Santa Fe daily New Mexican. [volume] (Santa Fe, N.M.) 1885-1897, 1894-12-03


in common, has marked our relations wit
our nearest southern neighbor. Peac
being restored along her northern frontier
Mexico has asked the punishment, of tn
late disturbers of her tranquility. Their
ought to be new treaty of commerc
and navigation with that country to TAX
the place of the one which Terminated
thirteen years ago. The friendliness o
the intercourse between the two countries
is attested by the fact that during thi
long period the commerce of each hal
steadily increased under the rule of mu
tual consideration, being neither stimu
lated by conventional arrangements mol
retarded by jealous rivalries or selfst
desires.
An indemnity rendered by Mexico as g
gracious act for the murder, in 1871, oi
Leon Baldwin, an American citizen, by q
band of marauders in Durango, has been
accepted and is being paid in install.
ments.
The problem Of the storage and use Of
the waters of
THE BIO GRANDR FOR IRRIGATION
should be solved by appropriate concur
rent action of the two interested csun-
tries. Rising IN the Colorado heights,
the stream flows intermittingly, yielding
little water during the dry months to the
irrigating channels already constructed
along its course. The scarcity is often
severely felt in the regions where the
river forms common boundary. More
over, the frequent changes in its course
through level sands often raise embarass-
ing questions of territorial jurisdiction.
Prominent among the questions of ter
ritorial jurisdiction-prominent among
the questions of the year-was
THE BLEwF1ELDs INCIDENT,
in what is known as the Mosquito Indian
strip, bordering on the Atlantic ocean,
and within the jurisdiction of Nicaragua.
By the treaty of 1850, between Great
Britain and Nicaragua, the former gov
ernment expressly recognized the SOW
ereignty of the latter over the strip and a
limited form of self government was
guaranteed to the Mosquito Indians to
be exercised according to their Gus
toms for themselves and other dwellers
within its limits. The so-called native
government, which grew to be largely
made up of aliens, for many years dis
puted the sovereignty Of Nicaragua over
the strip and claimed the right to main
tain the reign practically independent of
municipal government. Early in the
past year, the efforts of Nicaragua to
maintain sovereignty over the Mosquito
territory led to serious disturbances,
eliminating in the suppression of native
government and the attempted substitu-
tion of an impracticable compact ad-
ministration, in which Nicaragua and
alien residents were to participate. The
failure was followed by an insurrection,
which, for time, subverted Nicaraguan
rule, e1pslling her officers and restoring
the old organization. This, in time
gave place to the existing local govern
ment established and upheld by Nicar-
aqua.
Although the alien interests arrayed
against Nicaragua in these transactions
have been largely American and the com
merce of that region for some time has
been, and still is, chiefly controlled by
our citizens, we can not, for that reason,
challenge the rightful sovereignty Of
Nicaragua over this important part of
her domain. For some months, one, and
during part of the term, two of our naval
ships have been stationed at Blewfelds
for the protection of all the legitimate
interests of our citizens. In September
last, the government at Managua expelled
from the territory twelve or more for
eigners, including two Americans for al
legged participation in the seditious or
revolutionary movements against the re-
public at Bewfields, already mentioned.
Though the earnest demonstration of this
government, the two Americans have been
permitted to return to the peaceful man
agement of their business. Our naval
commanders, at the scene of this disturb
ance, by the constant exhibition of firm
ness and good Judgment, have contributed
largely to the prevention of more serious
conseq uences and to the restoration of
quiet and order. regret that, in the
midst Of these occurrences, there opened
MOST GRAVE, IRRITATING FAILURE
of Nicaraguan justice. An American
citizen, named Wilson, residing at Rama,
in the Mosquito territory, was murdered
by one Arguello, the acting governor OF
the town. After some delay the murder.
er was arrested, but so iHsecurely con-
lined or guarded that he escaped, and
notwithstanding our repeated demands it
is claimed that his recapture has been i'm
possible by reason of his flight beyond
Nicaraguan jurisdiction.
The Nicaraguan authorities, having
giving notice of forfeiture Of their con-
cession to the canal company, on grounds
purely technical and not embraced in the
contract, receded from that position.
Peru, regret to say, shows symptoms
of domestic disturbance, due probably to
the slowness Of her recuperation from
the war of 1881. Weakened in resources,
her difficulties in facing international eb-
legations invite our kindly sympathy and
justify our forbearance in pressing long
pending claims. I have felt constrained
to testify this sympathy in connection
With certain demands urgently preferred
by other powers.
The recent death OF the czar of Russia
called forth appropriate expressions of
sorrow and sympathy on the part OF our
government with his bereaved family and
the Russian people.
The government of Salvador, having
been overthrown by
AN ABRUPT POPULAR OUTBREAK,
certain of its military and civil officers,
while hotly pursued by infuriated insur-
gents, sought refuge on board the United
States warship Bennington, then lying in
a Salvadorean port. Although the prac-