No. 109.
Mr. Fish
to Mr. Williamson.
Washington, May 26, 1874.
Sir: I am in receipt of your dispatch No. 139, of the 25th ultimo, relating to the outrage upon Mr. Magee, vice-consul of Great Britain at San José de Guatemala.
Reports had already reached this Department of some such action on the part of the commandante of that place, and an account appeared in the newspapers of yesterday, giving many of the particulars and stating that—
Passengers who were on the steamer Arizona, which was in port when all this was going on, speak very strongly against Mr. James, the United States consul, (consular agent,) for not interfering to save Magee from the cruelty of the commandante.
I will thank you to investigate this matter and inform the Department as to Mr. James’s conduct in the affair.
In justice to him, I will state that the first account which reached here was of an entirely different nature, and stated that Mr. James had acted with energy and promptness.
I am, &c.,