The Ashland union. [volume] (Ashland, Ashland County, Ohio) 1854-1868, 1856-12-10

Colonies, and now independent members
of the great family of nations, but the
unsettled condition of some of them,
distracted by frequent revolutions,
aud thus incapable of regular and firm
internal administration, hasten to I'm
barrass occasionally our public inter
course by reason of wrongs which our
citizens suffer at their hands, and which
they are slow to redress.
Unfortunately it is against the Re-
public of Mexico, with which it is our
special desire to maintain a good under
standing, that such complaints are most
numerous, although earnestly urged up
on it's attention, they have not as yet
received the conspiration which this
Government had a right to expect, while
reparation for past injuries has been
withheld others have been added. The
political condition of that country, how
ever, has been such as to demand for
bearance on the part of the u. s. I
shall continue my efforts to procure for
the wrongs of our citizens that redress
which is Indispensable to the continued
friendly association of the two Rcpub-
lies.
The peculiar condition of affairs in
Nicaragua in the early part of the pres.
ent surrendered it important that this
Government should have diplomatic re
%lations with hat State. Through its
territory has been opened one ofthe prin-
cipal thorougbfares across the Isthmus
connecting North and South America
-in which a large amount of property
was transported and to which our citi.
zeus resorted in great numbers in pass
ing between the Atlantic and Pacific
coasts of the United States. The pro-
lection of both required that the exist
ing power in that State should be re-
gardcd as a responsible Government, and
It's Minister was accordingly received,
but he remained here only a short time.
4 Soon thereafter the political affairs
of Nicaragua underwent uufavorable
change and became involved in much
uncertainty and confusion. Diplomatic
representations from the contendiDg
parties have been recently sent to this
Government, but with the imperfect
Information possessed, it was not possible
to decide which was the Government
defacto, and awaiting further develope-
ments, l have refused to receive either.
Questions of a serious nature are
pending between the U. s., and the Re-
public of New Grenada.
The government of that Republic IN
aertook, q year since, to impose tonnage
duties oniforeign vessels in her ports,
but the purpose was resisted by this
government, as being contrary to exist
ing treaty stipulations with the U. s..
aud 80 rights conferred by charter upon
the Panama Railroad Company, and
was accordingly relinquishcd at that
time, it being admitted that our vessels
were entitled to be exempt from touage
duty in the free ports of Panama and
Aspinwall; but the purpose has. been
recently revived on the part of New
Grenada by the enactment of a law to
subject vessels visiting her ports to a
tonnage duty of 40 cents per ton, and
although the law has not been put in
force, yet the right to enforce it is still
asserted, and may at any time be acted
on by the government of that Republic.
The Congress of New Grenada has also
enacted, during the past year, a law
which levies a tax of more than three
dollars On every pound Of mail matter
transported across the Isthmus. The
sum this requires to be paid on the
mails of the United States would be
nearly 1000, 600 of dollars annually, in
addition2 The large sum payable by
contract to the Panama L. Il. Co. Ii
the only objection to this exaction was
the exorbitancy of the amo1nt, it
could not be submitted to by the U. S.
The imposition Of it, however, would
obviously c%ontravene our treaty with
New Grenada, and infringe the contract
of that Republic with the Panama r.
r. Co.
The law providing for this tax, was by its
terms, to take effect on the first of September
last. The local authorities in the Isthmus
have been induced TO suspend its execution to
; await further instructions on the subject from
! the government of the Republic; l am not yet
advised of the determination of that govern
ment if that measure, so extraordinary in its
character, and so clearly contrary to treaty
stipulations and the contract rights of the
Panama R. r. Co., composed mostly of Ameri
can citizens should be persisted in, it will be
the duty of the U. S. to resist its execution. I
regret exceedingly that occasion cxsists to in
vie your attention to q subject of still graver
import in our relations with the Republic of
New Granada: on the 18th day of April last, a
TIOtOuS aSScmOlage OF the lnndDitantS OF ran
anna, committed a violert and outrageous at
tack on the premises of the r. r. Co., and the
passengers and other persons IN OF near the
same, involving the death of several citizens
of the United States. The pillage of many 9th
ers and the destruction of n large amount of
property belonging to the r R. Co.
] caused full investigation of that event TO be
made and the result shows satisfactorily that
complete responsibility for what occurred
attaches TO the Government of New Gren
ada, l have Therefore demanded of that gov
eminent that the perpetrators of the wrongs in
question should be punished, that provision
should be made for the families of citizens of
thu T.. S. who were killed, with full idemnity
for the property pillagcd or destroyed. The
present condition # the Isthmus of Panama SO
far as regardsthe security of persons and prop
alton. Recent incidents tend TO show that the
local authorities cannot be relied upont to main
tain the public peace of Panama, and there is
just ground for apprehension thata portion of
the inhabitants are meditating further outrages
without adequatemeasures for the security and
protection of persons or property having been
Gen. Government of New Grenada under the
by the outlay of several millions of dollars con-
stucted n railroad across the I~sthmus, and it
is the main route between our Atlantic and
Pacific possessions over which multitudes OF
oar citizens and n vast amount of property are
constantly passing to the security and protec-
, ton of all whichand the continuance of the
public advantages involved, it is impossiblefo fol
the Government of the U. S. to be Indifferent
9 hava TTaauoo1 fhn n moor Of tha racurTapce