Mr. Braida to Mr.
Uhl.
Consulate
of the United States,
San Juan del
Norte, August 30, 1894.
(Received September 25.)
Sir: I beg to transmit herewith a letter just
received from Capt. B. B. Seat, United States consular agent at Bluefields,
addressed to me, in order to contradict false representations, most
inopportune at the present moment and injurious to our citizens. I also
include copy of a report of Mr. Seat to Capt. Commander G. W. Sumner, of the
U. S. S. Columbia, dated August 15.
Her Britannic Majesty’s ship Mohawk arrived off Grey
Town this morning, coming from Port Limon. Mr. H. F. Bingham, the former
consul, came ashore, when the man-of-war left in the direction of
Bluefields, 10 a.m.
I have, etc.,
[Inclosure 1.]
Mr. Seat to Mr.
Braida.
Bluefields, Nicaragua, August
27, 1894.
My Dear Sir: I have just now read an article
published in the Times-Democrat of the 17th instant, purporting to give
an account of the reoccupation of Bluefields by the Nicaraguans. I must
say that this article fills me with amazement and disgust.
After making disrespectful allusions to Captain Sumner and Captain
O’Neil, both of whom have been faithful and true in the discharge of
their whole duty as American naval officers, this scurrilous article
goes on to say that “a few American flags were torn down by their owners
as a result of the action of these officers in leaving Americans to the
mercy of the foreigners. Even the American consul there was ready to
pull down his flag and give up his commission as an empty fraud which
afforded no protection to his people.”
All of which is false, and a slander not only upon the American naval
officers and myself, but upon the better class of the Americans who
reside in Bluefields. The name of the author is not given, but it is
clear from the date of the article that it was written by a nonresident
who has no interest here, and who would sneakingly give a stab to his
countrymen to gratify perhaps imagined grievance of his own.
This article was dated Mobile, August 15, 1894, and, like many of its
predecessors, was anonymous and apparently written with a reckless
disregard of truth and calculated to create a sensation abroad. Ever
since the local troubles began strangers have been dropping into this
town and disappearing again in a few days, and then follow in the papers
long articles distorting the facts and entailing injury upon the people
they so wantonly calumniate.
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I am surprised that a newspaper of any standing will open its columns to
these unknown correspondents, who, for all they know, may have secret
and dishonest motives in writing such articles. You will see the article
referred to in the New Orleans Times-Democrat of the 17th, and is dated
Mobile, August 15, 1894.
Yours, etc.,
B. B. Seat,
United States Consular Agent.
[Inclosure 2.]
Mr. Seat to Captain
Sumner.
Dear Captain: In conformity with your request I
have the honor to report herewith that the town of Bluefields has been
unusually quiet during the past week. I am not officially informed of
what has been transpiring at the headquarters of Minister Madriz since
the recent occupation by the Nicaraguan forces.
I am told, however, that some sort of an investigation has been going on,
apparently with the view of identifying American residents of Bluefields
with the uprising on the nights of the 5th and 6th of July. According to
reports some mercantile firms have been charged with selling arms and
ammunition to the natives, but thus far they have not succeeded in
fixing upon any of said firms any criminal intent in selling firearms to
the natives. All the merchants are licensed to sell general merchandise,
and under such license they have for a number of years been importing
large quantities of firearms and selling same to miners, rubber cutters,
and others who go into the jungles. If the law makes no special
prohibition against the sale of firearms, no criminal intent is to be
inferred from the fact of such sale.
I do not imagine that anyone would be adjudged guilty of an offense upon
a mere ex parte hearing, or that a trial would be conducted secretly
without giving the defendant an opportunity of being confronted with the
withesses against him and to make his defense either by himself or by
his attorney. For these reasons I presume the present investigation is
being conducted as a court of inquiry having powers, duties, aims, and
purposes similar to those of our grand juries in the United States.
The man Juan Soto was before the magistrate Mougrio yesterday. I do not
know if an investigation was made by Mougrio yesterday or not. I
presume, however, that he has not completed such investigation, if he
has commenced it at all. Mougrio stated yesterday that the main withess
had gone up the river to Rama. I send you an affidavit made before me
yesterday by a woman who lives here in Bluefields.
We have Nicaraguan soldiers with rifles and bayonets passing about
through the streets, but they do not challenge anyone and seem to be
very quiet and orderly. Martial law still obtains, and some of the
merchants are considerably exercised over the fact, as the existence of
martial law suspends the liability of insurance companies and thereby
exposes the merchants to great loss in case of accident.
B. B. Seat,
United States Consular Agent.
P. S. I am just informed that Mougrio tried the case of Juan Soto
to-day, and that he adjudged him guilty of a breach of the peace and
sentenced
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him to
twenty-five days’ imprisonment and requires a bond in the sum of
$100 to keep the peace for one year. In the meantime the Mexican
one, Pedro Diaz, has been kept in close confinement under the
operation of martial law since about the 6th instant without a
trial.
Respectfully,
