The weekly Portage sentinel. [volume] (Ravenna, Ohio) 1854-1861, 1854-12-13

ilEUl VI ItC ..
The commission TO establish the new line
between. the United States and Mexico ac.
cording to the provisions Of treaty of the sOth
of December, has been organized aud the
work is olready commenced. Our treaties
with the Argentine confederation and with
the Republics of Uruguay and Paraguay
secure to US the free navigation OF the river
La Platte and some Of its larger tributaries.
But the same success has not attended onr
endesvors to open the Amazon. The rea-
sons Of favor Of the free use of that river |
had occasion to present fully in former
message, and considering the cordial rela.
items which have lang existed between this
Government and Brazil it may be expedient
that pending negotiations viii eventually
reach favorable result. Convenient means
of transit between several parts Of coun-
try are not only desirable for the objects of
cUmmerciai and personal communication but
essential TO its existence under one govern.
ment. Separated Us are the Atlantic and
Pacific coasts of the United States, by the
whole breadth OF the Continent, still the in.
habtants OF each are closely bound togcth-
er by community of origins and Institutions
and by strong attachments to the Union.-
Hence the constant and increasing inter.
course and vast interchange Of commercial
productions between those remote divisions
! Of the Republic.
At the present time the most 2ra aticable
and only coMmodious routes for communica-
ton between them is by the way of ,he 18TH
mus OF Central America. 1t is the duty Of
the Government to secure these avenues
against all danger of interruption. In reIa-
tlon to Central America perpiexing questions
existed between the United Suites and Great
Britain at the time OF the cession of Cali
iornla. These, as well as questions which
subsequently arose concerning inter-occun-
&c communication across the Istbmus were.
as it was supposed, adjusted by the treaty OF
April l9th, 1850, but unfortunately thcv have
been reopened by serious misunderstanding
as TO the import Of some of its provisions.
"a adjustment Of which is now under con-
sideratlon. Our minister at London has
ma q strenuous efforts to accomplish this
desirable object, but has not vet found it
possible to bring the gotiations to ter
mnatlon, as Incidental to these questions.
deem it proper to notice an occurrence
which happened in Central America near
the close Of the last session OF Congress.
80 soon as the Necessity was perceived If
establishing inter-occanic communication
across the lsttmus, Il company was urmGni2
ed, under authority of the State of Nicara
qua, but composed, for the most part, of cit
lzens OF the United States, for the purpose
OF opening such transit way, by the river
San Juan and Lake Nicaragua, which soon
became an eligible and much used route in
the transportation Of oar citizens and proper.
ty between the Atlantic and Pacific.
Meanwhile, and in anticipation of the
completion and Importance of this transit
way, number Of adventures had taken
possession OF the old Spanish port at the
mouth OF the river San Juan, in open def
ance OF the State or States of Central
America, which, upon their becoming indie
pendent, had rIghttul'y succeeded TO the local
sovereignty and jurisdiction Of Spain. These
advcnturers undertook to change the name
OF the place from San Juan del Norte to
G'rytown, and, though at fist pretending 70
act rs the subjrctS Of the fictitious SOVEREIGN
OF The Mosquito Indians, tiny subsequently
rcpudIated the control Of any power whqtuv-
ef, assumed to adopt distinct political or
and declared themselves adtinde- .
pendent sovereign state. /
1t at some time faint hope was enter
Laiacd that they might become a stable and
respectable community. That hope soon
vanished, they proceeded to assert inbound
'd claims to civil Jurisdiction over Punta
Arenas, position on the opposite side OF lthe
aver San Juan, which was in possession
inder title wholly independent Of the cti.
:ens oi the United States interested in the
Transit Company, aud which was
Indispensable necessary to the prosperous
operation OF that route across the IStmast.-
lhe company resisted their groundless
;ia'ms; Whe1cupon they proceeded to destroy
omc OF its buildings, and attempted violently +
o dispossess it, .. .-r.'
AT later period they organized strong
orce for the purpose OF DESTROYING the cstab-
ishment at Punta Arenas, but this mschiey-
us design was defeated by the interpositidn
# one OF our ships of war, ut that time in h
he harbor Of San Juan. Subsequently 10
his, lnirAlay last, a body of men from Grey.
own passed over to Punta Arpnas, arroma
ng authority to arrest on the charge Of mur-
er captain of one ofthe steamboats, ofthe {
transit Company. Being well aware that ,
1e claim to exercise Jurisdiction there would II
G resisted then, as it had been on previous s
ccanslons, they went prepared to assert it by e
)rce OF arms 'Ir
Our mlnisterto Central America happen
to be ptesent on that OCCASION Beiev- /
lg that the, captain of the steamboat was {
lnocent,, for he witnessed the transaction on ::
hlch the charge was founded, and beiev- /
lg, also, that the intruding party, having no /
lrlsdlctioh over the place where they pro-
osed to make the arrest, would encounter q
esperate resistance if they persisted in their t
nrpose, he interposed, cffectualIy, to pre- +
ent violence and bloodshed, The Ameri- q
an minister afterwards visited Greytown, t
nd whilst ne! was there. a mob, including {
ertaln Of the so called public functonaries v
t the place, SURROUNDED the. house in which h
e was, avowing that they had come to arrest O
i'm, by order OF snine person exercising the +
mel authority Whileparleying with them t
e was woundedby missile from the crowd. i
boat, dispatched from the American steam. a
"Northern Light to release him from the D
erilous situation in which he was under a
ood to be, was fred into by the town guard, Il
nd compelled to return. a.. .,..j.Sr- +
These incidents, together with the known =
laracter of the population of Greytown, Il
I'd their,exclted state, induced just appre- n
ension! that the lives and property OF our D
tzens at Punta Arenas would BE- IN immi- e
ant danger after the departure of the steam. n
with her passengers for New York, un- b
ssja guard was left for their protection.- Il
or this purpose aud in order to ensure the n