Weekly national intelligencer. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1841-1869, 1857-05-09
the wrongs inflicted upon its citizens by the Cali


the wrongs inflicted upon its citizens by the Cali
fornia emigrants.
Such is the official expose of the question as it
now stands between the two Governments The
conflicting nature of the testimony upon which each
party relies for the defence of its attitude would
lseei to suggest the probability, intelligent
and impartial contemporary, the New York Cou-
rter des Etots tnis has already remarked that the
investigations instituted by the respective Govern
ments have equally been made with the preconceiy-
ed purpose of wholly generating its own citizens
rather than with the view of eciting the exact truth
in the premises to attain which latter the Courier
recommends as the dictate less of justice than of
masnanimity the part of the United States in its
conduct towards feeble but friendly Republic, that
new inquiry should be sst on foot by the present
Administration, the issue of which, if necessary,
should be submitted to the umpirage of disnte-
rested party When we consider, however, the re-
duced proportions of the question, presented in
the alimat3n of the United States, we do not suf-
fer ourselves to doubt that pacific solution will be
speedily effected by the ordinary resorts of diplo
macy.
As bearing Immediately upon the points in dis
pute between the two Governments, we append to
these remarks the suboined letter from. an ntelli
gent officer of the United States navy to friend in
this city, and which has been obligingly commune
Gated for insertion in this journal. If it be true,
as the writer than intimates, that projects of
personal emolument based for their realization upon
the hope of committing the United States to the pur
chase of certain lands and the acquisition of certain
privileges within the territory of New Granada, af-
ford an explanation of the activity and zeal mani
fested bysome under the pretext of indicating the
OF s..tess it would seem to be the
duty Of our Government to guard against any rep
reservations from this quarter which, as proceeding
from interested parties, are liable to just suspicion
and deserve to be received with caution
Extract of Letter from on board the United States
rigate Independence in the Bay Of Panama, dated
the 16hof april, 1857.
In the eighth month of our seehing existence in the
Bay of Panama, and hope of escape from its sury
health consuming climate, mean we have no hope of
immediate escape, because have mental reservation
that in the course of nature death will least release
from this heaven-c cursed region where we are all
bound FAST to have lvers enlarged like those of
Strasburg geese, but not for good purpose-a on
account of the price of a watermelon single dime
seized upon by Tom Jack Oliver, noted freebooter
to cool the burning of his drunken throat and sto
mach Jack was bravely drunk, and, pay his score
instead of drawing out his purse he drew his revolver
and bravely fred upon the unarmed negro who i'm
Fortunate for his dme but fortunately without incting
injury. This assault provoked the show of knife to
resist it. Jacks companions paid the dime but Jack
was too brave to end He played the braggar per-
haps and offered other insults and fired, would have
hred had not some backamoors, armed with knife
taken away Jack divers revolver.
This scene enacted before their very faces reused the
indignation of Young America, and if may be per-
mitted the of very applicable slang phrase shey
pitched in for free fight because it was too much to
behold sober negro dlsarm drunken white American
fight ensued and the of the 18th of April 1856
growing of this ruans violence are correctly record
ed as the at Panama. The police was either
stupidity wckedly commanded To stop the progress
of the riot they fred voey after voey into the depot
where unarmed men, women and children had gathered
for safety The result eighteen passengers killed
and some thirty Wounded more or fess severely.
A large number of negroes had been attracted here
from Jamaica to work upon the railroad The conclu
Va VIVA ieit thein Without employment They
idle, needy, without moral restraint and no doubt
gladly ayaed themselves of the disturbance to punder
carpetbags, trunks, &c., well the small shops and
GROCERIES established around the depot 1t is probable
that, should similar disturbance occur they would
seize upon the occasion plumber and rob all from whom
they could secure valuables.
There heavy losses and injuries inflicted on ndi-
Viduas but am assured that all the property losses could
be retrieved amply at cost not exceeding thou
sand dolldrs for the whole. A man who kept little
shanty, in which he had barrel of whiskey and
stock of goods to match, not costing than thou
sand dollars assesses his damages at ten thousand and
others in the same manner, until our Government has
been induced to claim from New Granada four hundred
thousand dollars for those damages &C. caused by the riot
which grew out of Jack Oliver being bravely drunk
to pay dime for watermelon he had eaten.
Among the Americans resident the time in Panama
and still there many who had purchased ground in
the vicinity, expecting that, future day. it would
be valuable city lots, SC 1t their opinion that
the annexation of the sthmus the United States would
and therefore every must perceive that annexation is
the true and only policy of our Government. And to
make this perspicuous to the meanest capacity thew
sought expedents to augment the amount of damages
The greater this the greater would be the chance
that New Granada would be poor to pay and the
United States would be forced seize upon the soil as
indemnity. Besides the money views urged there was
defamation about the cruelty the blood thirstness of
the New Granadians, cold booded assassination of