Staunton spectator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1849-1896, 1854-08-16
rha snn Junn AFFAIR.

An the facts connected with the recent occur
FENCES at San Juan are now developed and ar
tend 10 confirm the first impression OF the consum
mate folly which dictated the course OF our uoV-
ernment 1t appears from the evidence Of res
pectable witnesses that the murder OF Antonio
the native boatman, by Capt. Smith, was most
vniusli6able and cruel act, and that Capt. smith
!. no more etizen Of the United States than was
his unfortunate victim Smith is said to have
the appearance Of being mixed breed OF AFRICA"
and Portuguese, with dark skin and black curly
hair With what show of right, then, could MT.
Borland undertake, as American Minister 10
.bied him from merited punishment?
The conduct Of Mr.. Borland on the occasion is
represented as grossly indecorOus, aud calcuia'eu
90 eyasperate the people of San Juan In high
degree. The mob returned insult for lnsnif' ana
therefore the Executive was bound to seek redress
BY destroying the town
T. is necessary to bear in mind one or TWO iac'S
hare San Juan is within the territorial limits oi
Nicaragua, one of the Central American o'a'es'
IN which Mr.. Borland was sent as MINISTER IA
few wears AGO Great Britain undertook to erect an
;,donendent Government there, under the domln-
ion of bis majesty the Mosquito King; but the u
,,;,.d States have never recognised any such aI-
bority, and profess to regard the country as part
and parcel of Nicaragua. In view OF ms iact
/, IS unaccountable that an appeal was not
made to Nicaragua for satisfaction on account oil
N. pdigpites offered to the United States IN the
uerson of Mr.. Scion Boraud. When the moo IN
Now Orleans insulted the French Consul at 'hat
NOR, France did not send fleet tn lombard the
CITY hut laid the matter before our Federal Uov-
srnment .by which the amende was promptly made
II we take another view OF the matter, and re-
GARD San Juan as independent OF Nicaragua the
course pursued by the Executive is equally lnue-
fsns;ble Tn that case Mr.. Borland, at San JUAN
was not entitled to the rights aud privileges OF an
American Ambassador, and the country could not
-ho ;psulted tbrouCh him any more than 1t is often
;nsulted when some wandering adventurer In
foreign parts gets into row aud has oouAe
thrown at his head.
But some persons may regard San Juan as p'-
H..
ether places within the pale ofregulary organized
government. This idea is refuted by the testl-
nopv Of reliable men, who state that more quiet
and orderly community could not be found even
in the limited States Our Government, moreo-
var maintained commercial agent there, and
thus recognised the legitimacy OF the local au-
thorities.
Co mucb for the insult to Mr. Borlaud.
Tn regard to the indemnity claimed by the
Transit Company, the folly of destroying San Ju-
=, i. still more apparent This Company, com
posed of American citizens, is engaged IN trans
porting passengers and goods across the lsthmus'
They alledge that certain houses or sheds belong
inc to them were burnt by the people OF San Ju-
an, and fixed their damages at twenty-four thou
sand dollars. Capt Hollins was instructed to de-
msud the payment of this amount, and the money
not being forthcoming, he wantonly destroyed all
the property out of which it might have been made
Surely, as has been suggested by others, 1t would
b,ve been far wiser to seize the property and hold
itas pledge for the payment ofall just demands.
Instead of adopting this policy, Capt. Hollins
fred upon and burnt without discrimination the
property of French and British subjectsand Amer
lean citizens, aud probably without intiIctlng the
least injury upon the alleged guilty parties.
And soon the accounts will be coming in for the
Jrnited States to settle. The French and Eng
lish are said to be calculating the amount OF their
damages; citizens of this country have already
preferred claims for round sum; and other indl-
yiduals will come in for large amounts All this
money will probably have to be paid, and II the
matter ends there we may congratulate ourselves
The minister of Nicaragua, however, protests a
gainst the ndiguity offered to his Government j;
and on the other hand, the movements of British
officials in Central America, indicate that queen
Victoria is about to assert her protectorate over
The Mosquito Kingdom, which will lead to further
difficulties Improper interference on the part oil
Great Britain will of course meet with no sympa-
,hv from any portion of the American people, but
whatever difficulties ensue, as we'll as the mis-
chief already done, may be charged to the account
of our having such President as Franklin Pierce
and such Minister as Scion Borland.