Mr. Braida to Mr. Uhl.

Sir: I have the honor to transmit herewith copy of my dispatch to Hon. L. Baker, United States minister at Managua.

I beg to report that I shall stay here until the arrival of a United States war ship or other orders, considering lives and property of our citizens not at all secured.

I am, etc.,

S. C. Braida,
United States Consul.
[Inclosure.]

Mr. Braida to Mr. Baker.

Sir: On the afternoon of March 14 a meeting was held in the clubhouse by the Americans to tender to the captain commander of Her British Majesty’s ship Cleopatra and to his officers and men their most sincere thanks for the maintenance of order and security.

The American residents then discussed and adopted a resolution to send a delegation to Washington, D. C., to state to the home Government the great importance of the political changes in the Mosquito Reservation, concerning their enterprises, commerce and traffic in general, as they considered their welfare endangered.

Consular Agent Mr. B. B. Seat and Mr. Sam. Weil, merchant, were unanimously elected, and Mr. George D. Emery, of Boston, Mass. (mahogany firm), will join the delegation at Washington.

Since that time all sorts of attempts have been made to induce us Americans to compromise ourselves to become a party in the suspicious [Page 257] arrangements entered into between the British officials, Captain Commander Howe and Her British Majesty’s Consul Bingham, with Commissioner Lacayo and General Cabezas to form a provisional government upon a basis which we considered un-American, unfair to the best interests of the inhabitants of the reservation at large, and expressly contrary to the Managua treaty of 1860, therefore relieving the English and Nicaraguan officials of all responsibility of the infraction of the treaty of Managua and the Clayton-Bulwer treaty (if there be an infraction) and throwing the responsibility upon our shoulders. We unanimously decided to decline all offers to participate in a provisional government under the condition offered us by the above-named agents of the two high contracting powers to the treaty of Managua.

Believing that Mosquito under Spanish rule means the utter ruin of all that American capital and energy has accomplished and built up here in such a wonderfully successful manner in the past few years. The experience we have had during the past year was tyranny, injustice, and oppression in the most outrageous forms. We suffered without being able to get the least satisfaction or redress.

The facts have decided our people here to make a last effort, in sending a delegation to Washington to explain the situation and to prove to the United States Government the need of immediate action. * * *

Since Monday morning, March 19, another attempt has been made to form a provisional government, and notwithstanding the reiterated refusals of the Americans to take part in the proposed government, General Lacayo has taken it upon himself to make personal, appointments to proposed provisional council, which appointments have in every instance been declined by both Americans and natives.

I beg to state that at this time the natives, Creoles as well as Indians, have completely taken our standpoint and will under all circumstances go with us to maintain autonomy to Mosquito.

At 3.40 p.m. to-day, March 21, the river steamer Hendy arrived with 30 soldiers on board with their arms boxed. This was in direct violation to the agreement made in my presence on the 19th instant at 2 p.m. that Nicaragua would under no pretext bring soldiers, nor employ Nicaraguans in the police force. This created great excitement among the populace, and when I asked Mr. Bingham at the British consulate if this was not a breach of his agreement with General Lacayo, he intimated that he was powerless to act; after which I left him with the impression that the whole proceeding was but another intrigue, and tried to quiet the general excitement.

Later in the evening, at the request of several American citizens, I called on General Lacayo to find out what course he intended to pursue in regard to keeping order in the town.

During the course of conversation I suggested that he place the town in the hands of the Americans for the night, guaranteeing to keep peace and order on condition that General Lacayo would promise to keep his soldiers in their quarters. General Lacayo expressed himself very much pleased and entirely satisfied to have us do the police duty for the night. I left him, telling him I would call a meeting of Americans and lay the proposition before them. I called the meeting, in which also the natives, Germans, and others participated, and it was resolved to do the police duty for the night.

Myself, accompanied by a committee from the meeting, then called upon General Lacayo to inform him that we would take charge of the town for the night. He thanked us, but said that within the last two [Page 258] hours circumstances had arisen which would compel him to take charge of the town himself with his soldiers.

This a.m., March 22, Her British Majesty’s Consul Bingham left on the British Majesty’s ship Canada for Grey Town.

I have received no dispatches whatever in a fortnight.

I am, etc.,

S. C. Braida,
United States Consul.