Carolina standard. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1850-1852, 1851-12-24
THE PRoMETHEus AFFAIR.

The following message was received in the SEN
ito on Wednesday last, from the President OF the
Tinted States. in reply the Resolution calling fo
;o6rmaton about the firing into the steamer Prone
tbeus bv British vessel on the Mosquito coasts
10 The Senate If the United States: ,,od
have received resolution OF the Senae' dooPo0
upon the 18th inst, in the following terms ...
Resolced, That the President of the Onltee St ;n
be requested TO communicate to the senate ;nform.-
consistent with the public interest," any ,bn 6,;no
tion he NAV have received, respecting tne n."g
49, of tho A ,nerican steamship Pr0n7efneIS oy
British vessel-of-war, in Novemoef ioo'' nc. 10y
town on the Mosquito coast; anu: ooo' ""o. meas
ures had been taken by the EAecuus " oSSe, ~ Tue
to of The facts and vindcate the honor OF the coun-
try. Ia; o,,o.. 7 .rhro;. ~ tho Sa,.to
-ho .ccompanyng extracts from a communication adj
Jssed to the Department of State, by Joseph l..
White, as Counsel of the American Atlantic and Pa
i6c Canal Company, dated the I'd inst. This CON-
nnicaon is the principal source of the information
oceyed by the Executive in relation to the subject
Inded to- and is presumed to be essentially correct
!" its statements of the facts. Upon receiving this
communication, instructions, such as the occasion
seemed to demand were Immediately despatched to
,ho Minister of the United States in London. Suf'
fcent time has not elapsed for the return OF any an
ower &c this dispatch and in my judgment, 1t would,
at The present moment, be inconsistent with the pub
lie interests TO communicate those instructions. A
communication, however, of all the correspondence
will be made the Senate at the earliest moment at
which proper regard to the public interest will per-
nit.
At the same time instructions were given to Com
modore Parker, commanding the Home Squadron.
COPY of which, they relate to the Pr0"aethe"s
is herewith transmitted to the Senate.
WILLARD FILLMORE.
WASHINGTON, Dec. Is, 1851"
NAVY DEPARTMENT, Dec. 3, 1851.
SIR: The President has learned that an English
brig of war; the Express lying in the haroor OF San
Juan de Nicaragua has recently fired upon the Amer
lean steamer PromeIheus, while in the act oil depart
ure from that harbor and compelled her to pay GER
tain demands, alleged be port charges, and claimed
bv persons protesting &c act under the authority of
the local government The particulars OF the affair
will be found in letter to the agent OF the Prone
1heus, already published in the newspapers oil new
York, copy of which is herewith transmitted.
Whatever NAV have been the merits OF the ques-
ton between the Captain of the Pronetheus and the
authorities of Nicaragua, the United States ackno"l-
edge no right in the Government vessels OF Great
Britain to exercise any police or supervision over
American merchant vessels, IN Nicaragua or eIse-
where out of the British dominons On the contrary,
the first article of the convention between the United
States and her Britannia Majesty, relative to Mica
ragua, signed priI the 18th, 1880 of which copy
is also enclosed expires sly excludes each OF the con-
tracing parties from assuming exercising dominion
over Nicaragua, Costa RIGA, the Mosquito Coast or
any part OF Central America. You will therefore. as
soon the Saranac shall he in ali respects ready for
sea- proceed in her San Juan de Nicaragua for the
purpose ofaording protection to American commerce
and interests that coast, against any such Interior
ence for the future and on your arrival there you
will notify the officer in command of her Britannia
Maestys naval forces that !larbor that coast
of the object of your visit At the same time you
will assure the local authorities of the port that the
United States will justify the non-pay ,nent of any
lawful and proper port-dutes on the part Of their
merchant vessels and that they desire the most friend
Nv relations with the Government of Central America
and will faithfully maintain their part the Spula
tons of The treaty already referred to.
/ am very respectfully,
your o5edients ervant,
WILLIAM A. GRAHAM.
To Commodore F. A. PARKER,
Commanding U. S. Home Squadron, Pensacola"