The Perrysburg journal. [volume] (Perrysburg, Ohio) 1853-1861, 1854-12-23
3S68
New Central American Republic.

fellow adventurers to the Mosquito territory
for the Establishment of new Central Amer
ican Republic has assumed consistency
that shows it will soon become one of the
actual facts of the age. A grant of the
greater portion of the Mosquito territory was
made many years since by the King of the
Mosquitoes to Samuel Shepherd and two asso-
ciates for a pecuniary consideration, amount
ing TO about thirty thousand pounds, and it
is under transfer Of that title, that the
present company, consisting of some thirty
gentlemen, among whom are Senator Cooper,
of Pennsylvania and William Cost Johnson,
out as the agent and representative of this
company. He is we'll known as the leader
of the Texas rangers in the Texan struggle,
and is noted for his resolution and energy
The members Of the expedition will number
about thousand, and each will receive, on
landing, certain allotment of land from
the company's possessions. All pretense of
fillibustering in connection with the enter
prise is disclaimed. The design of the par
ties to the enterprise is explained to be, to
found new independent republic on the
Mosquito coast; then TO take measures for
a convention from the republics Of Nicara.
qua, Honduras San Salvador, Costa Rica,
Veragua and New Granada, ia order to adopt
federal constitution and establish govern
Inent analogous to that Of the North Amer-
can Union.
1t is stated that the most enlightened men
in these various countries are decidedly in
favor of the undertaking, and have conf
dence in its practicability. The lands origi
nally ceded to Shepherd and his associates
comprise about thirty millions of acres, and
its transfer to the present owners has been
hxr iob hor 20 bo.
perfectly valid. If successful in forming
convention with the states mentioned above,
the new republic would extend over an area
of Ave hundred thousand square miles. The
enterprise, if it can be peacefully and legally
carried out, promises to be of immense
benefit to Central America as we'll as
to our own country. 1t would give value
20 territory that is now almost useless, pro-
vide stable institutions for country that
has been desolated by revolutions and
changes, and settle forever the troublesome
questions between our own government and
that of Great Britain of which Central
America has been the fertile cause. The
only opposition arises fIom Nicaragua, the
government of which claims proprie torship
of the soil ceded, and threatens to protest to
our own and other governments against the
alleged invasion of her rights. In regard to
this phase Of the case the Washington Union
says:
If the government of Nicaragua shall OBJ.
ject to the enterprise, it will present ques.
zion between the colonists and that govern
ment, with which the United States will
have no connection. The colonists do not
violate any law in voluntarily expatriating
themselves and seeking residence in Cen
rral America. They will not go as an organ
lied military association, but as individuals.
npon their own responsibility, and at their
own risk. They do not constitute secret
band of adventurers, but they make their
claim to the soil in open day, point TO the
evidences of their title, and avow their
plans and purposes in the most public man.
ner. Their expedition is purely peaceful,
and undertaken in no spirit of aggression.-
They do not 60 as American citizens, either
ins,igated or encouraged to emgrate by our
government. but they voluntarily determine
10 change their residence and their citizen
ship, and to do so publicly and peacefully.
In this view, We cannot see that our govern
naent can be complicated in any way in the
enterprise. But, to avoid all misapprehen-
sions, ii is proper to remark that we know
nothing of the views of our government on
the subject. and the sentiments we express
are our own.-l Baltimore Amer.