Santa Fe daily New Mexican. [volume] (Santa Fe, N.M.) 1885-1897, 1895-04-29

DeIuk sopbTducu ITuui Iuo HidlulhHu w a
stretch of marshy ground. This is
traversed by bridges and without them
Corinto is cut of from the shore. The
Nicaraguans have retired to the shore
ON the bridges, and those we'll informed
on the situation believe that If the
British make any mo vement to CROSS the
lagoon the bridges will be burned and the
little band Of Nicaraguan troops
WILL MAKE STAND
against further Entertainments. The
British are evidently apprehensive of
trouble on this score, as indicated by
the cablegrams from Colon showing that
three vessels, Royal Arthur, Wild Swan
and Satellite, have been 80 placed as to
command the town with their guns. It
is probable that this disposition has been
made 80 as to insure the occupying
forces, numbering about forty armed
men, from an attack from the Nicara-
guans rather than with any deliberate
purpose OF bombarding the town, for
there is no evidence that the British de-
sire to advance into the interior at pres
ent, and it was certainly not part of the
original program of operations as made
known to our government to lombard
the place.
The news OF the situation at Corinto
created a commo otion here, and partlcu-
larry in the state department. Sir Julian
Pauncefote, the British ambassador,
came to the department, and after re-
maining lin private consultation with
Secretary Gresham for a short time, She
two repaired. to the was Svls.. ,rtment to
consult with Secretary Lan'ons.
There can be no doubt that the action
of the Nicaraguan government in declar-
ing Corinto closed port has seriously
implicated this most troublesome ques-
tion, and even if there is no resort to
hostilities at present it opens
PROSPECT OF ALARMING EVENTS
in the future, which may and in fact are
even regarded as likely to involve the
United States directly In the affair, in
spite of the earnest disposition of the ad-
to avoid the ENHANCEMENT.
The action means that no goods can now
be entered at Corinto, a port which has
heretofore received over half of the i'm
ports into the country, without violating
the national law of Nicaragua. The Brit
ish may collect duties if any goods enter
the place, but the latter would be liable
to seizure the moment they crossed the
British lines into the interior. They
must do this to find market, for the
coast, being unhealthy, is thinly popul-
ated and the great consuming class of the
population lives in the interior.
The first effect of the decree closing
the port therefore will probably be to
divert nearly all, ii not the entire i'm
port trade Of the place to San Juan Del
Sur, or perhaps ReAlajo, a seaport near
by, for 1t is improbable that many mer-
chants will take the chances of getting
their goods into Nicaragua through the
British lines under the circumstances.
In this case, the length of the stay of
the British at Corinto is problematical,
conditional as it il upon collecting
enough revenue from customs to make
good the indemnity demand. But another
consideration arises at this point, for
OUR GOVERNMENT
has been assured that the occupation will
not be permanent, and indeed the
first paragraph of the Clayton -Bulwer
treaty expressly pledges Great Britain
against any occupation of Nicaraguan
territory. So the problem will arise how
to collect the indemnity without extending
the occupation and blockade beyond Cor
into, so as to include all Of the Pacific
ports of Nicaragua. From the disposition
shown by the Nicaraguans at present
this can be done only BY force, and is
likely to add largely to the expense INCUR
red in the collection of the indemnity,
which items will surely be added by the
British to the original sum.
The course, moreover, would serious-
ly embarrass the commerce of the Unitee
States and on this point Great Britain
has given Secretary Gresham certain as-
surances of the manner in which the
British may be sure of attaining their
ends by prompt declaration of war and
AN INVASION OF NICARAGUA
involving the capture Of the capital Man
aqua, and the imposition upon the Nicar-
aouans of the British terms as the price
Of peace.
II may be that the British government
will be driven to the latter course in the
interest Of trade-our own as we'll as that
of her own merchants, which sheis bouna
to safeguard. If goods entered at Corinto
after payment of duty to the British oc
cupants should be seized In the interior,
the owners, British or American, would
have every claim for reparation. The
only question is as to whose duty 1t
would be to secure this-whether the
United States would feel bound to inter-
yene in the case of an American mer-
chant in such case, and therein lies one
Of the factors which may involve our
country directly in the dispute.
THE CLOSED PoRt.
The Panama Railway company has is-
sued notice to the agents of the various
steamship lines whose vessels run to the
isthmus, notifying them of the close Of
Corinto, in order that they may take the
necessary action to protect freight and
passengers on route for Corinto.
New York.--Orders for goods to be
sent TO Corinto have been countermanded
until the blockade 10 raised. The pros.