The western Democrat. [volume] (Charlotte, N.C.) 1852-1870, 1854-12-08


The commission 10 establish the new line be-
tween the United States and Mexico, according TO
the provision of the treaty of the 30ih of Decem-
Der lasr has been organized, and The work is al
ready commenced.
Oar treaties with The Argentine Confederation,
and with the Republic OF Uruguay aud Paraguay,
secure 10 MS The free navigation OF the river La
Plata, and of its larger rrIbua ries bui the
same success has not attended our eDdeavors TO
open the Amazon. The reasons in favor of the
Tree use OF that river, had occasion I" present
July, in former message; and c"hsIdt ring the
cordial reIations which have long existed between
this government and Brazil, it may be- expected
that pending negotiations will, eventually, reach
favorable result.
Convenient means OF transit. between the seve-
raj parts OF country, are not only desirable for
The ohi~cts Of COMMERCIAL and personal commu-
nicatnn but essential To its existence under one
government. Separated the Atlantic and
Pacific coasts of the United States by the whole
breadth of the continent, still the inhabitants OF
each are closely bound together by community OF
origin and institutions, and by strong attachment
10 rhe Union. Hence The constant and increasing
intercourse, and vast interchange OF commercial
productions, between these remote divisions of tbs
Republic. All the present time, the most practi.
cable aud only commodious routes for communl-
cation between them are by the way Of the lsihmus
of Central America. il is The Duty of the govern.
mont to secure these avenues against all danger
OF interruption.
la reali"n to Central America perpIexing quPs-
lions existed between the United States and Great
Britain at the Time of the ccsson of California.
These, as we'll as questions which subs qnrntly
arose concerning inter-oceanic communication
across The ISthmus, were, it supposed, ad.
ius,ed ~ the treaty of April l9, 1850 boz, unlor-
tunately, they have been re-"Pcned by serious
misunderstanding TO the import Of some of its
provisions, a re. adjustment Of which is now under
consideration. Our minister at London has made
strenuous efforts to accomplish this desirable OBJ
rct, but has not yet found possible to bring the
negotiations 10 a termination.
AS incidental TO these questions, | deem ii
proper TO notice an occurrence which happened in
Central America, the close Of the last session
Of Congress. So soon as the necessity was per-
ceivCd OF establishing inter oceanic communca-
tiUns across the l>lhmus, Il company was organ
lied. under authority of the State of Nicaragua,
but composed, for The part, Of citizens of The
United States, for the purpose of opening such
transit way, by The river San Juan and Lake
Nicaragua, which soon became eligible and
much used route IN the transportation Of our cti-
u ms and their property between the Atlantic and
Pacific. Meanwhile, and in anticipation of the
completion and importance of this transit way, a
numEer of adventures had taken possession of
the old Spanish port at the mouth Of the river
San Juan, in open defiance OF the State or Stalee
Of Central America, which, upon their becoming
independent, had righlfully succeeded to tue local
sovereignty and jurisdiction of Spain. These ad
venturers undertook to change the name of the
place from S IN Juan del Norre to Greytown, and,
though at first pretending to act as the subjects of
the fictitious sovereign of the Mosquito Indians,
they subsequently repudiated the control of any
,b.,to ,oI ode i
Iiical organization. and declared themselves an
independent sovereign State If, at some time,
faint hope was entertained that they might become
a stable and respectable community, that hope
soon vanished. They proceeded TO assert IN.
founded claims 10 civil jurisdiction over Punta
Arenas, a position on The opposite side OF the
river San Juan, which was in possession under a
title wholly independent Of them, OF citizens of the
United States, interested in the Nicaragua Transit
Company, and hich was ndspensaby necessary
to the prosperous operation of that route across
the lShmus. The company resisted their ground.
less claims whereupon they proceeded to destroy
some of its buildings, and attempted violently to
d>posscss 1t.
AT later period they organized a strong force
for the purpose of demolishing the estabIish ment
at Punta Arenas, but this mischievous design was
defeated by the nterposition 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 to Punta Arenas.
arrogaIing authority TO arrest, on the charge of
murder, captain Of one OF the steamboats, of the
Transit Company. Being well aware that the
claim TO exercise jurisdiction there would be re-
sisted then, as it had been previous occasions,
they went prepared TO assert it by force of arms.
Our minister to Central America happened to be
present on that occasion. Believing that the cap
tain OF the steamboat was innocent, fo- he wit
messed The transaction on which the charge was
founded, and believing, also, that the intrudng
party, having do jurisdiction over the place where
they proposed to maze the arrest would encoun-
ter desperate resistance if they persisted in their
purpose, he interposed, effectuaIy, to prevent
violence and bloodshed The American minister
afterwards visited Greytown, and whilst he was
there mob, including certain of the so-calIed
public fnncionaries Of the place, surrounding the
house in which he was, ayow:ng that they had
come 10 arrest HIM by order of some person ex-
with them, he was wounded by missile from The
crowd. 4 boat despatched from The American
steamer " Northern Light TO release him from
the perilouS situation in which he was understood
to he, was fired into by the town guard md COM
PEELED to return. These incidents, together with
the known character OF the population Of Grey.
town, and their excited stale, induced Just appre.
tensions that the lives and property Of our citi
Zens at Punta Arenas, would be in imminent
danger after the departure OF the steamer with
her passengers for New York, unless guard was