The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1854-12-05

citizens remained unadjuaed, and many new ca-
grievances Our tlesstion has been earnest to OBJ.
tain, from the Mexican government favorable
consideration of these claims but hitherto without
success. This failure IL. probably, IN some mea
sure TO be ascribed 10 the disturbed condition OF
that country Il has been my anxious desire to
maintain friendly relations with the Mexican Re
public and cause ts rights and territories to be re-
spected, mot only By our citizens, but By foreign
era who have resorted to the United States for the
purpose OF organizing hostile expeditions against
some OF the States of that Republic. The defence
css condition. In which its frontiers have been LETT
has stimulated lawless adventurers to embark In
these enterprises, and greatly increased the diff
Guilty Of enforcing our obligations of neutrality -
Regarding II my solemn duty to fulfil efficiently
these obligations, not only towards Mexico, but
other foreign nations, have exerted all the powers
with which | am invested to defeat such criminal
proceedings, and bring to punishment those who,
by taking part therein, violated our laws The
energy and activity of civil and military sutho-
rites have frustrated the designs Of those who me-
ditated expeditions of this character, except In two
instances. One of these, composed of foreigners
was at first countenanced and aided by the Next.
can government ITSELF it having been deceived az
to their real object The other, small in number,
euded the vigilance Of the magistrates at San Fran.
CISCO and succeeded In reaching the Mexican terri.
tories; but the effective measures taken by this
government compelled the abandonment of the I'M
dertaking
The commission to establish the new line be-
tween the United States and Mexico according to
the provisions the treaty of the Both of December
last, has been organized, and the work is already
commenced.
| Our treaties with the Argentine Confederation
and with the Republics of Uruguay and Paraguay
secure to the free navigation of the river La Pla
Ia, and some OF its larger tributaries; but the same
success has not attended endeavors to open the
Amazon. The reasons in favor of the free use of
that river, had occasion to present fully, in for>
mer message; and, considering the cordial rela.
tons which have long existed between this govern
meHt and Brazil, it may be expected that pending
negotiations will, eventually, reach favorable re-
| suit.
Convenient means Of transit, between the several
parts Of country, are not only desirable for the
objects of commercial and personal coiamunica.
ton but essential to its existence under one govern
| mont Separated the Atlantic and Pacific
coasts of the United States by the whole breadth of
the continent still the inhabitants of each are close
| ly bound together by community of origin and in
stitutions, and by strong attachment to the Unon-
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 COM
modious routes for communication between them
are by the way of the Isthmus of Central America
1t Is the duty of the government to these ay
| enues against all danger of interruption
| In relation to Central America, perpleXing cues
tons existed between the United States and Great
Britain at the time of the cession Of California
| These, as well as questions which subsequently
arose concerning inter-oceanic communication
across the Isthmus, were as it was supposed, adj
iusted by the treaty of April le 1850; but unfor.
tunately, they have been re opened by serious mis-.
understanding to the import of some of it's pro-
visions, read justment of which is now under CON
| sideration. Our minister at London has made
strenuous efforts to accomplish this desirable OBJ.
ect but has not yet found it possible to bring the
| negotiations to termination.
As incidental to these questions, deem it proper
to notice an occurrence which happened In Central
America, near the close of the last session of Con-
gress So soon as the necessity was perceived of
OF establishing inter oceanic communications across
| the Isthmus company was organized, under au.
thority of the State OF Nicaragua, but composed for
the most part, of citizens of the United States for
the purpose of opening transit way, by the river
| San Juan and Lake Nicaragua, which soon became
an eligible and much used route in the transporta.
/ ton of our citizens and their property between
the Atlantic and Pacific. Meanwhile, and In antici.
patton Of the completion and importance of this
| transit way, number of adventurers 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 be.
| coming independent, had rghtfully succeeded to
| the local sovereignty and jurisdiction of Spain
These Adventures undertook to change the name
of the place from San Juan del Norte to Greytown
and though at first pretending to act the subjects
OF the fictitious sovereign OF the Mosquito Indians
| they subsequently repudiated the control of any
| power whatever, assumed to adopt distinct pot.
ical organization, and declared themselves an indie
pendent sovereign State. II, at some time, faint
4
| stable and respectable community that hope soon
| vanished. They proceeded to assert unfounded
claims to civil jurisdiction over Punta Arenas, po
sition on the opposite side of the river San Juan
which was in possession, under title wholly indie
pendent of them, of citizens of the United States
| interested in the Nicaragua Transit Company, and
which was indispensably necessary to the prosper
Gus operation OF that route across the Isthmus.-
The company resisted their groundless claims -
whereupon they proceeded to destroy some of its
buildings and attempted violently to dispossess it,
At later period they organized strong force
for the purpose OF demolishpg the establishment at
Punta Arenas, but this miscellaneous design was de
feate, by the interpostion of of our ships of
war, at that time in the harbor of San Juan Sub.
sequently to this, in May last, body of men from
Greytown crossed over to Punta Arenas, arrogating
authority to arrest, on the charge of murder, a
captain OF one of the steamboats, of the Transit
Company. Being well aware that the claim to ex.
ercise Jurisdiction there would be resisted them as
it had been ON previous occasions, they went pre-,
pared to assert it by force of arms Our minister
to Central America happened to be present ON that
occasion. Believing that the captain of the steam.
boat was innocent for he witnessed the transaction
| on which the charge was founded and believing,
also, that the intruding party, having no urisdc.
tion over the place where they proposed to make
the arrest would encounter desperate resistance
they persisted in their purpose he interposed eec
tually, to prevent violence and b]oodshed The
American minister afterwards visited Greytown,
and whilst he was there, mob, including certain
OF the 30 called public functionaries of the place.
surrounded the house In which he was ayowipg
that they had come to arrest him. by order of some
person exercising the chief authority While par.
leying with them he was wounded by missile from
the crowd. A boat, despatched from the Americ an
steamer Northern Light" to release him from the
perilous situation in which he was understood to
be, was fired into by the town guard and compelled
to return These Incidents together with the
known character of the population of Greytown,
and their excited state, induced just apprehensions
that the lives and property of citizens at Punta
Arenas would be ia imminent danger after the de.
parture of the steamer, with her passengers, for
New York, unless guard was left for their protec-
ton. For this purpose and In order to ensure the
safety OF passengers and properly passing over the
route, temporary force was organized, at consid
cradle expense to the United States for which pre-
vision was made at the last session of Congress-
This pretended community, a Heterogeneous as
semblage gathered from various countries, and
composed, for the most part OF blacks and persons
of mixed blood, had previously given other indi.
cations of mischieyous and dangerous propensities
Early in the same month, property was clandes
timely distracted from the depot of the Transit
Company, and taken to Grcytown. The plunderers
obtained shelter there, and their pursuers were
driven back by its people, who not only protected
the wrongdoers and shared the plumber but treat.
ed with rudeness and violence those who sought TO
recover their property.
Such In substance are the facts submitted To NV