I have the honor to be, sir, very respectfully, your obedient
servant,
Hon. William H. Seward,
Secretary of State, Washington, D. C.
A.
Rear-Admiral Palmer to Mr. Sullivan.
Flag-ship Susquehanna,
Aspinwall,
August 8, 1867.
Sir: I wish to apprise you of my arrival in
the flag-ship Susquehanna on the coast of Colombia, but fear, as you
are so far in the interior, that I shall not be fortunate enough to
obtain an interview; but from all that I can learn, and can observe,
this republic appears to be again quiet, and our railroad people
have nothing to apprehend. I shall be glad, however, to learn from
you the state of affairs, and shall be at Carthegena by about the
20th or 22d of this month. Hoping you will receive this
communication in time to send a reply to Carthegena before I leave
that for Santa Martha and La Guayra, I remain, very respectfully,
your obedient servant,
JAS. S. PALMER, Rear-Admiral, Commanding
North Atlantic Squadron.
Hon. Peter J. Sullivan,
United States Minister, Bogota, United States
of Colombia.
B.
Mr. Sullivan to Rear-Admiral Palmer.
Legation of the United
States,
Bogota,
August 27, 1867.
Sir: I have the honor to acknowledge the
receipt of your very polite and intelligent letter of the 8th
instant, informing me of your arrival in the flag-ship Susquehanna
on the coast of Colombia, and desiring to learn from me the the
state of affairs here by the 22d instant, which reached me but last
night.
Peace prevails here at present; Congress is in session; General
Mosquera is still in prison impatiently awaiting his trial for
treason and malappropriation of some $45,000 of government funds,
while minister to England.
On the 9th instant I addressed a communication to “Any of our naval
commanders in the waters of Colombia,” of which the following is an
abstract:
“Sir: The Colombiau government haviug
refused to receive or acknowledge the steamer R. R. Cuyler, alias
the war steamer Rayo, and is desirous to return her to the [Page 1031] port of New York, there
to be delivered up to the proper owner, as the United State’s may
direct, but having no means at its disposal, the government of
Colombia asks, as a favor, that the United States authorities will
take her to New York for the purpose indicated; and lest that I
should involve my government in so serious a matter before knowing
its views on the subject, I assured the Colombian government that I
would lay the case before the State Department and await its
decision.
“Until further instructions you will repair forthwith to, and keep
strict secret surveillance over, the said steamer Rayo, her armament
and other property, so far as to prevent her from being used for
piratical or other unlawful purposes, detrimental to the rights and
dignity of our government.
* * * * * * *
“You will report to me from time to time your action and the course
of events in this case.”
From the general report which I have had of your sound discretion and
great ability as a naval commander, I trust that said communication
has reached you ere this time.
An admiral of the Peruvian navy has just arrived in this city, for
the purpose, as I have been informed, of inducing this government to
permit him to take this steamer to his country, she having been
bought privately by Peru to be used against Spain.
I have obtained and forwarded to Washington a copy of the secret
treaty entered into by General Mosquera and the Peruvian government,
on the subject of the war between Spain, Peru, and Chili. The
purchase of this war steamer, and knowing that fraud has been
perpetrated upon our government in the fitting out, manning in, and
bringing this steamer from the United States, caused me to issue the
said order.
Those southern republics, now at war with Spain, are endeavoring to
force Venezuela into their scheme of one grand southern confederacy,
which, if successful in its scheme of annexing Cuba—perhaps
Mexico—would undoubtedly tend to check the most vital interests and
prosperity of our country. But having now discovered their
unfriendly feeling towards us, we are, at last, in a favorable
position to take care of ourselves, yet we must not forget that
these republics are struggling to uphold republican governments
against the organized efforts of their powerful foes.
It is our “manifest destiny” to give vitality to, as also to preserve
the existence of these republics; but they must be given to
understand that, while we are able and willing to protect them from
the grasping power of monarchists, they must not snub us with
impunity, as in the case of this secret treaty, and its ultimate
objects.
We are now all right with this government.
I have the honor to be, sir, very respectfully, your obedient
servant,
Jas. S. Palmer,
Rear-Admiral United States Navy, Commanding
North American Squadron, &c., &c., &c.
