Iowa capitol reporter. [volume] (Iowa City, Iowa) 1841-1855, 1854-08-16
From the Washington Sentinel.
xho Aounuotien Of San Juan o. 0rsytswn.

OursAden are already aware that on the
l3th q this month the town OF village Of San.
Juan ~ Totally destroyed by the United
6tatoo olpep- of. var Cyane, under the commad
u Cart; Hollins This town was situated on
tho IN hank and near the mouth Of the San
Juan tivef, within the territory Of Nicaragua,
one Of the Central American States. Until
The discovery Of gold y California. no impor.
lance vas attached either 70 the town or to
the river: but about that time IN English force
seized ne town, claiming it In behalf OF the
Mosquito Indians. whom the English govern
ln1nt had taken under its protection, IN deh-
Ance ~ universal custom and repeated treaty
stipulations.
Vixen the English seized San Juan, they
changed lie name 70 Greytown, aud held it by
iare IL interests Of The Uuited States. The
tttls u the king Of the Mosquitoes was insis-
ted on as . mere cover to an illegal and VIC.
lent mnvemert; and the town was ruled and
regulated by British officials, who paid no
more respect to the authority OF the drunken
beast they had transformed into king. than
they did 10 the authority Of Billy Bowiegs,
chief of the Seminoles OF Florida.
Juan rises to compel obedience to the author
tiles 1t Grsytown, and enforce the payment of
the taxes aud port dues they levied on Amer
lean shippinR. The United States passenger.
steamer rrometheus was fred into by the BRIT
ish ship express, when full of passengers, 10
order TO force her to submit to the illegal ex-
actions Of an illegal government.
Since the af ,ir Of the Prome'neus tne au-
therities Of San Juan have been guilty OF sew
eral acts which were extremely annoying TO
our citizens going to and returning from Cat
ifarnia In the frst place, they became hos
tits TO The Transit Company because II estao-
lislsed is depots on the opposite sue o. .ne
river and beyond its jurisdiction, SO that pas.
senpers proceeded without stopping IN the
town. fhey undertook to compel the Transit
Company to break up its establishment and
remove to the other side of the river, and
threatened to destroy its property unless Its
demand was complied with. They were pre-
vented from executing that threat by detach-
snent Of United States marines which was sent
on shore to protect the property OF the Com
pany. Since then, the authorities OF trey
ar toll on all persons going TO and returning
from California by way O. San Juan river.
We presume that the damages claimed by the
Transit Company must have grown out OF
some of the apnoyances we have mentioned.
The insult to Mr. Borland grew out Of his in-
terference to protect an American shipcaptain
from arrest on board an American steamer
The refusal to satisfy the damages demanded
by the Transit Company, and to apologize for
the insult to Mr. Borlaad, caused Capt Hollins
Of the Cyane. to bernhard the town & to finish
the work OF his cannon by reducing the place
to ashes. Ii lie stated, and we presume cor
rectly, that he acted under positive instruc-
tions Indeed 1T cannot be supposed that he
acted otherwise. A. all events, we may ex.
pect the full particulars OF the transaction
and the causes which led to it, when the gov
erpmen, receives an oficia. account Of the pro-
ceed,ngs, San JUN was lawless place,
which could not be said to have a lawful ex-
istence: but still its utter destruction Is a
grave matter.