Mr. Merry to Mr.
Hay.
Legation of the United States of America,
Bluefields, Nicaragua, April
26, 1899.
No. 242.]Sir: I inclose herewith (inclosure No. 1) copy
of a letter addressed to General Reyes by the president of the
Bluefields Board of Trade, his reply, and letter from the president of
the board to me, testifying to the neutrality of the merchants here
during the late revolt of General Reyes. There is no doubt that General
Reyes did all in his power to enlist their aid, but they had little
confidence in his success and generally held aloof from his movement.
Had they done otherwise they might have accomplished his success, for,
including the
[Page 574]
Emery Mahogany
Concessionary Company, they could have furnished him over 200 Americans,
in addition to the 54 foreigners that prepared to aid him, of whom 28
were Americans, and these men without permanent interests here. Mr.
Peterson, president of the Board of Trade, is a Norwegian by birth, but
a naturalized American, and appears uo be a reliable man.
With assurances, etc.,
William Lawrence Merry,
United States Minister.
[Inclosure.]
Mr. Peterson to
Mr. Merry.
Bluefields, Nicaragua, April 24,
1899.
Dear Sir: As president of the Chamber of
Commerce, composed of the leading merchants of Bluefields and coast
towns, I respectfully submit for your consideration a copy of a
letter dated December 10, 1898, which said board of commerce
directed to J. P. Reyes, general intendente of the Atlantic coast.
Also attached you will find his original reply, with a translation
of same.
With Mr. Henry Springer, acting as interpreter, I presented this
letter on the 10th of December, and, during our conversation with
Reyes, he stated that in event of President Zelaya compelling him to
enforce the increase of duties on this coast he would resign. I
assured him it was our desire to see him remain in his official
position; that he knew the coast and its needs, and that his
influence with the President would do more than ours in getting the
matter arranged, but that we did not expect, nor was it our desire,
that he oppose the President to such extent as would cause him to
resign or lose his position.
The general asked what assistance he could expect from merchants if
he took a stand against the President. My reply was that the
merchants here were foreigners, and, as such could give no
assistance whatsoever in any actual resistance against the
Government.
I submit this as evidence that merchants of this town are in no
manner guilty of accusations that tend to show they encouraged or
promoted the late revolution.
Yours, respectfully,
- J. A. Peterson,
President of the Board of Trade of
Bluefields. - Henry F. Springer.
United States Consular
Agency,
Bluefields, Nicaragua,
April 26, 1899.
Sworn to and subscribed in my presence by Henry F. Springer and
J. A. Peterson.
[
seal.]
M. J. Clancy, Consular Agent.
[Subinclosure 1.]
Bluefields Board of
Trade to General Reyes.
Bluefields, Nicaragua, December 10, 1898.
Dear Sir: The board of trade desire on
behalf of the community to tender you their thanks for the firm
stand you have taken in their behalf regarding the tariff to be
enforced on January 1 next, and trust your efforts, combined with
ours, may result in its reconsideration on the part of the Supreme
Government, and that the tariff of 1888 may be permitted to remain
in force to assist you in your progressive works on this coast.
We earnestly ask of you in any event not to carry out your
determination to leave the head of the Government here, but to
remain at the helm to continue, as you have always done, working for
the welfare of the people.
Bluefields Board of Trade.
[Page 575]
[Subinclosure
2.—Translation.]
General Reyes
to Bluefields Board of
Trade.
Bluefields, December 10,
1898.
Gentlemen: I received your attentive
dispatch of to-day’s date.
You can rest assured that I will do all in my power that the tariff
of September 1 is not declared in force in this littoral, and that I
shall spare no efforts in securing this.
I highly appreciate the wishes you cherish of seeing me remain here,
and it will be a pleasure to me to prove myself worthy of these acts
of good government.
Expressingto you my smcerest consideration, I remain, your attentive
servant,
