Daily American organ. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1856, 1855-02-07
The X inney Expedition.

The Union of this morning publishes an in
teresting correspondence which has recently
taken place between Col. Kinney and Secretary
Marcy, in relation to the proposed Central
American colony. The Colonel, at the request
of Mr.. Marcy, communicates in writing the
real purposes and objects Of the expedition,
the substance of which we have already pub
lished The reply Of the Secretary, which we
here suboin, will enable the public to under
stand the views Of the government in regard
to the prosecution of the enterprise, and will
show those who propose to join it how far they
may go without approhending the interference
Of the Executive.
DEPARTMENT or STATE,
Washington, Feb. 4, 1855.
Sin: 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 propose to go
with you, prefer to leave the United States and
seek permanent home in a foreign country, to re-
nounce your citizenship here, and the rights and
privileges belonging to 1t, and to submit yourselves
TO the laws Of another Jurisdiction IL Is neither the
duty the desire of this government TO interfere
with your proceedings. By such 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 govern
ment You seem, however, to repel the inference
that you intend to submit to the existing sovereign
authority of any country. Your design in this re-
spect is indicated by the following passage in your
letter: N
at is my purpose to occupy some suitable place
and TO establish municipal regulations for the i'm
mediate government Of the colonsts so that Il may
be in my power to enforce order and keep I'D the
forms Of civilized society from the beginning
It 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 govern
ment ID implied in the fact that you claim to have
Ga grant" for the lands you propose to occupy.
Although you do not state the source or nature Of
your grant and the particular country to which you
propose to 60 Il Is evident from the title of your
association, 1.-The Central American Company
that your destination is Central America, and
know no portion of Il over which some Of the Cen
trail American States have not sovereign juris-
diction,
II is very generally understood that our colony
proposes TO take possession of part Of the Mos
quito country over the whole Of which Nicaragua
or Costa RIGA claims jurisdiction.
The ministers of those governments have both
declared that you have no grant from their own
nation and they protest against your proposed ex-
petition as an invasion Of their rights Of property,
Jurisdiction and sovereignty. If your grant is de-
rived, as it is presumed to be- from parsonage cali
ed the Mosquito King 1t isproper that you should be
spprized 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 matter of discussion be-
tween the United States and Great Britain The
government has uniformly held that the Mosquito
Indians are savage tribe, and that, though they
have rights as the occupants Of the country where
they are, they have no sovereign or political au-
thority there and no capacity 70 transfer TO indl
viduals an absolute and permanent title to the
lands in their possession, and that the right Of
eminent domain--whch only can be the source Of
such title-is in certain of the Central American
States.
II the emigrants should be formed into compa-
mics, commanded by officers, and furnished with
arms, such organization would assume The charac-
ter Of a military expedition, and being hardly con.
sistent with professions Of peaceful object would
devolve upon this government the duty OF inquir-
ing whether Il be or not in violation OF our neu-
trality act sD 6g4.
am, sir, very respectfully your, obedient ser
want, w. L.. MANU-,
To H, L. Ktssxy, ESQ, Washington,