Clearfield Republican. [volume] (Clearfield, Pa.) 1851-1937, 1854-12-06

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questions which subsequently ouso con.
corning inter occnniccommunicalionocroge
The lsihmug, were, ns h vns supposed, od.
iustod by the ucaty OF April 10, 1850 g.
but unfortunately they have been REQ.
pcncd by a serious misunderstanding as To
the import Of some Of its provisions, re-.
adjustment or which is now under consid.
GRAFTON. Our minister at London has
made strenuous efforts to accomplish this
desirable object, bot has not yet found il
possible to bring the negotiations 10 ter.
minollon.
As incidental to these questions, deem
1t proper 10 notice an occurrence which
happened in Central America, near the
close Of the last session of Congress. So
soon as the necessity was perceived of es.
labIlshing inHr.oceanic communications
across the lslhmus, company was organ.
ized, under authority Of the State Of Mic.
arngun, but composed, for the most part,
Of citizens Of the United States, for the pnr.
pose Of opening such a transit way, by the
river San Juan and Lake Nicaragua, which
soon became an eligible and much used
route in the transportation of our citizens
and their properly between the Atlantic
and the Pacific. Meanwhile, and in antc.
patton Of the completion and Importance
OF this transit way, number Of adventu.
rers had taken possession Of the old Span.
ish port at the mouth Of the river San Ju.
an, in open defiance Of the State or States
LOT Central America, which, upon their be.
coming independent, had rghtluIly sue.
ceeded to the local sovereignty and jurs.
diclion Of Spain.
These adyenlurers undertook to change
the name Of the place from San Juan del
None TO Greytown, and, though at first
pretending to act as the subjects of the
fictitious sovereign Of the Mosquito Indi.
ans, they repudialed the control OF any
power whnteyer, assumed 10 adopt a dis.
tInct political organization, and declared
themseyesan independent sovereign State.
II, al some time, faint hope was enter.
tanned that they might become a stable
and a respectable community, that hope
soon vanished. They proceeded to assert
uniounded cuims TO civil Jurisdiction over
Punto Arenas, position on the opposite
side Of the river San Joan, which was in
under a title wholly indepen.
dent Of them, of citizens of the United
States, interested in the Nicaragua Transit
Company, aud which was indispensably
necessary to the prosperous operation of
that route across the lsthmus. The com.
pany resisted their groundIess claims =.
whereuPon they proceeded to destroy some
of its buildings and attempted violently to
diSpossess it.
At later period they organized strong
force for the purpose of demoIishing the
at Punto Arenas, but this .
mischevous design was defeated by the .
interPosiion Of one of our ships of war, at
that time in the harbor of San Juan
Subsequently TO this, in May last, body
Of men from Greytown crossed over 10
Punto Arenas, arrogaling authority TO ar.
rest, on the charge Of murder, captain
Dt one Of the STEAMBOATS, Of the Transit Co.
Being well aware that the clam to exercise
Jurisdiction there would be resisted then,
rs It had been Oh previous occasions, they
went prepared 10 assert it by force of arms. 4
Dur minister 10 Central America happened
o be present on that occasion. Believing
hat the captain or the steamboat was in.
locen, for he Witnessed the transaction
m which the charge was founded, and be.
ieving, also, that the intruding party, hav.
ng no jurisdiction over the place where
hey proposed to make the arrest, would
ncounter desperate resistance if theyper.
listed in their purpose, he interposed, ef. t
ectualy, to prevent violence and blood. {
he'd. {
The American minister afterwards Wis. T
ed Greytown, and whilst he was there, /
mob, including certain Of the so caked g
ubIlc functonaries of the place, surroun. t
ed the house in which he was, avowing {
nat they had come to arrest him by order b
{ some person exercising the chief au. d
lority. While parIeylng with them he a
,as wounded by q missile thrown from \
ne crowd. A boat, despatched from the 4
.merican steamer "Nonhern Light" to d
eease him from the perilous situation in ?
,hich he was understood to be, was fired d
ITO by the town gaurd, and compelled
, return. These incidents, together with t
re known character OF the population Of c
ireytown, and their excited stale, induced "
lst apprehensions that the lives and prop p
rty Of our citizens at Punto Arenas would L
e in imminent danger, after the depar- d
ire of the steamer, with her passengers, b
" New York, unless guard was left for s.
leir protection. For this purpose, and Il
order 10 ensure the safety of the pas. n
'ngers and property passing over the "
,ute, temporary force was organized, h
considerable expense 10 the United Il
tates, for which provision was made at d
e last session of Congress. a
This pretended community, heteroge- o
ous assembage gathered from various n