The Ashland union. [volume] (Ashland, Ashland County, Ohio) 1854-1868, 1856-05-28

guilty, we have had occasion to recog-
nize Governments de facto, founded Ell
Their by domestic revolution or by mill
tary invasion from abroad, in many of
the Governments of Europe. It is more
imperatively necessary to apply this rule
to the Spanish American Republics, in
consideration of the frequent and not
seldom anomalous changes of organiza-
ton or administration which they under
go, and the revolutionary nature of most
of these changes, of which the recent
series of revolutions in the Mexican Re-
public is an example, where five success
sive Revolutionary Governments have
made their appearance in the course of
a few months, and been recognized sue
c~essively, each as the political power of
that country, by the United States.
When, therefore, some time since, a
new Minister from the Republic Of
Nicaragua presented himself, bearing
the commission of President R1vAs, no
must and would have been received as
such, unless he was found, of inquiry,
subject to personal exception, but for the
absence of satisfactory Information upon
the question whether President Rivas
was in fact the head of an established
government of the Rebublic of Nicara-
qua, doubt as to which arose, not only
from the circumstances of his ayowed
association with armed cmigrants re-
Gently from the United States, but that
the proposed Minister himself was of
that class of persons, and not other
wise or previously a citizen of Nicara-
qua.
Another Minister from the Rebublic
of Nicaragua has now presented him
self. and has been received as such, sat
isfactory evidence appearing that he rep
~resents the Government d efacto Jure of
that rebublic. That reception, while in
accordance with the established policy
of the United States, was likewise cal
ed for my most imperative special ex-
igencies, which require diplomatic re-
~lations with that of Nicaragua. In the
first place a difference has occurred be-
tween the Government of President
Riyas and the Nicaragua Transit Com
pany, which involves the necessity of in
quiry into the 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 Interoceanic com
munication by the way of Nicaragua is
effectually interrupted, and the persons
and property of unoffending private citi-
zens of the United States in that coun-
try require the attention of their Gov
ernment. Neither Of these objects can
receive due consideration without re-
sumption of diplomatic intercourse with
the government of Nicaragua.
Further than this, the documents
show that while the interoceanic transit
by the way Of Nicaragua is cut off, dis
turbances at Panama have occurred to
obstruct, temporarily at least, that by
the way of New-Granada, involving the
sacrifices of the lives and property of CIT
liens of the United States. A special
Commissioner has been dispatched to
Panama to investigate the facts Of this
occurrence, with q view particularly to
the redress of parties aggieved. But
measures of another class will be de.
manded for the future security of inter.
oceanic communication by this as by the
other routes of the isthmus.
It would be difficult to suggest a single
object of interest, external or internal
more important to the United States
than the maintenance of the communities
ton by land and sea between the Allan.
tic and Pacific States and Territories Of
the Union. It is a material element Of
the national integrity and sovereignty
I have adopted such precautionary
measures-and have taken such action
for the purpose of affording security tc
the several transit routes of Central
America, and the persons and property
of citizens of the United States connect
ed with or using the Same as are within
my Constitutional power, and as existing
circumstances have seemed to demand.
Should these measure prove inadequate
to the object, that fact will be commu-
nicated to Congress, with such recon-
~mendations as the ~exigency of the case
may indicate.
FRANKLIN PIERCE.