Nashville patriot. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1858-1860, 1858-07-01

1
The following Declaration is appended to
| the Convention made by NJ. FELIX BELLY,
ostensibly acting on behalf of the Partisan
| house of NJ. MuLAUD d Co., ard the govern
ments of Nicaragua and Costa Rica, relative
to the concession of an inter-oceanic Ship
Canal by the river San Juan and Lake Mica
ragua:
| I DECLARATION.
The Supreme Chiefs of the two Republics
| of Nicaragua and Costa Rica assembled at
| Rivas, after having settled the questions which
divided the two Republics, and having re-
| established peace and the most complete har-
mony between them, with q common accord,
and in order to secure the independence and
safety of the two countries, as well as of all
| the States of Central America;
| Considering that fresh invasion of Ameri-
can Fillibusters still menaces the indepen-
| dence of Costa RIGA and Nicaragua, in con-
| tempt of all the laws that protect nations and
| that guarantee the lives and properties of
citizens in civilized countries;
That this invasion, officially reprobated by
| the Government of the United States. is pre-
pairing in reality under its patronage as the
means of defnitively taking possession of
Central America. if Central America refuse
| to surrender itself voluntarily to the United
| States;
That hitherto all the official agents of the
United States at Nicaragua have been the ac-
completes and auxiiaries of the invaders, act
| ing as masters. and audaciously hosting the
flag of the United States in all parts where,
, as at San Juan del Sud, the flag of Nicaragua
only ought to float and openly menaced
Central America with an inevitable annexa-
| ton;
That the Minister actually accredited to
Nicaragua boasts in public of peremptorily
proposing this ultinaat,ua- the legal pos
session of Nicaragua by the ratification of the
treaty Cass Irssarri, or fresh invasion of the
Filibusters already organized at Mobile under
the American flag;
That, moreover, the Government of the
United States has, according TO the official
reports made to that of Costa RIGA by the
Minister PlenepOtentiary at Washington,
declared that it was utterly powerless to pre-
vent fresh attempts by the fillibusters, or to
protect the neutrality of Central America,
owing TO the insufficiency of the laws of the
United States on this head;
Considering that three years OF war and
devastation have deprived the two Republics
of the means of resisting a fresh attack on the
part of many thousands of brigands: that the
towns of Nicaragua are destroyed in whole
or in part, that their commerce is annihilated.
their population decimated; and that after
desperate resistance, which testifies their pa
lIlotISui, jnty UluSt DelOIe
iority of numbers, unless Europe deign at
least to defend them against attempts UMPIRE
cedented in the nineteen century;
They declare solemnly-
i. That they place the convention above
mentioned relative to the canal of Nicaragua.
under the patronage of civilized Europe, by
appealing to the justice and humanity of all
Christian nations against the attacks of pirates
and buccaneers, of whom they have been for
three years the victims.
2. That they place the independence and
nationality CT the Republics of Nicaragua
and Costa Rica under the guarantee of the
three powers who have caused the indepen-
dence and nationality of the Ottoman En-
pire to be respected, namely France, England
and Sardinia
3. That they supplcate the Governments
of these three Powers not any longer to leave
the coasts of Central America without de-
fence, its rich countries at the mercy Of bar
barians, and the future route of the trade of
the world without a serious guarantee of
liberty and neutrality.
4. That they bind themselves in the name
of their people to accept from those three
Powers all the conditions they many attach
to their assistance, provided the public law
of civilized Europe be extended to all the
States of America, and imposed by force.
if needs be, on those who so audaciously
violate it.
In faith whereof they sign the present de-
claration.
RIVAS.
THOMAS. MARITIME.
JUAN RAFAEL MORA.