The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1858-12-07

xnnr9 =. tns legation from the city OF Mexico
sort to hostitie4 against the soysrsmsrs iii bnid
Ia Of the capital Should nhsy
hone ;,i e constitutional forces ali reasonable
ment OF our difficulties po''oeiui se'Ae
ty nrsys sns o.ner hand should the constitutional par
the republic there is reason 10 Son ovsi
~ grs anma.ea y less unfricndiy spirit and nav
tce rean;rss n y 10 american citizers which JUS
sar ~; SO iar as they possess the weaus Ru,
,or .ais expectation. should at opca have reco,n
10 aha 20 TO ant the necessary power
n,rt ro re9osnt, 70 take possession o. sufiicieni
porton or the remote and uusstfled fsrr;,-r =.
Me 4lco, to be held in pledge until orr n; N
W. and our just demands be satisf,ed
" na.e ALREADY exhausted every milder means n
outainipg Jastice. In such Q case. this remsay y
Iepnsais Is recognised By the Jaw OF natons no, u
enta r" Just Ia itSeif but as means of preventing
:, But there is another view Of our relations with
Mexi'o arising from the unhappy condition Of sf
msDds immediate action. In that re- nota rss;o,
where thsie are but few white Inhabitants iargs
hoss oxsr sha , nsedatory Indians pf
and sonora, and our adjoining Territories The 10
cal governments, = these States are perfectly helm
the Indian They have not tie poWsr II assm ass oy
ses.ed the will. even to restrain lavless MsI,c.n'
from passing the border, and committing depreda
and violence prevails Throughout that distant from
tier. The laws are a dead letter. and life and pro
peIty are wholly insecure. For this reason the set
Importance that chain of Inhabitants should ex
tend all along its southern border sufficient for theil
own protection aud that OF the United States mail
prehensions are now entertained, that the Indians
aud wandering Mexicans. equally iawless. may
break UP the nportant stage and postal conmupi
cation, recently established between our Atlantic
and Pacific possessions. This passes very near te
the Mexican boundary. throughout the whole length
OF Arizona. can imagine no possible remedy fol
these evils and no mode OF restoring law aud order
on that remote and unsettled frontier but for the
governments Of the United States to assume tenn
pyrary protectorate over the northern portions OF
chihuahua and Sonora. and to establish military
ptsts within the same-and this l earnestly recon-
mend to Congress- This protection may be with
drawn as soon as local governments shall be esta
bished in these Mexican States, capable of perform
ing their duties to tho Urited States restraining
helawess and preserving peace al )ng the border.
do not coubt that this measure will be viewed
in friendly spirit by the governments and peo-
pie of Chihuahua and Sonora, as it will prove
equally etfectua for the protection of their cti.
zens on that remote and awIess frontier, az for
citizens of the United States.
And in this coanexiop, permit me to recall your
attention to the condition of Arizoua. The popu.
lation OF that Territory, numbering, is alleged,
more than te: thousand souls are practically with.
ont go7ernment, without laws, and without any
regular administration of justice. Murder and
other crimes are committed with impunity. This
state OF things calls loudly for redress; and I,
therefore, repeat my recommendation for the
establishments Of a territorial government over
Arizona.
The political condition of the narrow isthmus of
Central America, through which transit routes
pass, between the Atlantic and Pacific oceans, pre-
serts subject of deep interest to all commercial
nations. lt is over these transits that large
proportion of the trade and travel between the
European and Asatie continents, is destined to
passA To the United States these routes are of in
caicuieble Importance, as means of communica
ton between their Atlantic and Pacific possessions
The latter now extend throughout seventeen de.
grees of latitude on the Pacific coast embracing
the important State of Califor ia aud the flourish
ing Territories of Oregon and Washington. All
nations, therefore, have deep and di-
rect interest that these Communications shall be
rendered secure from interruption. lfan of the
sea, connecting the two ocea penetrated through
Ncara9 ua and Costa Rica it could not be pretended
that these States would havethe right to arrest or
retardits navigation, to the injury of other ma
tio1s. The transit by land over this narrow 18th.
mus, occupies nearly the same position. 1t is a
highway in which they themselves have little
interest, when compared with the vast interests
Of the rest of the world. Whilst their rights of
ought to be respected, it is the duty
Of other nations to require, that this important
passas shall not be interrupted, by the civil wars
aud revolutionary outbreaks, which have 80 free
l1ently occurred in that region. The stake is too
important, to be left at the mercy of rival COM
pancs, claiming to hold conflicting contracts with
Nicaragua. The commerce of other nations is not
to stand still and await the adjustment of such
petty controversies. The government the Uni.
ted States expect no more than this and thew
will not be satisfied with less. They would NOT,
If they could, rive any advantage from the Nj
caragua transit, not common to the rest of the
world. Its neutrality and protection, for the COM
mon use of all nations is their only object. They
have no objection that Nicaragua shall demand
aud receive a fair compensation, from the compa-
nies aud individuals who may traverse the route;
but they insist that it shall never hereafter be
closed, by an arbitrary decree of that Government.
If disputes arise between it and those with whom
they may have entered into contracts, these must
be jusied by some fair tribunal provided for the
purpose, and the route must rot be closed pending
the controversy. This is our whole policy, and
it cannot fail to be acceptable to other nations.
All these difficulties might be avoided, if con-
with the good faith of Nicaragua, the
use of thi, transit could bs thrown open 10 gene
ral competition; providing at the same time for
the payment of reasonable rate to the Nicaras su
an government, on passengers and freight.
In August, 1852, the Accessory Transit Company
made its first inte.-oceauc trip over the Nicaragu
an route, and continued in successful operation
with great advantage to the public, until the
18th February, 1856, when il was closed, and the
grant to this company, as we'll as its charter,
were summarily aud arbitrarily revoked by the
of Prest. Ryas. Previous to this date,
however, 10 1854, serious disputes concerning the
of their accounts bad arisen between
the company and the government, threatening the
interruption Of the route at any moment. These
the United States in vain endesvored to compose.
1t would be useless TO narrate the various pro-
csedings which took place between the parties, up
till the time when the transit was discontinued -
Suffice IL to say that, since February, 1885, ir has
remained closed, greatly to the prejudice of citi'
zens of the United States. Since that time the
has ceased between the rival routes OF
Panama and Nicaragua, and, in Consequence there.
of, an unjust aud unreasonable amount has been
exacted from our citizens for their passage to and
fcom California.
A treaty was signed on the 10th day of Novem-
ber 1857, by the Secretary OF State and Minister
of Nicaragua, under the stipulatiuns of which the
u SO aud projections of the transit route would
have been secured, not only to the United States
but equally to all other nations. How and on
what pretexts this treaty has failed to receive the
ratification of the Nicaraguan government, will
appear by the papers herewith communicated
from the State Department. The principal otjec.
ton seems to have been, to the provision author.
zing the United States to employ force to keep the
route open, in case Nicaragua should fail to per-
form her duty in this respect. From the feeble
ness OF that republic, its frequent changes of
and its constant Internal dissensous,
this had become most important stipulation,
and ono essentially necessary not only for the se
curity of the route, but for the safety OF Ame.iI
can citizens passing and repassiug to and from
our Pscifc possessions. We're such a stipulation
embraced in treaty between tho United States
ard Nicaragua, the knowledge of this fact would
Of itself most probably prevent hostile parties
iTotn coiuNiitiug hSgfesoicus Ou bsic rO'fte, huu
render our actual interference for It's protection
The executive gov eminent of this country, IN its
intercourse wit5 foreign natiopa, ig LIMITED 70 the
employment of diplomacy aleDe. When this fails.
it can proceed no further. /. cannot fortunately
resort 20 force without tho direct authority Of Con
gress, except in resisting and rercing hostile at
tscks. 1t would have authority 10 enter the ter
ritories Of Nicaragua even 20 prevent the 6estruc
ten of the transt and protect Gs lives nnd proper
t. of cur own citizens on their rnrssgG u 's true.
that on sudden emergency of this character. the
President would direct any armed forcs in the -ici
nifty TO march their reliet hut n doing this, he
would act npon his own responsibility.
Unser these circumstances. esrnostiy recon-
mend TO Congress the passsge Of ect eulhorizing
the President. under such restrictions they may
decm proper employ the lnnd and naval forces OF
the United states in preyenting the transit from
being obstrucsad or closed by Iawiess violence and
in protecting the lives and property Of American
citizen travelling thereupon, recurring at the same
time that these forces shall be Withdrawn the mo
meut the danger shall have passed away. Without
such provision, our citizens will he constantly
posed to interruption in their progress and to law
less violence.
similar necessity exists for the passage Of such
an act Tor the protection of the Panama and Tehe-