Cooper's Clarksburg register. [volume] (Clarksburg, Va. [W. Va.]) 1851-1861, 1851-12-24
Message of the President in Relation
to the PFOmethus Affair.

to the Promethus Affair.
The following is the Presidents mes
sage, and the naval instructions, in the
matter of the outrage upon the Prone
thus, sent into the Senate on Wednesday,:
To the Senate Of the United Statts.-1
have received resolution of the Senate,
adopted on the 18th instant, in the follow
ing terms:
Resolved, That the President of the
United States be requested to communi-
cate to the Senate, if not inconsistent with
the public interest, any information the
Executive may have received, respecting
the firing into and seizure of the Ameri-
can steamship Prometheus, by British
vessel of war, in November last, near
Greytown, on the Mosquito coast; and
also what means have been taken by the
Executive to ascertain the state of the
facts, and to vindicate the honor Of the
country.
In answer to the request, l submit to
the senate the accompanying extracts
from a communication addressed to the
Department of State, by Mr.. Joseph L.
White, as counsel of the American and
Atlantic and Pacific ship Canal Company,
dated Cd inst. This communication is the
source of the information received by the
Executive in relation to the subject alluded
to, and it is presumed to be essentially
correct in its statements of the facts
Upon receiving this communication, in
structions, such as the occasion seemed to
demand, were Immediately despatched tc
the Minister Of the United States in Lon
don. Sufficient time has not elapsed fol
the return of any answer to this dispatch
from him. and, in my judgement, it would
at the present moment be inconsistent
with the public interest to communicate
those instructions. A communication
however, of all the correspondence will
be made to the Senate at the earliest mo-
ment at which proper regard to the
public interest will permit.
At the same time instructions were
given to Commodore Parker, comman
ding the home squadron, copy of which
so far as they relate to the case of the
Promethus, is herewith transmitted to the
Senate. GSigned. WILLARD FILLMORE.
Washington, Dec, is, 1851.
SIR: The President has learned tina
an English brig-of-war, the Express. iy
ing in the harbor of San Juan de Mica
ragua, has recently fired upon the
American steamerP romethus, while in the
act of departure from that hsrbor, ant
compelled them to pay certain demand:
allied ged to be port charges, and claimed
by persons protesting to act under the
authority of the local Government. The
particulars of the affair will be found in
:. letter of the agent of the Promethus, al
ready published in the newspapers of New
York, copy of which is herewith trans
mittcd.
Whatever may have been the merits Of
the question between the captain of the
Promethus and the authorities of Nicara
qua, the United States acknowledge no
rights in the Government, or vessel o.
Great Britain to exercise any police OIL
supervision over American merchant yes
sells in Nicaragua or elsewhere out of the
British dominions.
On the contrary, the first articles of the
convention between the United States anC
her Britanic Majesty, relative to Nicara
qua, signed April 10th, 1850, of which (
copy is also enclosed, expressly excludes
each of the contracting parties from assn
ming or exercising dominion over Nicara
L qua, SOSId IlCdB VIC oAuS4ul'O SOoSt VI
any part of Central America. You will
therefore, as soon as the Saranac shall be
in all respects ready for sea, proceed il
her to San Juan de Nicaragua, for th'
purpose of affording protection to Ameri
can commerce and interests on that cOas
against any such interference for the flu
tIre, and on your arrival there, you viii
notify the officer in command of he
Britanic Majesty's naval forces in tina
harbor, or on that coast, of the object o
your visit; at the same time you will as
sure the local authorities of the port tina
the United States will not justify the non
payment of any lawful and proper duties
on the part of their merchant vessels, anc
that they desire the most friendly rela
tons with the Government of Contra
America. and will faithfully maintain OF
their part the stipulations of the treaty re
ferred to.
am, very respectfully. your ob't ser
want, WILL. A. GRAHAM.
To Commodore F. A Parker, Conmsn
ding U, S, Home Squadron, Pensaco