Kanawha Valley star. [volume] (Charleston, Va. [W. Va.]) 1856-1861, 1856-12-23

firEoFEssfoSAI, y7sITIEo AND sWxnprNa
= CARDS EAA1ty ExrcUzED:
4 Orders from distance viii receive /
1promps attention.
j States would be nearly two millions
Of dollars ANNUALLY, in addition to the
large sum payable by theGoltraet to
1.-the Panama Railroad Company. 1t
/ the only objection to this exactions
Fwere the cxorbitancy.' 81 itsF amount
lit could not be submitted to BY tho
i United States.
i The imposition Of it, however. i
! would obviously contravene our ltrea-a
Ety with New Grenada, and infringe
the contract with that Republic with
the Panama Railroad Company
The law providing tor this tax was,
glby its terms, to take effect on the first
tot September last, but the local an
liberties on the isthmus have been in
duced to suspend its execution, and ]
to await further instructions on tho
lsubject from the government Of the
4 Republic. { am not yet advised Of,
the determination of that, govern.
ment. IF measure SO extraordln-
airy in its character, and SO clearly
contrary to treaty stipulations, and
i the contract rights Of the Panama
Railroad Company, composed most
| " Of American citizens, should be
!, persisted III, it will be the duty Of
4 the United States to resist its cxecu-
i ton. g,z<s4 ~
j ! regret exceedingly that occasion
exists TO invite. your attention to q
= subject Ut still grayer import in our
relations with the Republic of New
Granada. On the fifteenth day OF
| April last a riotous assemblage ofthe
& inhabitants of Panama committed q
violent and outrageous attack on the
! premises of the Railroad company,
and the passengers ard other persons
Z in or near the same, involving the
!, death OF several citizens Of the Uni
ted States, thepillage Of many others
and the destructionof a large amount
Of property belong to the Railroad
I Company. ..lsgss
| caused full investigation Of that
, event to be made, and the result shows
satisfactorily that complete RESPONSE
:. fbility for what occurred attaches to
! the government Of New Grenada. /
have, therefore, demanded Of that
government that the perpetrators Of
! the wrongs in question should be pun
, ished that provision should be
! made tor the families OF the citizens
, Of the United States who were killed,
! with full indemnity for the property
pillaged or destroyed.
i The present condition OF the 18TH
/ mus of Panama; in so far as regards
) the security Of persons passing over
| it, requires serious ebnsideration.--
. Recent incidents tend toshow that the
) local authorities cannot be relied on
: to maintain the public peace Of Pana-
ma, and there is Just ground for APP
prehension that portion Of the inhab-
fitants are meditating further outrages
: without adequate measures for the Sc.
eurity and protection of persons or
: property having been taken, either by
thesState Of Panama. OF BY the gem
eral government Of New Grenada.
J II Under the guarantees Of treaty,
i citizens Of the United States have, BY
the outlay Of several millions Of dol
;. lars, constructed II Railroad across
j Fthe Isthmus. and it has become the
i main route between onr Atlantic. and
Pacific possessions, over which null
titudes of: our citizens and q vast
q amount Of property are constantly
4 passing-to the security and protec-
I, tion of al which, and the continuance
!, Eof the public advantages involved, it
/ is impossible for the government Of
!, the United States to be indiffcr ent.
i | have deemed the danger Of tho
Irecurrence of scenes Of lawless yio-
lence in this quarter SO imminent as
to makeit my duty to station a part
of our naval force in tbs harbors of
, Panama and Aspinwall, in order to
protect the persons and the property
!, of citizens OF the United States in
! those ports, and to insure them safe
passage across the Isthm'us. And it
would, in my JUDGMENT, be unwisc to
Withdraw the naval force now in those
\ ports, until, by the spontaneous ac-
IIQn of the Republic Of New Grena-
da, or otherwise, some adequate ar
} rangement shall haye;been made for
|, the protection and security of our
inter-oceanic communication so i'm
pertant at Nthis time, not the United
J States only but to all other maritime
j States both of Europe and America.
Il Nor would itlsuffice tosay that the
nation is actually at peace at homo
/ and abroad that its industrial inter-
ests are prosperous; that the canvass
!, of itsmarine Yhitens eyry sea; and
the plough of its hnsbandmen is
marching steadily onward to the
4 bloo Hess conquest Of the continent;
that cities and populous States are
Ispringing up, as ii by enchantment,
from the bosom Of the Western