The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1853-04-02

| OF lts adopuoh-sne HERALD would be partieu-
larly careful in avoiding any allusion to such
delicate topics as consistency and uprightness.
STRANGE DoNes AT SAN JuAN-wHAr ARE
THEY ALL ABouT?-W published in yester-
days HERALD, letters from two Of our cores
pondenx at Greytown, or San Juan de Mica
ragua, giving somewhat different versions of
recent important occurrences there, but agree
ing on the one point, namely, that the govern
ment of the city has been annulled, dissolved
and that that important point Of Central
America is now virtually without any civic Or
ganization, and hanging like Mahomet's coffin,
between earth and heaven that is, between
the governments of Nicaragua and Mosquito,
| Of the United States and Great Britain-be-
| tween the American residents and the Access
| sorry Transit Company. To which side destiny
may incline the balance, is now subject for
political and philosophic speculation.
To reduce the facts, as we have received
them, to some sort Of order and connection, and
to exhibit them in an Ineligible light, will be
our endeavor in this article. It would seem
that in June, 1851, before the organization Of
the late municipal government Of San Juan,
the Transit Company, then trading under the
title Of the Atlantic and Pacific Ship Canal
Company, applied to the Mosquito King.
through the British Consul, for permission to
establish depot coaling yard, &C., on Point
Arenas. spit Of land which forms one side of
the harbor, on the opposites side from the city
of San Juan. The desired privilege was
granted, and the company erected the ne
cessary buildings on the spot indicated.
Afterwards, the municipal government of
San Juan, which was organized in May of
the following year, and which was composed
almost exclusively of Americans. required this
depot as quarantine ground; and the company
having refused to surrender it, legal proceed
ings were instituted, and an ejectment issued
for the expulsion Of the company's employees
and the demolition of the buildings they had
erected.
On the other side, however, it is charged that
the government and the American residents
have been working under British influence; that
they were annoyed on account Of the facilities
provided by the company for the transmission
ofpassengers, thereby diverting from the citi-
zens the rich pickings they might otherwise
have had from travellers to and from California;
and that the hostile proceedings against the
company were to be attributed to this spirit of
jealousy and vexation. and to the desire that
they should locate their depot on the city side
of the harbor.
However this may be, one thing is certain
that the writ of ejectment granted by the
courts was to be put into execution on the 18th
of March. and that all the needful preparations
were made to enforce the edicts Of the law. The
marshal and his staff were ready, the axes and
saws, and implements of demolition were pro-
vided, the militia were at hand to protect the
officers of justice, and the doom Of the COM
pany's depot and workshops appeared sealed
and inevitable when 10! on the day previous to
that which was to have witnessed the triumph
of the municipality and courts Of law, the U. S.
sloop Of war Cyane hove in sight and anchored
in the harbor. AS if by common consent. the
heads of the government, the United States
- -'---'''s ~e~-. ~--a a. -eoas VI the TrunslJ
Company, repaired on board to lay their seve-
raj statements before Captain Rollins, and to
solicit his support on one or the other side. The
details of these interviews are given in our cor
respondence, published yesterday, and will have,
doubtless, excited considerable public atten-
tion.
On the morning Of the 11th-the great. the
eventful day, big with the fate of San Juan
and the Transit Company-it was seen, with no
little amazement, that the Cyane had taken up
a menacing position, and that the adamantine
lips Of her great guns were uncovered and
peeping through the portfolios, right out on the |
little city. Still the marshal and his staff. I'M
deferred by these ominous appearances, and in
vested with the powers of the law, made q |
show OF attempting the execution of its injunc-
ton, but were incontinently brought to their
senses by the command on board to "prcpare
Tor action" and the appearance of body Of
marines, armed, as our correspondent says,
cap-d-pte. What was to be done The law
was powerless in the presence of higher law;
Inc attempt to GUST the company must be de-
'isted from-and consequently the powers Of the
government and of the law were alike null and
void in this extremity. Next day the members
u the government met, passed resolution re-
ignng the Offices with which they had been
struck their fag-the Mosquito one
and appointed committee to demand expla-
ations from the government at Washington.
Now, is e administration prepared to salts
Y their legitimate reclamation on this point ?
is matter Of no small moment and response
ility thus to interfere with and oyerawe the re-
ular operation of regularly constituted 60
eminent and courts of justice. Did Captain
collins act from instructions and if SO. on
hat grounds were those instructions issued
he controversy was purely legal one, both
arties to it being Americans; and we would |
Ike to know by what precedent or right has the S
xecutive arm interviewed? Doubtless the adj
is in possession of facts and docu- :
tents which may have led to this armed inter-
ention and we trust that some member of the k