Portage sentinel. [volume] (Ravenna, Ohio) 1845-1854, 1854-08-09
The arerlnun Anhir.

ment of facts in reference TO the recent lombard
ment of Greytown by the American ship. Cyane,
commander Captain Hollins.
eGreytown, or San Juan as il was formerly
called, was smnll village Of between four and
FIVE hundred Inhabitants, situated at the mouth OF
the San Joan river 10 Central America. Il is
claimed as part Of the territory of Nicaraugua.
II is also claimed as belonging to the domnions
of the King OF the Mosquito, drunken Indian,
whom British agents set up as King, they exer-
cising all the real authority under the false pre-
tence of a protectorate. The English agents
sought in that way to get the control Of part
of Central America, and of the Nicaraugua route
to the Pacific. ..a -
Some three or four years ago, American COM
panies were formed to convey passengers and
freights by this route between the Atlantic aud
Pacific coastsj and their good management, and
safe and speedy conveyance, has rendered the
Nicaragua favorte route for the vast travel and
trade between the Atlantic ports and California.
The ocean steamers transfer their cargoes and
passengers to the river steamers OF the "Transit
Company" at the mouth OF the San Juan, by
which they are carried up that river; they are
carried up that river; thence, by Lake Nicarau-
qua, &c they reach the Pacific coast; where
they are shipped on the Pacific steamers for San
Francisco and other ports.
This village of Greytown has grown up under
Englishiinfuence sincethe operations on this route
have commenced; and, by unfriendly regulations,
by extortion and plunder, has constantly annoy.
ed the companies, and the travellers and the trade
by that route. the village contained about
eighty houses not more than one fourth Of which,
in the new part of the town, were occupied
There were but ten or twelve Americans in the
town; though Wing presses choose to call it an
mo nh tuya ~ five
English residents ofthe town, who in fact con-
trolled it; though Wing presses represent it as
free town. There were about dozen o! French
and German residents The balance ofthe pop
ulaton consisted oil Jamaica negroes and native
Indians. "Land pirates and thieves" were the
terms usually applied to them by intelligent trav-
elers. The town is nominally governed by coun-
Gil; to which some Americans, known to be un-
der English influence, are elected. The princi-
pal business of the people is plfering and extort-
ing from the Transit Company and the steamers,
and from the travellers and merchandise passing
by that route; all of which is compelled by their
regulations to pass through the village. A Brit
ish vessel is generally in the harbor to aid and
protect them in their extortions.
Not many months since the American steamer
Prometheus was about leaving the harbor for
New York with some five hundred passengers on
board, when the people Of Greytown trumped up
bill of between one and two hundred dollars
against her, and demanded payment. The Off
GERS denounced the claim as fraud. At the re-
quest of the people the British wal vessel fired on
the steamer and being unarmed the officers Of
the steamer were compelled to pay the money
under protest. This exto-ton and insult to our
flag has remained unavenged Sometime after
wards the Transit Company determined to relieve
emigrnnts to California, and the trade by that
route, from this annoyance, delay and extorton.
Having procured grant, as one writer states, the
company erected a warehouse and buildings on
the opposite side of the river from Greytown
where merchandise could be stored. and the
transfer made from the ocean to the river steam
ers. This nterfered with the speculations of the
English and negroes and Indians, and the people
Of the town crossed the river and destroyed the
buildings, and damaged the goods. One writer
states this fact, and that it was for this that the
claim of $4,000 damages arose the payment OF
which was demanded by Commander Holns be-
fore firing on the town.
The Washington Star has the following on the
subject:
''The population of Greytown were notorious
iy asvillainous gang Of freebooters, bu caAiers
and river pirates as ever congregated on the coast
of the Spanish Mdin. They focked to that point
only with Tiew of robbing more or less of the
many thousands Of Americans who crossed the
Isthmus there anLully. The firmness and ener.
gy displayed by the American commercial agent
at that point, and the American company doing
the Isthfnus transportation there, defeated their
purposes. So they burned and destroyed that
company s buildings on Punta Arenas, for which
act they should have been punished precisely us
this government was forced to punish them, when,
emboldened by the leniency with which their
first gIaring act Of war or rapine on American
property wus treated. they deliberately took upon
themselves commission to rove over the guar
anteed territory of Nicaragua, to attack Amer-
cans and set at defiance the protection of flag
in the hands of an American minister plenpo-
tentiary''
Captain Smith, Commander of one of the
Transit Company's river steamers, shot a native
pilot in selEdefence. The passengers who saw
it say it was clearly an act of self defence, the
pilot being in the act of raising his gun to kill
the Captain at the moment. The passengers also
state that the safety of the boat and all on board
depended on the life of the Captain; and that he
only saved his life by shooting the pilot.
This act of self defence was committed out of
the jurisdiction of Greytown. Yet the so-called
Marshall of that village, "a negro, by the way,)
with posse of Jamaica runaway negroes and In.
dians, undertook to go on board the boat and ar
rest Capt. Smith. Major Borland, the American
minister plenipotentiary to Central America, be-
ing present, interposed and prevented the arrest
which would doubtless have been followed by
lynching. There was no law in that town; and
an act of self-defence would doubtless have been
punished with death without form of law. The
success of Major Borland's interference was not
by virtue of his Office, for no American authority
is respected there but by virtue of his rife in the
ready hand of man known to do just what he
promises. 1t is proper, however, to state that
some of the passengers give different account
of the killing of the negro by Smith. Be that as
it-may, when Major Boriand arrived in Greytown
he was mobbed, and missiles thrown at his head
The flag of his country affording him no protec-
ton he was imprisoned for several hours. He at
length got on board Of the American steamer,
and left for the United States.
: Such is the Brief and so far as we can ascer-
tain the correct account of the continued series of
outrages and insults committed by the vagabond
denizens of Greytown on American rights and
property, on the American flag and citizens and
public officers. The government sent down the
Cyane, Commander Holiins, to demand apology