No. 69.
Mr. Baker
to Mr. Gresham.
Managua, July 11, 1894. (Received August 3.)
Sir: I beg to acknowledge the receipt of yours bearing date of June 30, referring to the replacing of soldiers in the town of Bluefields by the Nicaraguan authorities after their removal had been agreed to as a prudential measure by Mr. Madriz, the special commissioner to the Mosquito Indian Reserve.
I have carefully read your instructions contained in this communication and I fully appreciate the soundness of the principles laid down, as well as the necessity of a strict observance, on my part, of those principles. I have not failed to comprehend the true relations of Nicaragua toward the Mosquito Indian Reserve and the relations existing between the United States and Nicaragua on the one hand and the Mosquito Reserve on the other.
What I sought to do was to allay strife and bitterness and misunderstandings where such existed. On my arrival at Bluefields, about April 26, I found the conditions about as bad as they could be. Neither the Nicaraguan authorities nor the foreign citizens were wholly to blame, but a condition bordering on anarchy existed. Ignorant men, without discipline, armed with muskets, promenaded the streets day and night, often in a frenzied manner, provoking frequent disturbances. Some of these “soldiers” were criminals released from the prisons, which latter were thrown wide open on the night of the “occupation.” The mere presence of this armed rabble upon the streets was provocative of breaches of the peace.
* * * * * * *
I deemed it my duty, in the exercise of a wise discretion as to the best mode of securing protection to American citizens residing in Blue-fields, to attempt to secure the removal of the firebrand from their midst. In doing so there was no denial of the sovereign rights of Nicaragua, directly or by implication. Mr. Madriz seemed to be in full sympathy with the views I expressed as to matters of policy, and readily agreed to the wisdom of removing all causes of irritation possible. His promise to remove the soldiers from Bluefields was voluntarily and cheerfully made.
My object in inclosing to you the note of Mr. Charles Lobner, as I did [Page 117] in my No. 282, was for the purpose of giving you another illustration of the contempt in which Gen. G. A. Lacayo, the commissioner, held the orders of his superior officer, Mr. Madriz.
I have, etc.,