Weekly national intelligencer. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1841-1869, 1854-08-05
Mr.. Borlaad TO Mr.. Marcy.
JOSEPH n. SCOTT, Agent.

Sin: Having arrived in this city from my mission in
Central America, beg leave to submit the following
statement Of which regard as important,
and ask for it your early consideration.
Enclosed herewith, and marked A, is printed slip
cut by from New York newspaper, which pnrports
be statement Of those occurrences, prepared by
officers of the steamer Northern Light and which
find to be correct in all material particulars Ipresent
in lieu Of any separate statement Of my own, and adopt
it as such.
Enclosed also, marked B, hand you copy Of the
agreement made BY me with the persons employed to
remain at Punta Arenas guard the persons and
property Of our citizens
In addition deem it proper to remark that although
was personally cognizant Of the conduct OF Capt smith,
for which he charged with murder and sought to be
by the socaed authorities Of San JUAN or Grey
town. and was Insw am clearly and decidedly of opn
ion that he just6abe in oil he did, the question OF
his guilt or Innocence did not enter into the consldera
tons for which interposed to protect him. He was
Of the Bnited States and the persons who sought
to and claimed the right to punish him were not
recognised by the United States possess
ed Of the right invested with the power to exercise
jurisdiction over any portion Of Central America, to
determine any question involving the persons Or property
Of our citizens.
This ground was not only authorized, but required to
assume, as well by the precedents OF 70 Pro-
tec our citizens at the place. and against the same
persons heretofore directed and sanctioned by our Gov
ernment by the special instructions under which my
mission was undertaken. Besides even supposing the
so-caed authorities Of San Juan, Greytown, to bea
Government invested with the rights and powers have
denied the territory embraced within their town
limits they certainly had no jurisdiction over that por
ton of the territory upon which the obnoxious act Of
Capt Smith had been DONE that was although on the
| north bank, yet ten twelve miles above the
mouth of the San Juan river So Of the place where his
arrest was atempted-Punta Arenason the south bank
Of the San Juan river and the opposite side Of the bay
from San Juan, Greytown. The act then, of Captain
Smith, whether criminal not was done within the ter
rtory Of Nicaragua and for he is amenable to Ncara
qua alone if to any authority And the place Of his at
tempted arrest-Punta Arenasis territory in dispute
between Nicaragua and Costa RIGA that legal pro-
cess civil or criminal could rghtfuly be executed there
unless by the authority Of one or the other OF those
Powers.
It will be observed that at moment resorted to
threat Of violence to repe the armed Of San Juan
from the wish it to be distinctly understood
that did this from impulse of passion with the
expectation that my threat would have to be executed
| though if unheeded it would have been.
My course was adopted from conviction Of its neces
sty the only mode then at my choice toprevent COLI
sion which could hardly have ended without the destruc
| ton Of many lives.
It is true that tho mayor Ligand to and dis
the acts of those who arrested and assaulted
but is equally true that he presided ct the meeting in
the station-house ron Hail. in which it was proposed
(by Martin, the ex-msyor and resolved to arrest me
that the authorities took steps to and that
the armed who arrested me were composed mainly of
the police guard Of the town. and armed with the
muskets Of the corporation Their leader declared that
| he came by order Of the mayor to arrest me-
From the best information could obtain the popula-
ton Of San Juan, Greytown, numbers about three
hundred of oil Sorts and consists of few Engishmen,
Frenchmen Germans and from the United States,
but mainly Of negroes from Jamaica and natives
Of the Mosquito shore There also two three
natives from the interior Of Nicaragua When reached
that place last September the number OF negroes was
much smaller than at present. This number has been
increased am informed by recent arrivals from Ja
maica until now they constitute the majority and ex-
ercse the greater influence AT the last election and
porate organization American, except mulatto
man, from New Orleans, was included.
OF these people am informed that some seventyfve
to hundred be mustered for military service and
they have in their possession three brass
10 FOUNDER and two 2-poundersand two hundred
muskets. With the exception Of few persons these
people property and have no ostensble means Of
| livelihood
In their anomalous condition, without government
which any civilized nation recognisesndeed, occupying
by usurpation territory which Government recognises
as belonging to persons almost without
discharged penentary convcts and refugees from JUS
tice habualy manifesng evil dispositions towards
citizens and indugng those dispositions to the injury of
by force am unable to regard them in any other light
than pirates and outlaws upon whom punishment, to
the extent Of determination, may be rghtfuy inflicted
any hand that has the power and in my opinion the
interests Of good and humanity impose the
duty upon any offended party of nficting such puRish
ment in manner at once summary and effective Here
tofore when these persons have committed their awless
acts upon citizens, the armed hand Of our Govern
ment has been nteposed not punish for the past Of
fence but only to prevent it's threatened repetition As
consequence the restraining force with
drawn the offence was repeated until now they have got
to believe that restraint for the time and not PUNISH
ment the worst they will have to suffer for their worst
acts When warned them Of the consequences of their
bad conduct they boldly told they intended to do
they pleased and we're reckless Of consequences.
Under these circumstances, and informed by our com
mercia agent, Mr. Fabens, as also by Mr. Scott, the
agent Of the Accessory Transit Company who has under
his many thousand dollars worth OF property that
in view of the evil dispositions Of those persons, as mani
tested for time past in state Of high excitement
they did consider that the persons and property Of
our citizens would be safe, after the steamers had left
unless protected by adequate force deemed it my
duty employ the services of the as set forth in the
printed slip and the agreement enclosed in order to af
ford that protection these circumstances are far
as am informed, without precedent, So presume is
| the course of conduct pursued under them What
did found be necessary and believed to be right
therefore assumed the responsibility not doubling that
| it would be approved by my Government
It will be observed that the compensation agreed to
nav s large that s it would be considered so under
binary but under the circumstances Of
the time and place. added to the fact that the men en-
poyed were our citizens who had been long from home,
and were anxious return some of them being half
the voyage do think the amount be deemed
reasonable The refundng passage money provided for
in the agreement, superseded subsequently, by the
stipulation in the postserpto pay fifty dollars in add
ton to the one hundred first agreed upon The reason
for adding the fifty dollars the difculty found in
re4tnu the requisite number of men, aftG few had
listed for the hundred. Without this addition could
not have made up the number The frss passage home
is stin provided for by the agreement ct the Transit
Company to receive the tickets for TIP remainder Of
! the trip.
An addHo nal item Of expense, the AMOUNT Of which