The national era. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1847-1860, 1855-02-15
CENTRAL AMERICAN EXPEDITION.

It seems that the Administration has recon
sidered its ground in relation to the Central
American Expedition. The letter from Mr..
Marcy to the Minister from Costa RIGA, insert
ed in the Era some weeks ago, indicated the
character of the Expedition, and ignored the
fact that the "grant claimed by Col. Kinney
was within the jurisdiction Of the Central
American States. 1t was heralded as an en-
dorsement of the enterprise. What new light
has dawned upon Secretary Marcy, that he
should set his face now against what he smiled
upon few weeks ago? Col. Kinney had an
interview with him, and then addressed him
letter, setting forth the eminently peaceful
character of the Expedition. Mr. Marcy, not
at all satisfied, replies as follows:
Mr.. Marcy to Mr.. Kinney.
DEPARTMENT OF STATE,
Washington February 4, 1855.
SIR If the enterprise of which you speak in
your letter to me of the 2Sth ultmo is a mere
peaceful emigration if you, and those who pro-
pose to go with you, prefer to leave the United
States, and seek permanent home in a foreign
country-tO renOunce your citizenship here and
the rights and privileges belonging to it, and to
submit yourselves to the laws of another iuris-
dction it is neither the duty nor the desire of
this Government to interfere with your proceed.
ing. By such a course you cease to be citizens
of the United States, and can have, after such
a change of allegiance, no claims to protection
as such citizens from this Government.
You seem, however, to repel the inference
that you intend to submit to the existing SOW.
ereign authority of any country. Your design
in this respect is indicated by the following
passage in your letter:
1T is my purpose to occupy some suitable
place, and to establish municipal regulations
for the immediate government of the colonists.
80 that 1t may be In my power to enforce order
and keep up the forms of civilized society from
the beginning"
1t is not to be assumed that the country to
which you are going is not within the territorial
limits of some Government.
That it is part of the sovereignty of Gov
eminent is implied in the fact that you claim
to have "a grant for the lands you propose
to occupy. Although you do not state the
source or nature of your grant, and the partic.
ular country to which you propose to 60, it is
evident from the title of your association, the
Central American Company" that your destina.
ton is Central America, and know no Dor.
ton of it over which some of the Central Ameri.
1t is very generally understood that your
colony proposes to take possession of part of
the Mosquito country; over the whole of which
Nicaragua or Costa Rica claims Jurisdiction.
The ministers of those Governments have
both declared that you have no grant from their
own nation, and they protest against your pro.
posed expedition as an invasion of their rights
of property, jurisdiction, and sovereignty. If
your grant Is derived, as it is presumed to be.
from parsonage called the Mosquito King. it
is proper that you should be apprized of the
light in which this Government would regard
such title. The political condition of what is
called the Mosquito kingdom, has, for several
years past, been a matter of discussion between
the United States and Great Britain.
This Government has uniformly held that the
Mosquito Indians are a savage tribe, and that,
though they have rights as the occupants of the
country where they are, they have no sovereign
or political authority there, and no capacity to
transfer to individuals an absolute and perma.
nent title to the lands in their possession; and
that the right of eminent domain, which only
can be the source of such title, is in certain of
the Central American States.
IF the emiprants should be formed into com.
panies commanded by officers, and furnished
with arms, such organization would assume the
character of military expedition, and, being
hardly consistent with professions of peace
full object, would devolve upon the Government
the duty of inquiring whether it be not in viola.
ton of our neutrality act.
am, sir, very respectfully, your obedient ser.
want, w. l.. MARCY.
4 TO H. L. Kinney, Esq, Washington.
This is placing the Company in rather a bad
box. If the adventures go as peaceful colo
nlsts, they expatriate themselves, and make
themselves subjects of one of the Central