The weekly Lancaster gazette. (Lancaster, Ohio) 1852-1855, 1853-04-07

CAPTURE or SAn JuAx nv q. s. Vrssrr

Greas EreitemeaL de-, 8r.-By the arrival
OF the steamer Star of the West, from San
Juan, March a2d, the New York papers
have lengthy and livery interesting letters rel
alive to the difficulties between the author
tiles ofthat place and the Nicaragua Transit
Company Of Mr.. Vanderbilt. They give
both sides of the question, and embrace a
protest and surrender ofthe Fort San Juan
to the United Statcs sloop of war Cyane,
Commander G gorge w, Hollins, The gov
eminent Of the city Of San Juan thus sur
rendered, II may be remembered, has been
exercised during the past two years by the
citizens; that in April last the Agent of the
Kingof Mosquito, formally transferred the
Government of the city to the inhabitants,
and approved the constitution of the city,
then adopted; that since that time the Gov
eminent has consisted Of FIVE American cit
liens, co%nstitutionalIy chosen by the peo-
pie.
A letter in the Herald, dated San Juan,
March 22d, gives the annexed version of the
difficulty:
1t aPpears that the authorities of the place,
when first applied to by Mr.. Vanderbilt's
agent for a site for their depot. were refused
one on the same side of the bay on which
the city is built. but had one assigned them
on Point Arenas-a spit OF sand viii. h
forms one side of the harbor. They proceed
ed and erected buildings suited to their pur-
poses, as well for building small steamers to
navigate the river San Juan as for the &C.
commodation Of the employees of the CON-
pany.
The inhabitants ofthe city of Juan finding
that, with the growing trade, the modes Of
conveyance were enlarged and improved,
and that passengers going and coming were
not detained, boats being always in readiness
to speed them on their way, thus depriving
the people Of Greytown from making money
on the Californians, and that they could not
induce the company to remove to their side
of the bay, made use of the only alternative
left them-that Of compulsory measures.
With the determination of executing those
purposes, the city marshal OF Greytown, on
the 2Ist of February last, accompanied by
an armed force, proceeded to Point Arenas,
and levelled to the ground several buildings,
the property Of the Accessory Trnnsit Com
pany. They committed a like offence on a
brick building, the property Of Captain Nc
Cerren, of New Orleans.
The agent and employees Of the company
were unable to resist the force of those who
carried on the work of spolia,ion.
Matters remained in siGiu quo until the
a%rrivalo of the Cyane, Capt. Hollins, on the
10th inst, from Pensacola, which entirely
changed the current Of affairs. Immediate
ly on her arrival in port, Capt. Hoilins was
waited upon by the authorities of the port
and the agent Of the company, when, upon
hearing the statements Of both parties, he
decided on protecting, at all risks, the per-
sons and property OF the company, who had
claimed such as American citizens. A
guard Of marines, under charge OF Lieut..
Hunt, ofthc ship was sent on shore. on Point
Arenas; and the authorities still pcrsisting
in their determination, the ship was put in a
position that she might, II occasion required,
repel any assaults that might be made upon
the concern.
That officer visited tho authorities in per-
son, and pointed out 10 them the wrong
course they were pursuing They returned
for answer, that it was not their intention In
destroy the company's establishments bot
remove to the town the materials Of the
buildings already demolished, and which lay
scattered and strewn around.
On the afternoon of tho eleventh, the
marshal of the city proceeded To Pu,nt Are
mas and commenced reading n writ Of eject
mcnt, but was ordered To desist by Licutcn't
Hurst, of the Cyane, who said hc was sent
there to protcc, the property, and warn of
all ;nirudcrs. That gentleman then left;
muttcring nnnthamas against the Cynne and
her commadsr. This next day they hauled
down their fog-lhe Mosquito one-and
fred twenty.one guns. which was hoifted
again on the lith, the day on which the En-
glish Consul returned from Blewfclds. ] am
inciin'd to think the latter course vas pnrsu'd
by order Of the English Consul,
Capt. Hollins, with a lsudable i2rbear-
ance and spirit Of Cancellation, used every
means in his power to dissuode those mis-
guided persons from perpetrating their vic.
ious designs. which proving of no avail, the
order was issued that no communication
would be allowed between Greytown and
Point Arenas.
have ondeavored thus far to give in de-
tail a statement Of the occurrences as they
happened, upon a review Of which can be
seen that deep seated jealousy is ranking in
the bosom Of the people of Greytown against
the Transit Company, as well as Captain
MeCerre.
Purscr Charles Upham, Assistant Sur
geon Peck, and Captain Clark, have gone
into the interior, | understand, to COMMUNE
cate with our charge to Nicaragua, Mr.. Kerr,
who resides al Leon. II is said the unset
tied state Of affairs here prevents Captain
~lIollins from going in person. 1t is thought
tho Cynne will remain here until relieved by
some other vcsssl.
A letter 10 the Tribune, dated March l6,
states that the authorities had protested n
gainst the conduct Of the commander Of the
Cyane, and the American citizens had held a
meeting and denounced the course pursued
by Capt. Hollins. The citizens had organ
lied n vigilance committee, and two clip.
per schooners had been Immediately dis
patched to Blew6elds, on the Mosquito coast,
and TO Jamaica, to give information to the
British authorities at those points. The
Tribune's letter enbeavors to make the au.
thori,ies and citizens Of San Juan appear
entirely blameless in'the matter. II says:
The Accessory Transit Company Of Nicar.
aqua have since June, 1851. occupied a piece
Of land, situated on the North'si Of the
Bay of San Juan, which they had leased
from the agent Of the Mosquito King for a
coal depot, only at the nominal rent Of six
pence sterling per month. agreeing to vacate
ct any time when the lands should be requir-
! al for Oihar nnrn0aoa