Semi-weekly standard. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1853-18??, 1856-02-13

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JsH Wheeler the United States minister at Mica
raeua cannot fail to be read at this peculiar time
with unqualified satisfaction and approval by the
great mass Of the American people. Commenting
on this letter. neighbors of the LAteigencer re-
mark: ave arc gratiticd to be able to place before
our readers this exposition of the views Of the adj
minstration in regard to the obligations of an abso.
lutte neutrality which the law of nations well as
the honor of our country impose upon us in refer
ence to the present state of things in Nicaragua
The sentiments and the policy which this letter of
instructions indicates minister such as do
credit under the circumstances, to our government"
Washington Union.
DEPARTMENT OF STATE
Washington, Nov. 8, 1856.
SIR: have received and laid before the President
your dispatches numbered Is and 26, together with
their enclosures The miserable condition Of Mica
ragua much regretted, and devovcs upon this gov
eminent pcrplexing duties. While adhering to our
settled policy of leaving every nation the manage
nent of its own internal affairs We have impO tant
duties to perform in regard to citizens who may
be resident within passing through its territories.
The recent murders and outrages committed upon
them in the State of Nicaragua must be atoned for
by the authorities Of that country. The perpctra-
tors of these crimes must be punished the sufferers
Unidentified, and the families of the murdered be
provided for. Whenever that country has respon.
sble government, due measure OF satisfaction will
be demanded. In the present condition of affairs
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bic government on which the demand for satsfac-
ton be made. 1t appears that band of foreign
adventures has invaded that unhappy country,
which, after gaining recruits from among the resi-
dents, has, by violence, overturned the previously
existing government, aud now pretend to be in pos.
session OF sovei eign authority. The knowledge we
have of their proceedings does not authorize the
President to recognise it as the de tacto government
of Nicaragua, and he cannot hola or permit you to
hold in Your official character any political inter-
with the persons now claiming to exercise the
sovereign authority Of that State 1t appears to be
no than violent usurpation Of power, brought
about by irregular selforganzcd military force,
as yet unsanctioned by the will Or acqucscence of
the people of Nicaragua 1t has more the appear
ance of successful marauding expedition than q
change Of government or rulers. Should the mass
OF the people of Nicaragua be unwilling or unable to
repe this inroad or shake Oft this usurpaton and
ultimately submit to its rules then it may become
de tacto government, and responsible for the out
RACES which bavc been committed upon the rights
and persons of American citizens Then this gov
ernment will demand and exact ample indemnity
and satisfaction from it,
The President instructs you to abstain from any
official intercourse with the persons exercising
temporary control over some parts of Nicaragua
In such dubious state of affairs you cannot be cx
peced to act in your official character until you re-
ceive instructions from your government; but you
will 0e entitled to all the nunitics Of minister If
you do not act to forfeit them. You will remain in
the country and keep your government well advised
of the actual condition of affairs therein You will
observe great crcumspecton in your conduct. You
cannot retain right to the privileges of minister
if you intermedde with the concerns Of any of the
parties.
The difficulties you have already encountered
arose, it appears, from apprehension that you
had improperly intcrfcrred III the conflict between
the contcnding parties. Though the President has
doubt that you acted from the purest motives, in
tending only to SubServc the Of humanity, yet
your aside from that which your duty
the representative Of foreign government imposed
upon you. 1t has exposed you tothe charge by one
party of meddiing in the OF the other and
on this ground all attempt will be made to justify
the restraint put upon you. In regard to this mat
ter the President will hereafter take such
as is dictated by regard to your rights public
functionary of this government.
Orders have been issued for some public ships to
visit the Atlantic and Pacific coasts of Nicaragua -
They will have instructions to look to and protect
the persons and property OF our citizens; but there
should be no Misrepresentation to the extent to
which they have right TO interfere. The comman-
ders Of such ships have right, except in very ex-
traordnay cases. to send forces to operate on and
and in no case could they bc permitted to take par:
in the conflicts of the contcndng parties within the
limits of the country. They can and should protect
merchant vessels from illegal seizure and pillage
| and afford asylum to our citizens who wish to
escape from scenes Of violence and bloodshed, and
| secure u depository for their property.
| Should the officers of the national armed ships
sent the of Nicaragua confer with you ss to
! acts proper for them to do in any emergency, you
will be careful in the advice you give them Acts
of war cannot be committed without the authority
of Congress Repelng threatened outrage upon
our citizens shielding their property from unjust
seizure, protecting their persons are not acts OF
! war. They are exertons of power not inconsistent
| with the relations OF peace.
| W. L. MARCY.
FIRST TRIP OF TIE FIRST LOCOMOTIVE IN AMERICA.
William Wurts, Esq, Of Carbondale, Penn, CON-
municates the following paragraph, clipped from an
| old ewspapcr, to the Carbonate Transcript. This
| paragraph confirms the statement Of X. +. Lord,
ESQ. published in the Port Jervis Union, few
weeks since and apparently settles the question
to whom belongs the credit Of having run the first
locomotive steam engine on the American continent
The TRIAL TRIP THE FIRST LoCoNoTINE-Major
! Hurato Allen, the Engineer of the New York and
Erie Railroad in speech made during the recent
festival OCCASION gave the following account of the
| first trip made by locomotive on this continent:
"When vast? Who vast? And who awaken
ed its energies and directed its movements? 1t was
| in the year 1928, on the banks of the Lackawaxcn
at the commencement of the Railroad connecting the
| Canal of the Delaware and Hudson Canal Company
| with their coal mnes-and he who addresses you
was the only person on that locomotive The Cir
cumxtances which led to my being alone on the en-
gine were these: The road had been built in the
summer, The structure Of hemock timber, and
rails Of large dimensions notched caps placed far
apart The timber had cracked and warped from
exposure to the SUM- After about three hundred feet
of straight line the road crossed the Lackawaxen
Creek, on trestle work about 80 feet high with q
curve of $50 TO 400 feet radius. The impression
was very general that this iron monster would either
hreak down the road IL would leave the track at