Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1855-11-12

was not a. the result Of the act Of the com
pany in taking sides in the civil war" In
the recent revolution the company took no
side. On the contrary, from the very CON-
mencement of the civil war" they adopted,
persevered in, and preserved policy of e,s-
tire neutrality. Repeated applications were
made by each party to them for aid, direct
and indirect, and every application was re-
lected Internationally as soon as it was made.
The respective agents on the Isthmus were
instructed to do no act and e1press no opinion
that might be construed as an interference or
a preference in Behalf of either party, on pain
Of instant dismissal; and these instructions
were published along the whole line, and
were, 30 far as the officers of the company have
heard or known, scrupulously observed by
every agent and every subordinate employee.
And that they were so observed the fact is ev;.
dent from the letters which the company re-
ceiyed, by almost every ship, from the leaders
OF both the Government and Revolutionary
party, complaining of their neutrality, and
insisting that by the mere act Of taking sides,
the revolution would be ended and peace be
restored! Promises were made in any abun-
dance by both parties, Of large pecuniary ad-
vantages, as inducements to the company to
contribute by the moral force Of opinion alone
to the success of the one or the other. The
promises and inducements were all unav ailing.
when by acting on them the company would
hos ouiJ nave uecu saNcu IRON great loss, DuC
would have secured advantages Of almost in
calculable benefit.
Is it not little singular thu the company
should be charged with Z" taking sides' by
you, whom each party in Nicaragua has as
sailed them with constant complaints for not
taking sides?" If any " side'' had been
taken, the company, it is quite natural to
suppose, would not have been molested by
that side. And yet the revolutionary party
ed I'M m I'M les nd hoofs uu;tb 90
for the transportation Of their troops and mu-
nitions, and the government party fred into
the steamer San Carlos while she was laying
ut anchor, killing lady and child. Their
troops also fired on unarmed and unoffendiny
passengers. numbering five and wounding
eight others Our agent, Judge Cushing, was
by government officials dragged from his bed,
imprisoned ffty-fye hours, threatened with
execution, and only released on payment Of
81 goo OF the cOmpany's money. By the one
party, you will observe, their property was
appropriated, and their business interrupted :;
by the other, the passengers were killed, and
the agent imprisoned until he yielded to extor-
ton and plunder, Which of these d" Sides"
think you, did the Transit Company take?
As to the statement that "the government
| Of the United States will decline taking any
further care whatever Of the interest of the
Transit Company" because it has been " a
party to the civil war in Nicaragua" it is
proper to say that it is perhaps the right of
the government land it may be the inclins-
| ton Of the government to withhold their
| protection from three millions Of American
| property invested in the Transit Line, and to
leave 1t to the mercy Of refugees from the jug
tioe Of this country, and those who deserve
justice in Nicaragua 1t may be the duty of
| the government to witness with Indifference
the murder and plumber Of their citizens and
| the spoliation of their commerce. and to re-
fuse demand for reparation, or to inAict pun
lshment for either outrage or all of them.
But If tho government have such rtght-and
| If such be their duty; if no demand for redress
is to be made; if robbery and murder are to
| go unpublished, let the government at least
not leave the exercise of the right and the per-
formance Of the duty so humane to it. citizens,
| on the miserable invention that the " com
| pany have taken sides in the civil war;
Ife1cuses are needed by an Anssriean gor-
eminent for a policy of non-interference for
the protection of american property and the
| punishment of murderers of american, etti-
Gems, they must be sought for and found, if
found at all. outside of the conduct of the
company, with reference to the unfortunate
war which has so long dcsolated Nicaragua
Very respectfully,
j. L. WHITE,
Counsel to Accessory Transit Company.