Staunton spectator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1849-1896, 1860-01-03

Soselnor was Instructed shat the officers of tht
.clliIory should abstain from all acts on the dis
puseu grounds which are calculated to provoke
ahy connlcts, so far as it can be done without i'm
PP,yng the concession to- ithe authorities of Grea
TI DIi'a!n OF an exclusive right over the premises
lno Tue ought to be settled before either party
ySnouiu attempt to exclude the other by force, Of
lexercise complete and exclusive sovereign right,
within the fairly disputed limits"
y acknowledging the receipt on the next day
OF Mr. Marcy's note, the British minister express
lea hs entire concurrense sin the propriety O
the course recommending to the governor Of Wash
lingtonT Territory by youIMr Marcy's] instruc
tlons tothat officer, and stating that he hai
lost notime in transmitting copy of that doc
ument to- the governor genera! of British North
America, Nand had earnestly recommended te
bis ExcelleAcy to take such measures as to him
may appear best calculated to secure, on the part
lot the Britishlocal authorities and the inhabitants
Iof the neighborhood OF the line in question, the
exercise of the same spiriof forbearance which is
Iinculcated by you Mr.. Marcy on the authorities
and citizens of the United States"
Thus matters femainel upon the faith Of this
arrangement untilthe 9th July last, when Gen.
Harney paid visitto The Island He found up
on it twenty-five American residents with their
families, and also anNestablishment Of the Hud
sons Bay Company for the purpose of raising
sheep A short time before his arrival one Of
these residents had slot an animal belonging to
the company whilst trsspassing upon his premi-
ses, for which, howevershe offered to pay twice
its value; but that was refused. Soon after ssthe
chef factor of the companyat Victoria, Mr.. Dali
lies, son-in-law of Gov. Douglas came to the Is
land in the British slocp of.war tSavelite, and
Threatened to take 'sshs Anefilzsn Mr.. Cntie1)
tby force to Victoria, to answer for the trespass
| he had committed The American seized his RI
| fe and told Mr. Dalles if any such attempt was
made he would kill him on the spot. The affair
then ended"
| Under these circumstances, the American set
tiers presented petitioo to the General Through
the United States inspector of customs, Mr.. Hubbs
| to place force upon the Island to protect them
| from the Indians as well as the oppressive inter
ference of the authorities of the Hudson Bay
Company at Victoria with their rights as Amer
ican citizens The General immediately respond
ed to this petition, and ordered Captain George
| E. Pickett 9th infantry, "to establish his cornpa
ny on Bellevue, or San Juan island, on some suit
able position near the harbor at the southeastern
extremity" THIS order was promptly obeyed,
and military post was established at the place
designated The force was afterwards increased
so that by the last return the whole number of
gregate to 691 men.
Whilst do not deem it proper on the present
occasion to go further intosthe subject and dis
euss the weight which ought to be attached to
the statements of the Brtislcolonial authorities,
contestiDg the accuracy of the information OF
which the gallant General acted, it was due to
him that | should thus present bis own reasons
| for issuing the order to Capt. Pickett. From
these it is quite clear his object was to prevent
the British authorities on Vancouver's island
from exercising Jurisdiction over American resi-
dents on the Island of San Juan, as we'll as to
protect them against the incarsions OF the lndi-
ans.
| Much excitement prevailed for some time
throughout that region, and serious danger OF col
| lision between the parties was apprehended. The
British had a large naval force in the vicinity !;
and it is but an act of simple justice the admiral
on that station to state that he wisely and dis
creetly ferbore to commit any hostile act, but de-
termined to refer the whole affair to his govarn
| ment and await their Instructions.
| This aspect of the matter, IN my opinion, de-
manded serious attention. 1t would have been
great calamity for both nations had they been
precptated into acts of hostility not on the ques-
ton of title to the island but merely concerning
what should be its condition during the interven-
ing period whilst the two governments migh be
in sg~alilg the. aaestion to which of
them itshelaEgs. For tins reason Lieutenant
General Scott was desoatcIed DC the ] 7th sep.
aamber last to WasliE fs4 Territory to take I'M
tseediste. ri ths Latte tatvs icrces
the Pacific coast should he deem thissnecessary.
The main object of bis mission lYas to carry out
the spirit of the precautionary arrangement De-
tween the late Secretary of Stateand the British
minister, and thus to preserve the peace and pre-
vent collision between the British and American
authorities pending the negotiations between the
two governments Entertaining no doubt OF the
validity of our title, need scarcely add that, IN
any event, American citizens were to be placed
on footing at least as favorable as that OF Brit
lish subjects, it being understood. that Captain
Pickett's company should remain on the island.
1t is proper to observe that considering the dis
tance from the scene of action, and in ignorance
of what might have transplred on the spot be-
fore the Generals arrival, it was necessary to
leave much to his discretion, and am happy to
state the event has proven that this discretion
could not have been intrusted to more cOmpe-
tent hands. General Scott has recently return
ed from his mission, having successfully accom-
plishod its objects, and there Is no longer any
good reason to apprehend collision between the
forces OF the two countries during the tendency
of the existing negotiations.
| regret to inform you that there has been 10
Improvement in the affairs of Mexico since my
last annual message, and am again obliged to
ask the earnest attention OF Congress to the un-
happy condition of that republic
The constituent Congress of Mexico, which ad-
journed on the 17th OF February, 1857, adopted
a constitution and provided for a popular cleo
ton. This took place in the following July,
1S57,) and General Comonfort was chosen Presi-
dent, almost without opposition. At the same
election new Congress was chosen, whose first
session commenced on the 10Th of September,
QS57) By the constitution Of 1857 the presi-
Dental term was to begin on the 1st of Dscem-
Der, QS57,) and continue for four years. Ga
that day General Comonfort appeared before the
assembled Congress in the city OF Mexico, took
the oath to support the new constitution, and
was inaugurated as President. Within a month
afterwards he had been driven from the capital,
and a military rebellion had assigned the su-
preme power of the republic to General Zuloa-
ga. The constitution provided that III the ab
sence of the President his office should devOlve
upon the Chief Justice of the Supreme Court,
and General Oomonfort having left the country,
this functionary, General Juarez, proceeded to
forn, 4. GuanajaatQ, coDstituti9laa govern
ms..t III ;efers tbis swas- asAelaa " kaps
ever, {. the capitals the gosafnnent of Zusoaga
nad been recognized by the eBtire diplomatic
corps, including the minister of the United Sta
tes, as the de Jacto government of Mexico. The
constitutional President, nevertheless, maintain
ed his position with trmness, and was soon es-
tablshed with his cabinet at Vera Cruz. Mean
while, the government of Zuloaga was earnestly
resisted in many parts of the republic, and even