The Evansville daily journal., 1854-12-07

munity, that hope soon vanished 'rAey pro-
ceeded to assert uniounded Claims 10 civil
jurisdiction over Ponts Arenas, q position ON
the opposite side Of the River SsA Juan.
which was in posses sion, under title wholly
Independent OF them, Of citizens of rhe Uni.
ted States, Interested in the Nicaysxsa Tran.
sit Company, and which wss indispenssbly
necessary to the prosperous operstisa u that
route across the Isthmus. The company 70.
sisted their groundless claims wke Fespon
they proceeded TO destroy some Of hs bail.
d'ngs, and attempted violently TO disPossess
il. AT later period they organized sirs~g
iorce for the purpose Of demolisl.ing the
Establishment ut Punts Arenas, but this mis-.
chievous design was deiesied by the interpo.
sition of one Of our ships Of ar, at that time
in the harbor Of San Juan
Subsequently to this. in May last, q body
of men crossed over to unta Arenas, srrs-
eating authority to arrest, on the charge Of
murder, a captain OF one o. The stesmbosss
of the Transit Company. Being well awss
that the claim to exercise jurisdiction there
would be resented then, as il had been On
previous occasions, they went prepared 70
assert il by force of arms. Onr minister
to Central America happened 10 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. and believing, also,
that the in,ruding party, having n, jurisdic-
tiom over the place where they proposed to
make the arrest. would encounter despefatv
resistance il they persisted in their purpose,
he in exposed efectually, to prevent violence
and bloodshed. The American minister az
terwurds visited Greytown. and whilst he
was there, mob, including certain Of the 90
called functionaries of the place, surround.
ed the house in which he was, avowing that
they had come To arrest him, By order Of
some persons exercising the chief authority.
While parIeying with them he was wounded
BY missile IRON the crowd. s,.l,.s
A boat; dispatched from the American
steamer "Norih Light" to release him fron
the perlous situation in which he was un.
dersiocd TO be, was fred into By the town
guard and compelled TO return. These incl
dents, together with the known character 81
the population of Greytown, and their exci,-
ed state, induced just appreheusions that tks
lives and property OF our citizens at Punia
Arenas would be in imminent danger after
the departure Of the steamer, with her pas.
sengers, for New York, unless a guard was
left for their protection. For this Tnrpose,
and in order 10 ensure the safety Of psssen.
gers and properly passing over the route, .
temporary force was organized, st considers.
BILE expense TO the United States, for which
provision was made at the Isst sess ion Of
Congress-. t.f TfT1 fHT
This pretended community, a heterogen.
eous assrmblage gathered irom various coun.
tries, and composed, for the moet psrt, Of
blacks aud persons Of mixed blood, had pre-.
vious.y given other indications of misrhiev.
ous and dangerous propcnsities. Esrly in
the same month, property was ella Ddsstinely
abstracted from the depUt Of the Ire nsit
Company, sqd taken to Greytown. The
piunderers IbAined shelter there, end their
pursuers were driven back BY It's people, who
not only projected the wrongdorrs and shsr.
ed the .pIunder. but treated with Sadeaess
and violence those who sought to recover
their property. .tf sfss3oi
such. in sabstanre, the facts
sderaon. and proved b, Trustworthy evidence could
doubt that the demanded th iptcrps sition sf
this gover, meBt. Justice required thai reps ratsn
should be made for many aud su gross wrvngss
recy the insecurity OF The lives hsvsi
and Of the rich treasure belonging 70 eitsrts,
arrested. Whatever 10 might b. other rr pects, the
community In question In po~er to do nisehief was
not despieabIe IL was we'll provided with ordnance
small arms and ammunition. and might easily seize
upon the unarmcd boats, freighted with. millions Of
property, which passed almost daily within its reach.
IL did net profess 10 be ong any regular
and had In fact no recognized dependence on COZ.
nection with, any 10 which the United States
their injured citizen might apply redres, or which
could be held Responsible In way, for tbe outuges
committed. Not standing before the world In the stti.
tude ofan organized poiia al seeiety heins neither
competent 20 cxcrcicc the rghs nor TO discharge e OBJ
cations Of government, IL was in fact, rauding
too dangerous 10 be disisgnrdsd. and
too guilty to unpunishcd and yet iDcsTabe ofbe
ing treated In any other way than pracaI resort
outlaws n Of vages. depredaiing emigssnt
trains and the frontier settlements Of civil
Seasonable notice was given to the people
OF Greytown that this government required
them TO repair the injuries they had done to
our citizens, and TO make suitable apology
for their insult Of our minister, and thatIs
would be dispatched thiiber 10
enforce compliance with these demands. But
the notice passed unheeded. Thereupon, q
commander Of the navy, in charge Of tho
sIoop. p.oi-war "Cyane," was ordered 10 repeat
the demands. and TO insist upon a compliance
Herewith. Finding that neither the popu-
lace, nor those assuming to have authority
over them, manifested any disposition 10
make the required reparation, or even to
offer excuse Tor their conduct, he warned
them, by public proc that IL they
did not give satisfaction within q time speci-
fed, he would lombard the town. By this
procedure be afforded them opportunity To-
provide for their personal safety. To those
also who desired to avoid loss OF property in
the punishment about TO be inflicted on the
offe nding town, he furnished the means Of
removing their effects, by the boats Of HE
own ship, and Of steamer which he pro-
cured and rendered to them Tor that purpose
At length, perceiving no dispositions On
the part of the town to comply with hr re-
QUESTIONS he appealed to the Commander OF
her Britannia Msjesty's schooner Bermuda -
who was seen to have Intercourse, and ap-
paren'ly much influence with the ksders