The south-western. [volume] (Shreveport, La.) 1852-1870, 1854-12-20


i spectacle community, that hope soon vanishe.
5 They proceeded to assert unfounded claims
) civil jurisdiction over Punta Arenas, a positio
on the opposite side OF the river San Juan, Whic
was in possession, under title wholly indepe1
dent OF them, of citizens Of the United State
| interested in the Nicaragua transit company
and which was indispensably necessary to tn
| prosperous operation of that route across til
isthmus The company resisted their GROUND
less claims; whereupon they proceeded to dies
; troy some Of its buildings, and attempted vic
lently to dsposses it. At a later period the
organised strong force for the purpose of dc
molishing the establishment at Punta Arenas
but the mischievous design was defeated by tn
interposition of one of our ships of war, at tina
time IN the harbour of San Juan. Subsequent
ly to this, In May last, body of men fron
Greytown crossed over to Punta Arenas, AFRO
eating authority to arrest, on the charge ofmur
der captain Of one of the steamboats, of tn
transit company. Being well aware that TIL
claim to exercise jurisdiction would be resisted
then, as 1t had been on previous occasions, the,
went prepared to assertit by force of arms. Gu
mlnlsterto Central America happened to be pre-
sent on the occasion. Believing that the cap
tain of the steamboat was innocent, for he wit
messed the transaction on which the charge wa:
founded, and believing also that the intrudins
party, having no Jurisdiction over the place
where they proposed to make the arrest, woule
encounter desperate resistance if they persisted
in their purpose, he interposed, efectually, te
prevent violence and bloodshed.
The American minister afterwards visited
Greytown, and whilst he was there a mob
including some of the so-called public function
aries of the place. surrounded the house in
which he was, avowing that they had come to
arrest him, on order of some person exercising
| the chief authority. While parleying with
them he was wounded by missile from the
crowd A boat dispatched from the Ameri-
crn steamer Northern Light to release him
from the perllous situation in which he was
understood to be, was fired into by the town
guard, and compelled to return These Incl
dents, together with the known character of
the inhabitants Of Greytown, and their excl
ted state, induced just apprehensions that the
lives and property of our citizens at Punta
Arenas would be in imminent danger after the
departure of the steamer, with her passengers,
for New York, unless guard was left for their
protection. For this purpose, and in order to
ensure the safety of passengers and property
passing over the route, a temporary force was
organized, at considerable expense to the Uni
ted States, for which provision was made at the
last session Of Congress.
This pretended community, a heterogeneous
assemblage gathered from various countries,
and composed for the most part blacks and
persons of mixed blood, had previously given
other indications of mischicvous and danger
Gus propensities. Early in the same month,
property was clandestinely distracted from the
depot of the transit company and taken to
Greytown The plunderers of obtained shell
ter there, and their pursuers were driven back
by its people, who not only protected the
wrong doors and shared the plumber, but treat
ed with rudeness and violence those who sought
to recover their property.
such IN substance are the facts submitted to
ny consideration, and proved by trustworthy
evidence. | could not doubt that the case de-
handed the lnterposltlon of the government
ustlce required that PREPARATION should be made |
or so many and such gross wrongs, and that
'ase of insolence and plumber, tending directly
o the insecurity of the lives of numerous trav-
lers, and of the rich treasure belonging to our
citizens, passing over this transit way, should
'e peremptorlly arrested Whatever it might
'e In other respects, the community in question
n power to do mischief, was not despicable. It
vas well provided with ordnance, small arms
nd ammunition, and might easily seize on the
narmed boats freghted with millions of pro-
erty, which passed almost daily within its
EACH 1t did not profess to belong to any reg
lar government, and had in fact no recognised
epcndence on, Or connection with, any one to
'hlch the U. States or their injured citizens (
hight apply for redress, or which could be held !
2sponsibe in any way for the outrages COM
lltted. Not standing before the world in the
ttltude of an organised political society, being
either competent to exercise the rights nordis- {
barge the obligations of a governmental it was, t
fact marauding establishment, too DANCE I
JUS to be disregarded and too guilty to pass
npunlshed, and yet incapable of being treated {
any other way than as piratical resort for 6
ltlaws, or camp of savages, depredating on $
or caravans and the frontier set L
ements of civiised States. Seasonable notice +
as given to the people Of Greytown that this S
oVernment required them to repair the iniu- G
es they had done to our citizens, and to make S
'ltable apology for their insult to our minister Q
I'd that ship-of-war would be dispatched a
ither to enforce compliance with these de- t
ands, but the notice passed unheeded.- Fl
hereupon, commander Of the navy, in charge t;
the sloop- ofwar Cyane was ordered to re-
at the demands, and to insist upon compli- a
ice Herewith Finding that neither the po- h
LACE, nor those assuming to have authority tt
er them, manifested any disposition to make O
e required PREPARATION, or even to offer excuse p
r their conduct, he warned them, by public 6
exclamation, that if they did not give satisfac- o.
n within time specified, he would lombard it
e town. By this procedure he afforded them IL
portunity to provide for theirpersonal safety. Sc
those, also who desired to avoid loss ofpro- g
rty, in the punishment about to be inflicted al
the offending town, he furnished the means p(
their effects by the boats of his own q
p, and steamer which he procured and ten al
red to them for that purpose. Atlength per- g
wing no disposition on the part of the town to in
nply with his acquisitions, he appealed to Sc
) commander of her britanc majesty's schr. hi
rmuda, who was seen to have intercourse, TO
/ apparently much influence with the leaders M
ong them, to interpose, and persuade them be
take some course calculated to save the ne ce
sity of resorting to the extreme measure in II
I