The true Democrat., 1854-12-20

punishment those who, by taking part therein, violated our laws. The energy and activity of our civil and military authorities have frustrated the designs of those who meditated expedi- tons of this character, except in two instances One of these composed of foreigners, was at first countenanced and aided by the Mexican go- vernment itself, it having been deceived as to ther real object The other small in number, eluded the vigilance of the magistrates at San Francisco, and succeeded in reaching the Mexi- can territories; but the effective measures taken by this government compelled the abandon ment of the undertaking.
 The commission to establish the new line between the United States and Mexico, accord ing to the provisions of the treaty of the 3Oth of December last, has been organized, and the work is already commenced
 Our treaties with the Argentine confedracy and with it's Republics of Uruguay and Para guary, secures to us the free navigation of the river La Plata, and some of its larger tributa- res; but the same success has not attended our endeavors to open the Amazon. The reason in favor of the free use of that river, I had oc- casion to present fully, in former message; and considering the cordial relations which hnve long existed between this government and Bra gil, it may be expected that pending negotia- tions will, eventually, reach a favorable result.
 Convenient means of transit, between the several parts of country, are not only desira- ble for the objects of commercial and personal communication, but essential to its existence under one government. Separated as are 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 attachments to the Union. Hence the constant and increasing intercourse, and vast interchange of commercial productions, be- tween these remote divisions of the Republic At the present time, the most practicable and only cOmmodOuS routes for communication be- tween them are by way of the lsthmus of Gen. tral America. It is the duty of the government to secure these avenues against all danger of in- terruption.
 In relation to Central America, preplexing questions existed between the United States and Great Brltlan at the time of the cesson of California. These as we'll as questions which subsequently, arose concerning interoceanic con- munlcatlon across the lsthumus, were, as it was supposed, adjusted by the treaty of April 18th, 1850: but untortunately y, they have been re- opened by serious misunderstanding as to the import of some of its provisions, e-adjustment ot winch Is now under consideration. Our minister at London has made strenuous efforts to accomplish this desirable object but has not yet found it possible to bring the nego- tlatOnS to termination.
 As incidental to those questions, l deem 1t proper to notice an Occurance which happened III Central Amenca, near the close of the last session of Congress. So soon as the necessity was perceived of establishing inter- oceanic com muncatlons across the lthmus, company was organized under the authority of the State of Nicaragua, but composed, for the purpose of opening such transit way by the river San Juan and Lake Nicaragua, which soon became an eligible and much used route in the trans portatlon ot our citizens and their property be- tween the Atlantic and Pacific.
 Meanwhile, and i'll anticipation of the com pletlon and importance of this transit way, a numberssof adventures had taken possession of the old Spanish port at the mouth of the river San Juan in open defiance of the State or States of Central America, which upon their becom- ing independent, had rightfully succeeded to the local sovereignty and jurisdiction of Spain These adventures undertook to change the name of the place from San uan del Norte to Greytown, and though at first pretending to act as the subjects of the fictitious sovereign of the Mosquito Indians, they subsequently,, repudiat- ed the control of any power whatever, assumed to adopt distinct political organization, and declared themselves an independent sovereign Slater
 If, at some time, faint hope was entertained that they might become stable and respecta- ble community, that hope soon vanished They proceeded to assert untounded claims to civil ;,r;.fliotiOp pupta the opposite side of the river San Juan, which was in possession under title wholly independ- ent of them, of citizens of the United States, interested in the Nicaragua Transit Company, and which was indispensably necessary to the prosperous operation of that route across the Isthmus The company resisted their ground ness claims; whereupon they proceeded to de- strov some of its buildings and attempted vio- lently to dispossess it.
 Ali later period they organized strong force for the purpose of demolishing the establish ment at Punta Arenas, but this mischievous de- sign was defeated by the interposition 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, arrogating authority to arrest, on the charge of murder captain of one or the SteamDOalS Ol the lTdlSlC COmpanV- Being well aware that the claim to exercise iu- risdiction there would be resisted them as it had been on previous occasions, they went prepared to assert it by force of arms.
 Our minister to Central America happened to be present on the occasion. Believing that the captain of the steamboat was innocent, for he witnessed the transaction on which the charge was founded, and believing, also, that the in truding party, having no jurisdiction over the place where they proposed to make the arrest, would encounter desperate resistance if they persisted in their purpose, he interposed, efec- tually, to prevent violence and blood-shed.
 The American minister afterwards visited Greytown, and while he was there mobinclud- ing certain of the so-called public functonaries of the place, surrounded the house in which he was, avowing that they had come to arrest him, by order of some persons exercising the chief authority. While parleying with them, he was wounded by a missile from the crowd. A boat dispatched from the Amerian steamer North ern Light" to release him from the perilous situation in which he was understood to be, was fired into by the town guards, and compelled to return. These incidents, together with the known character of the population of Grey town, and their excited state-induced just ap-