Washington sentinel. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1853-1855, 1854-08-01
THE SAN JUAN AEEA1R.

1
The President of the United States yester
day transmitted to the Senate, in compliance
with a resolution of that body, certain docu-
ments in relation to the recent difficulties at
San Juan, and the bombardment of that town
by the United States, sloop-of-war Cyane, Cap
tain Holins.
We have only time to furnish our readers,
this morning, with the account given by Hon.
Mr.. Borland Of the difficulties he encountered
personally while there, and the letter of Mr..
Marcy to Mr.. Fabens, the United States Com
mercial Agent at Greytown.
Mr.. Borlamd 10 Mr. Marcy.
| WAsnIeTok, May 80, 1854.
SIR Having arrived in this city from my mis-
| sion TO Central America, beg leave 10 submit the
| following statement Of occurrences, which re-
gard as important, and ask foriit your early con-
sideration.
| Inclosed herewith, and marked (A,) is printed
slip, cut, by me, from New York newspaper,
| which purpors TO be a statement of those occur
| rences, prepared by the officers Of the steamer
Northern Light and which fpd to be correct in
! all material particulars. present IL in lieu any
| separate statement of my own, and adopt it as
| such.
| Enclosed, also, marked 3D. hand you copy Of
the agreement made by me with the persons EN-
poyed 10 remain al Putna Arenas, as a guard over
| the persons and property Of ourctizens.
| In addition, deem it properlte remark: That
/ although was personally cognzant Of the con-
| duct of Captain Smith, for which he was charged
with murder, and sought 10 be arrested by the So
called authorities Of San Juan, lor Greylown and
was las / now AMI clearly and decidedly of opinion
thai he was jus6able in all he Did the question Of
his guilt or innocence did not enier into the con-
siderations for which | interpreted TO protect him.
He was citizen of the United States, and the
persons who sought 10 arrest and claimed the
| right 10 punish him, were not recognized by the
United States as government possessed of the
right, or invested with the power, TO exercise ju-
risdiction over any portion of Central America, Or
| 10 determine any question involving the persons
or property of our citizens. This ground was not
only authorized but required to assume, as
| well by the precedents OF nefposition to protect
| our citizens at the same place and against
the same persons, heretofore directed and sane
i toned by our government, as by the special in
| struciions under which my mission under
| taken. Besides, even supposing the so-caled au
thorities of San Juan, or Greytown, 10 be gov
| eminent invested with the rights and powers |
have denied over the territory embraced within
| their town limits, they certainly had no jurisdc-
ton over that portion OF territory upon which the
| obnoxious act Of Captain Smith had been done, as
| that was, although on the north bank yet some
| ten or twelve miles above the mouth Of the San
Juan river. So of the place where his arrest was
| attempted, (Punta Arenas on the south bank of
the Sau Juan river aud The opposite side of the bay
| from San Juan, or Greytown. The act, then, of
| Captain Smith, whether criminal or not was done
within the territory Of Nicaragua, aud for il be is
amenable 10 Nicaragua alone, if TO any authority;
and the place of his attempted arrest (Punta Are
nas) is territory in dispute between Nicaragua aud
Costa Rica so that no legal process, civil or Grim
| ina could rightiulIy be executed there, unless by
| authority of one or the other of these powers
| II he nj 0na I re-
| sorted 10 threat Of violence to repel the armed
| men of San Juan from the steamer. / wish il 10
i be distinctly understood that l. did this from no
impulse oil passion, nor with the expectation thai
| my threat would have 10 be executed though, il
unheeded il would have been. My course was
| adopted from a conviction OF its necessity as the
| only mode then al my choice 10 prevent collision
which could hardly have ended without the de.
| struction Of many lives.
Ii is true that the mayor (Sigaud) came 10 me
| and dsavowed the acts OF those who arrested
and assaulted me. Bit il is equally true that he
| presided at the meeting at the staton.house,
| Gown hail. in which il was proposed (by Martin,
| the ex.mayorD and resolved to arrest me that
the authorizes took no steps TO prevent it /; and
| that armed men who arrested me were composed,
| mainly, Of the police guard Of the town, and were
| armed withthe muskets ofthe corporation. Their
leader declared that he came by order Of the
| mayor TO arrest me.
From the best informstion1 could obtain, the pop
| N.
three hundred, Of all sorts, and consists Of few
! Englishmen, Frenchmen, Germans, and men from
| the United States, but mainly of negroes from ia
msca, and some natives of the Mosquito shore.
There are also some Two or three natives from the
| interior Of Nicaragua. When reached that place
last September, the number Of negroes was much
| smaller than at present This number has been
! increased, as am informed, by recent arrivals
! from Jamaica; until now they constitute the
jority, and exercise the greater influence. AT the
L -. II.
| rican Except one muatto man from New Orleans)
was included
| Ofthese people, / am informed that some seven.
| ty-fve TO one hundred can be mustered for mill
tsry service, and they have in their possession
| three brass cannon--une 1S-pounder and two 10
| FOUNDERS, and some two hundred muskets. With
the exception OF few persons, these people own
4 no property and have no ostensibe means Of live
4 lihood. In their anomalous condition, without
| government which any civilized nation recogni
zes--indeed, occupying by usurpation, territory
| which our government recognizes as belonging TO
4 Nicaragua; being persons, almost without excep-
/ ton of VIGOROUSLY bad character--some of them
discharged pententary convicts and refugees
| from justice, habituay manfesting evil DISPOSE
tons towards our Citizens, and INDUCING those dis
positions 10 the injury Of persons aud property,
whenever they are not restrained by force. am
able to regard them in any other light than pirates
and outlaws, upon whom punishment, to the ex-
tent OF determination, may be rishtfully inflicted
by any hand that has the power; and, in my
opinion, the interest Of good government, and hu.
mainly impose the duty, upon any offended party,
of infctlng SUCH punishment IN q manner at once
summary and effective. Heretofore, when these
persons have committed their lawless acts upon
our citizens, the armed hand Of our government
has been inerposed, not to punish for the past
offences but only 10 prevent its threatened repeti-
ton. As consequence, as soon the restrain
ing force was Withdrawn, the offence was repeat
ed. Until now they have got to believe that re-
straint for the time, and not. punishment is the
worst they will have to suffer for their
When warned them OF the consequences of their
bad conduct, they boldly told me they intended to
do as they pleased, and were reckless Of conse-
quences. M
Under these circumstances, and informed by our
commercial agent. Mr.. Fabens, as also by Mr.
Scott, the agent Of the Accessory Transit Com