The weekly Portage sentinel. [volume] (Ravenna, Ohio) 1854-1861, 1858-12-16

/ the same Nme IOr tu0 PeJ "SHe VI ASoo0"
able rate to the Nicarsguan government, OF
passengers and freight.
In August, 1862, the Accessory Trshsi
Company made it's first interoceanic trip ovcI
the Nicaragua route, and continued in sue
cessiu operation, with great advantage Il
the public, until the 18th February, 1856
when il was closed, and the grant to thi'
company, as we'll as its charter, were sum
marly and arbitrary revoked by the govern
ment Of President Rivas. Previous to THU
date, however, in 1854, serious disputes con
cerning the settlement OF their accounts hat
arisen between the company and the govern
ment, threatening the interruption OF The
route at any moment. These the United
! States in vain endeavored to compose. l
would be useless to narrate the vaTlons pro
ceedings which took place between the par
] ties, up to the time when the transit wat
discontinued; Suffice it to say that, since
February, 1856, 1t has remained closed
greatly to the prejudice of citizens Of the
! United States. Since that time, The com
petition has ceased between the rival routes
Of Panama and Nicaragua, and, in conse'
quence thereof, an unjust and unreasonable
amount has been ex0cted from our citizens
for their passage to and from California.
A treaty was signed on the 10th day o.
November, 1857, by the Secretary OF state
and Minister of Nicaragua, under the stipu'
lations of which the use and protection ol
the transit route would have been secured,
not only to the United States, but equally to
oil other nations. How and on what pre-
texts this treaty has failed to receive the
ratification of the Nicaraguan governme nj
will appear by the papers herewith commu-
nca.ed from the State Department. The
principal objection seems to have been to
the provision authorizing the United States
to employ force to keep the route open, IN
case Nicaragua should fail 10 perform her
duty IN this respect.
From the feebleness OF that republic, its
frequent changes Of government, and its con-
slant internal dissensions, this had become
most important stipulation, and one essen.
italy necessary not only for the security of
the route, but for the safety Of American
citizens passing and repassing to and from
our Pacific possessions. Were such stip.
ulaton embraced in treaty between the
United States and Nicaragua, the knowledge
Of this fact would of itself most probably
prevent hostile parties from committing ag-
gressions on the route, and render our actual
interference for its protection unnecessary.
The executive government of this country,
in its intercourse with foreign nutions, is
limited to the employment of diplomacy
alone. When this fails it can proceed no
further. 1t cannot legitimately resort to
force, without the direct authority Of Con.
gress, except in resisting and repelling hos.
tile attacks, 1t would have no authority to
enter the territories of Nicaragua, even tc
prevent the destruction of the transit, anC
protect the lives and property of our owr
citizens on their passage. 1t is true, that or
sudden emergency of this character, the
President would direct any armed force il
the vicinity to march to their relief; but il
doing this he would act upon his own re
sponsibility.
| Under these circumstances, | earnestly
recommend to Congress, the passage of an
act authorizing the President, under such re
stricticns as they may deem proper, to EN-.
ploy the land and naval forces of the United
States in preventing the transit from being
obstructed or closed by lawless violence
and in protecting the lives and property O
American citizens travelling thereupon, re-
quiriDg at the same time that these forces
shall be withdrawn the moment the danger
shall have passed away. Without such
provision, our citizens will be constantly ex.
posed to Interruption in their progress, ant
to lawless violence.
A similar necessity exists for the passage
of such an act, for the protection of the Pa
mama and Tehuantepec routes.
| In reference to the Panama route, the
United States, by their existing treaty with
New Granada, expressly guarantee the neu.
trality of the Isthmus, "with the view that
the free transit from the one to the other sea
may not be interrupted or embarrassed in
any future time while this treaty exists"
In regard to the Tekuantepec route, which
has been recently opened under the most fa-
vorabe auspices, our treaty with Mexico OF
the 3Oth December 1858, secures to the
citizens Of the United States right of tran
sit over it for their persons and merchandise,
and stipuutes that neither government shall
"interpose sny obstacle" thereto. Italso
comedies to the United States the fright to
transport across the Esthmus, in closed bags,
the mails of the United States not intended
for distribution along the line of the com.
munication (; also, the effects of the United
States government and its citizens which
may be intended for transit, and not for dis
trbution on the Isthmus, free of custom.
house or other charges by the Mexican gov.
ernment."
These treaty stipulations with New Ora.
nada and Mexico, in addition to the consid-
erations applicable to the Nicaragua route,
seem to require legislation for the purpose
of carrying them into effect.
The injuries which have been inflicted up
on our citizens in Costa Rica and Nicaragua,
during the last two or three years, have re.
ceived the prompt attention of this govern
ment. Some OF these injuries were of the
most aggravated character. The transac.
tion Of Virgin Bay, in April, 1856, when q
company OF unarmed Americans, who were
in no way connected with any beIigerent
! conduct or party, were fired upon by the
troops Of Costa Rica, and numbers of them
killed and wounded, was brought to the
knowledge OF Congress by my predecessor
soon alter its occurrence, and was also pre-.
sented to the government of Costa Rica, fol
that immediate investigation and redress
which the nature of the case demanded.
A similar course was pursued with refer.
euce to other outrages in these countries
some of which were hardly less aggravated
in their character than the transaction at
Virgin Bay. At the time, however, wher
our present Minister to Nicaragua was up
pointed, in December, 1857, no redress had
been obtained for any of these wrongs, ant
no reply even had been received to the de-
mands which had hnen m ada hu this nnuarn,