The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1856-05-19


territories from America, ~ II 10 for European
States to do this IN Asia or Africa, and while. Y
toae by US, II might be justified ~ well on the al
legged ground Of the advantage which would &C
crue therefrom 70 the territories annexed and 40 o
sorbed, yet we have abstained from doing It, IL
obedience to considerations Of right not less tnan
Of policy; and that while the courage and sefre
liant spirit Of our people prompts them 20 naroy
enterprises, and they occasionally yield 70 the
temptation Of taking part In the troubles OF coun
tries near at hand where they know how potential
their influence, moral and material, must be, the
American Government has uniformly and steadily
resisted all attempts of individuals in the United
States to undertake armed aggression against
friendly Spanish American Republics.
While the present incumbent OF the Executive
office has been in discharge of its duties he nas
never failed to exert all authority In him vested
to repress such enterprises, because they are IN VI
oation of the law of the land, which the Constitu
tion requires him to execute fathfullyi because
they are contrary to the policy of the Govern
ment, and because to permit them would te . de
parture from good faith towards those American
Republics in amity with us, which are entitled to
and will never cease to enjoy in their caiamifies
the cordial sympathy, and in their prosperity the
efficient good will of the Government and Of the
people of the United States.
To say that our laws in this respect are some
times violated or successfully evaded Is only to say
what is true of all laws in all countries, but moi
more so in the United States than In any one what
ever of the countries of Europe. Suffice 1t to re-
peat that the laws of the United States prohibiting
all foreign military enlistments or expeditions
within our territory have been executed with i'm
partial good faith, and. SO far az the nature Of
things permits, as well in repression OF private
persons as of the official agents of ether govern
ments, both of Europe aud America
Among the Central American Republics to
which modern events have impaired most pronii
nence is that of Nicaragua, by reason OF its par
ticular position on the isthnus. Citizens of the
United States have established in its territory a
regular interoceanic transit route second only in
utility and value to the one previously established
in the territory of New Granada. The condition
of Nicaragua would, it is believed have be- much
more prosperous than it has been but for the occu
patton of its only Atlantic portby foreign Power,
and of the disturbing authority set up and sustain.
ed by the same Power in portion OF its territory,
by means of which its domestic sovereignty was
impaired, it's public lands withheld from settlement
and it was deprived of all the maritime revenue
which it would otherwise collect on imported mer-
chaHdise at San Juan del Norte.
In these circumstances of the political debility
of the Republic of Nicaragua, and when its inhab-
itants were exhausted by long continued civil war
overcome the other or permanently maintain in
ternal tranquility, of the contending factions of
of Republic invited the assistance and cooperation
of a small body of citizens of the United States
from the State of California whose presence as it
appears, put an end at once to civil war and re-
stored apparent order throughout the territory of
Nicaragua, with new administration, having at
its head distinguished individual by birth citi-
zen of the Republic, D. Patricio Rivas, as its pro-
vsional President.
1t is the established policy of the United States
to recognize all Governments without question
of their source or organization or of the means by
which the governing persons obtain their power pro-
vided there be q Government de tact0 accepted by
the people of the country and with reserve only Of
time as to the recognition of revolutionary Govern
ments arising out of the subdivision of parent States
with which are i'll relations OF amity We do not 60
behind the fact of foreign Government exercising
tua power to Investigate questions oflegtimacy;
do not inquire into the causes which may have led to
change of Government. To it is indifferent
whether successful revolution has been aided by
foreign Intervention or not; whether nsurrection has
overthrown existing governments and another has
been established in its place. according to pre-exist
ing forms, in manner adopted for the occasion bv
those whom We may find in the actual possession of
power. AL these matters we leave to the people
and public authorities of the country to determine;
and their determination, whether it be by positive
action or by ascertalned acqulescepce Is to Us su
cient warranty OF the legitimacy of the new Govern
ment.
During the sxty-seven years which had elapsed
since the establishment of the existing Govern
ment of the United States, in all which time this
Union has maintained undisturbed domestic tran
quilty, we have had occasion to recognise Gov.
ernments de Jfacto, founded either by domestic
revolution or by military invasion from abroad, in
many of the Governments of Europe.
1t is tho more imperatively necessary to apply
consideration of the frequent and not seldom
anomalous changes of organization or administra
tion which they undergo, and the revolutionary
nature of most of these changes, of which the re
cent series of revolutions in the Mexican Republic
is an example, where five successive revolutionary
Governments have made their appearance in the
course of a few months, and been recognised sue
cessivey each the political power OF that coun-
try by the United States.
When, therefore, some time since, new Minis
ID
SELF bearing the commission Of President Rivas,
he must and would have been received as such
unless he was found on inquiry subject to personal
exception but for the absence OF satisfactory infor
nation upon the question whether President Ri
vas was IN fact at the head of an established Gov
eminent of the Republic of Nicaragua, doubt as to
which arose not only from the circumstance of his
avowed association with armed emgrant5 recently
from the United States but that the proposed Min.
lister himself was Of that class of persons, and not
otherwise or previously . citizen of Nicaragua
Another Minister from the Republic of Nicara-
qua has now presented himself and has been re-
ceived as such, satisfactory evidence appearing
that he represents the Government de tdcto and so
far as such exists the Government de Jare of that
Republic
That reception, while in accordance with the es-
tablished policy of the United States was likewise
called for by the most imperative special exigen-
eies, which require that this Government shall
enter at once into diplomatic relations with that of
Nicaragua. In tn6 nrSt place, QlUeFouce LAS Oc-
Cured between tho Government of President
Rivas and the Nicaragua Transit Company which
involves the necessity of inquiry into rights OF
citizens of the United States who allege that they
have been aggrieved by the acts of the former,
and claim protection and redress at the hands of
their Government In the second place, the inter
oceanic communication by the way of Nicaragua
is etfectually interrupted, and the persons and
property of unoffending private citizens OF the
United States in that country require the attention
of their Government. Neither of these objects
can receive due consideration without resumption
of diplomatic intercourse with the Government OF
Nicaragua.
Further than this, the documents communicated
show that, while the inter-oceanic transit by the
way OF Nicaragua is cut off, disturbances at Pa
mama have occurred to 0bstruct, temporarily ..
least, that by the way of New Granada, involving
the sacrifice of the lives and property of citizens
of the United States. A special commissioner has
been dispatched to Panama to investigate the facts
of this occurrence, with view particularly TO the
redress Of parties aggrieved. But measures o
another class will be demanded for the future Sc
curity of inter.oceauc communication by this ~ by
the other reutes of the isthmus.
1t would be difficult to suggest single object o
interest, external or internal, more important t
the United States than the maintenance of the
communication, by land and sea, between the At
lantic and Pacific States and territories of the
Union. 1t Is material element Of the national In
tegrity and sovereignty.
Ihsve adopted such precautionary measures and
have taken such action for the purpose of afforns