Mr. Molina to Mr. Seward.
Most excellent Sir: I have the honor to place within the knowledge of your excellency that on the night of Saturday last, the 27th instant, there was held in the suburbs of this capital, at a place called the McClellan barracks, a meeting of persons of color, called together by the Hon. Mr. Pomeroy, in order to address them in regard to his proposed colonization, on which occasion and at which place he did in fact make a speech to them, urging them to join in the expedition which he was preparing, and which would leave at the beginning of the approaching October, bound for Central America; and he pictured to then in brilliant colors the advantages of that country, pointing out to them, on a map prepared for this purpose, the place on Lake Chiriqui at which it is proposed to land and establish the colony.
If it were possible to doubt the event, I should refuse to believe it, having before me the prompt and frank reply which your excellency was pleased to make me under date of the 24th instant, informing me that orders and instructions were given not to carry or to land such a colony, or to attempt its establishment [Page 905] in any of the five states of Central America, nor in that claimed by Costa Rica, or in the undisputed territory of New Granada, unless the consent not only of the authorities actually exercising jurisdiction in the last-named country was previously obtained, but that of the government of New Granada, represented at this government, and with which diplomatic relations are kept up; but it has been represented to me by three trustworthy persons who witnessed the occurrence and who listened to the speech of the Hon. Mr. Pomeroy.
However great my surprise, I must suppose the fact to be indubitable by supposing that the orders and instructions of your excellency’s government may have got astray or been delayed for some cause, and that Mr. Pomeroy proceeded on the occasion referred to without a knowledge of them, or that he was dragged forward by extraneous and unscrupulous influences; and I expect from your excellency’s justice that you will be pleased to make the necessary provision to insure the prompt and effectual fulfilment of the orders referred to.
I have had the pleasure of preparing for transmission the important communication of your excellency before mentioned, satisfied that it could not fail to promote in Central America the liberal policy of justice and kindness which it breathes; and I am unwilling that the satisfaction with which it must be received by the governments that I have the honor to represent and its beneficial effects should be rendered nugatory by this incident, as would happen if it came to their knowledge unsatisfactorily explained.
I avail myself of the opportunity to state to your excellency that, whatever may be the declarations of Mr. Thompson, it appears, from a comparison of the maps to which I had the honor of calling the attention of your excellency in my note of the 19th instant, that all the lands to which he lays claim in virtue of grants of the province of Chiriqui, in New Granada, are within limits claimed by Costa Rica; and that, even if they extended into indisputable New Granadian territory, the fact does not appear from those maps, nor are his claims improved thereby, seeing that the competent court in New Granada has declared his alleged titles to be null, and that there is not an inch of ground on the isthmus of Chiriqui which does not belong either to Costa Rica or to New Granada.
I have the honor to reiterate the sentiments of high consideration and distinguished esteem with which I am your excellency’s obedient servant.
His Excellency Mr. William H. Seward, &c., &c., &c.