The Middlebury register. [volume] (Middlebury, Vt.) 1850-1882, 1854-12-13

; If. at some time, a faint hope was enter
tanned thai they might become a stable
and respectable community, that hope
soon vanished They proceeded to as
sert uufounded claims to civil jurisdic-
ton over Punia Arenas, q position on
the opposite side Of the river Sau Juan,
which was in possession, under n title
wholly Independent Of them, of citizens
of the United States, interested in the
Nicaragua Transit Co, aud which was
lndispensably necessary TO the prosper
Gus operation OF that route across the
lsthmus. The company resisted their
groundless claims whereupou they pro
coedcd TO destroy some Of its buildings,
aud attempted violently to disposssess
lit.
At later period they organized
strong force for the purpose of demolsh.
ing tue establishment at .Puntr Arrras,
/ but this mischicyous design was defeat
ed by the interposition Of one Of our
ships of war. at the time in the harbor Of
San Juan. Subsequently, to this, in May
I last. a body of men from Greytown
crossed over to Punta Arenas, arrogat-
ing authority to arrest, on a charge OF
murder, captain of Que Of the steam
boats Of TIE Transit Company. Being
well aware that tha claim 10 exercise
jurisdiction there would he resisted
then. as it had been on previous occa-
sions, they wcut prepared to assert it by
force OF arms. Onr Minister to Cen.
tral America happened to be present on
that occasion. Believing that the cap
tain of the steamboat was innocent, for
he witnessed the transaction on which
the charge was founded, aud believing,
also, that the intrudiug party, having no
Jurisdiction over the place where they
proposed to make tho arrest. would en-
counter desperate resistance if they per
sisted in their purpose, he interposcd, eff
fcctually, to rreycnt violence and blood
ahed.
The American Minister afterwards
visited Greytown, and, while he was
there, mob, including certain of the So
called public funcionaries of the place,
surrounding tic house in which he was,
avowcd that they lad come to arrest
him by order of some person exercising
the chief authority. While parleying
with them he was wounded by missile
from the crowd. \ boat, dispatched
from the American steamer Northern
Light to release him from the peri il'4s
situation in which he was understood TO
be, was fired into b the towp guarl ana
compelled to return These incidents,
together with the knorn character OF the
population of Greytown. and their exclt'
ed state iuduetd just arprchensl"ns that
the lives ahd property OF our citizens AT
Punta Arenas would be in imminent
danger after the departure Of the steam
lcr, with her passengers, for New York,
unless a guard was left for their protcc-
tion. For this purpose, and in order to
insure the safety Of passengers and prop
crty passing over the route, a temporary
force was organized, at considerable cX-
penso to the United States, for which
provision was made at the last session Of
Congress.
This pretended community, u heicro.
genous assomblage gathered FROM various
countries, and composed, for the most
part. Of blacks and persons Of mixed
blood, had previously given other indica.
tions of mschievous and dangerous pro-
pcnsii'es Early in the same mouth
property was clandcstinoly ahstructed
from the depot Of the Transit Company,
and taken to Grcytowu. The plunder.
crs obtained shelter there. and their pur.
sucrs were driven back by lis people,
who not only protected the wrong doers
aud shared tho punder, but treated with
rudeness and violence those who sought
to recover their property.
Such. in substance. are the facts sub
United to my consideration. and proved
by Trustworthy evidence | could not
doubt that the case demanded the inter
position of this Government Justice de
maulel that rcparatiou should be made
for 50 many and such gross wrongs, and
that course Of insolence aud plunder.
tending directly to the insecurity Of the
lives of numerous travellers, and of the
rich treasure belonging to our citizens.
passing over this transit way. should be
percmptorily arrested. Whatever il
might be in other respects the commu.
|
was not despicablc 1t Was with provid-
cd with ordiSucc, small arms, aud am
munition, rna might easily seize on the
uuarmed boats, Greightcd with millions
Of property, which passed almost daily
,yithin i's ssasL. j. ~ not profess t.
belcng TO any regular Government, aud
Lad in fact, no recognized dependence
on, or cou,iociion with, any one to which
the United States or their injured citi-
zons might apply for redress, or which
could be held responsible in any way, for
the outrnges committed. Not standing
before the world in the attitude fan or
gauized political society, being neither
competent to exercise the lights, nor 10
discharge the obligations Of Govern
mcnt, it was, in fact, marauding es-
tabishment, too dangerous to be disrc-
gardcd, and too guilty to pass unpurish-
ed, ana yet incapable of being treated
in any other way than as a piraticai re-
sort of outlaws, or as "a camp of savages, /.
Jcpredating on emigrant trains or cara
vans. and the frontier settlements Of civ
ilized States.
Scasonable notice was given to the (
people of Greytown that this Govern /
mcnt required them 10 repair the dam,
arcs they had done to our citizens, and I
to make suitable apology for their insult .
of our Minister aud that ship of way .
would be despatched thther to enforce ,
compliance with these demands. But
the notice passed unheeded. Thoreupon, 1
a commander of tho navy, is charge Of
the sloop-of war Cyane' was ordered to
repeat the demand and to insist upon a
compliance herewith Finding that
noitirr tho nonulaoo. nor those assuming