Burlington tri-weekly hawk-eye. [volume] (Burlington [Iowa]) 1852-1855, 1854-12-12

T.
rers 70 embark in these enterprises, and greatly IN
creased the difficulty Of enforcing our obligations u
neutrality. Regarding it as my solemn duty to fui
I'LL, efficiently, these obligations, not only towards
Mexico but other foreign nations, have exertcd all
the powers with which am invested to defeat such
Grimm proceedings. and bring to punishment those
wbe, by taking part therein. violated our laws
The energy and activity of our civil and military au
thorites have frustrated the designs of those who
med,tated expeditions Of this character, except IN
two instances One of these, composed Of foreigners,
was at first countenanced and aided by the Mexican
Government itself, it having been deceived as to their
real object. The other small III number, eudei the
vigilance Of the magistrates at San Francisco, anu
succeeded in reaching the Mexican territories: but
| the effective measures taken by this Government
compelled the abandonment IF the Undertaking.
Tie commission to establish the new line between
! the United States and Mexico according the pro
visions of the treaty of the goth Of December last
has been organized, and the work is already COM
menccd.
Onr treaties with the Argentine Confederation, ard
with the Republics Of Uruguay and Paraguay, secure
to us the free navigation Of the river La Plata and
of its largest tri butares but the same success
has not attended our endeayors to open the Amazon
The reasons in favor Of the free use of that river,
had occasion to present fully, in former message;
and considering the cordial relations which have long
existed between this government and Brazil it may be
expected that pending negotiations will, eventually,
reach favorable result.
| Convenient means Of transit, between the several
parts Of country, not only desirable fer the OBJ
jects OK commercial and personal communication, but
essential to its existence under government Sep
ara ted as are the Atlantic and Pacific coasts Of the
United States by tie Whole breadth of the continent,
still the inhabitants Of each closely bound to.
geher by community Of origin and institutions, and
| by strong attachment to the Union. Hence the con-
slant and increasing intercourse, and vast interchange
Of commercial productions. between these remote Ill
visions of the Republic. At the present time, the
most practicable and only commodous routes for
communication between them are by the way of the
/ IT, af Ccpfr 10 he Inty qf he
| government to secure these avenues against all dan
/ ger of interruption.
In relation to Central America, perp1exng ques
| tons existed between the United States and Great
Bri ain at the time of the ceSson of California;.
These as we'll ques tions which subsequently, arose
| concerning inter oceanic communication across the
Isthmus, were, as it was supposed adjusted by the
treaty Of April -, 1850; but, unfortunately, they
have been re-opened by misproyisiOns, read
justment of which is now under consideration. Our
minister at Lond, has made strenuous eo IS to ac
ccmpsh this desirable object, but has not yet found
it possible to bring the negotiation to termination.
As incidental to these questions, deem it proper to
notice occurrence which happened in Central Ame-
rica the close Of the last Congress. So as
the necessity perceived Of establ shing inter-
oceanic communication across the Isthmus, compG-
ny organized, under authority Of the State of
Nicaragua. hut composed, for the most part, OF c-
zens Of the United States fer the porpse of opening
such transit way, by the river San Juan and Lake
Nicaragua, Which soon became eligible and much
their property between tie Atlantic ard the Pacific
Meanwhile, and anticipation of the completion and
Importance of this transit way, number of adven-
turcrs had taken possession of the old Spanish port Mt
the mouth Of the river San Juan, in open defiance Of
the State or States Of Central America, which, npon
their becoming independent had rightfully 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 subjects of the
fictitious sovereign Of the Mosquito Indians. they sub
sequenty repuliated the control of any power what
ever assumed to adopt distinct political organiza
ton, ard declared Themselves an Independent sover
egn State.
i If, at some time, faint hope was enter
tanned that they might become stable and
respectable community, that hope soon van
ished. They proceeded to assert unfounded
claims to civil jurisdiction over Punta Arc
mas, position on the opposite side of the
river San Juan, which was in possession. I'M
der title wholly independent 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 the route across the 18TH
mus. The Company resisted the groundless
claims; whereupon they proceeded to destroy
some of its buildings, and attempted violent
ly to dispossass it. At later period they
organized a strong force for the purpose of
demolishing the establishment at Punta Are
mas, but this mischieyous design was defeat
ed 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 Of the
steamboats, of the Transit Company. Being
J we'll aware that the claim to exercise iurisdic-
ton there would be resisted then, as i. had
been on previous occasions, they went prepa-
red to assert it by force Of arms. Our min
lister to Central America happened to be pre-
sent on that 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
srudinng 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 inter-
posed eHectually to prevent violence and
bloodshead, The American minister after
wards visited Greytown, and whilst he was
there, mob, including certain of the So
called public functionaries Of the place, sur
rounded the house in which he was, avowing
that they had come to arrest him, by order Of
some person exercising the chief authority.
While parleying with him he was wounded
by missile from the crowd. A boat des-
: patched from the American steamer Northern
Light to release him from his perlous situa-
ton, was fired into by the town guard, and
compelled to return. These Incidents, to-
gether with the known character of the pop
ulation OF Greytown, and their excited state,
induced just approximations that the lives and
property of our citizens at Punta Arenas
would be in imminent danger after the de-
parture Of the steamer with her passengers
for New York, unless guard was left for