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means of effecting what was expected from the rights of justice and the 

 counsels of prudence, and that in this way the serious evils would be 

 avoided which so deplorable a state of things would necessarily produce — 

 since your government is the first which has communicated to the world 

 that spirit of moderation^ and that respect for the rights and possessions of 

 independent states, which it professes with such sincerity and which it is 

 desirous to instil in all other nations. 



But all its hopes were unhappily disappointed. On the first day of the 

 month of January of this year, Mr. Patrick Walker, with the title of regent 

 of the so-called King of Mosquito^, presented himself in the port of San 

 Juan de Nicaragua, under the protection of a vessel of war, with the ob- 

 ject of effecting the occupation which had been intimated. In vain were 

 all the measures proposed by an especial agent of the government of this 

 State to enter into a pacific arrangement; for the voice of reason was too 

 weak to be heard in the midst of the excitement which attended already 

 the negotiation of this affair. The agent of the State, yielding, as it was 

 natural he should do, to a superior force, made no opposition to the occu- 

 pation of the said port, but addressed to Mr. Walker the protest of which 

 I have the honor to enclose a copy, marked No. 1. That act should be 

 considered, not only as an outrage upon the flag of the republic, which 

 was lowered with opprobrious and unusual noise, but also as a declaration 

 of war, not to be tolerated by my govenmient,* Mr. Walker proceeding^ 

 as he did^ in the name of tribes which it considers, though undisciplined 

 and barbarous, as subjects of the State, and who consequently merit pun- 

 ishment by its laws, as guilty of high treason. It was therefore neither 

 consistent with its power nor its duty to permit the pacific enjoyment of 

 an occupation acquired by violence and maintained by force. It was thus 

 indispensable to try all means of removing from the place those persons 

 who, under such auspices, had taken possession of a locality which my 

 government considered to belong to the State j and^ with this intent, when 

 the force departed from the port, the new occupation of the 9th of January 

 was effected, in which two persons were taken prisoners, who exercised 

 offices in the name of the invader — some other inconsiderable trifles being 

 taken at the same time. All this appeared conformable to the law of na- 

 tions: and my government understood that a moderate exercise of this law 

 could not offend any one^ and much less the worthy government of her 

 Majesty the Queen of the three United Kingdoms, with which it has 

 always endeavored to cultivate relations of amity and confidence^ which 

 might serve not only for the maintenance of its political system^ but also 

 of the peace and mutual intercourse of the two countries. 



After the affair of the 9th of January another event took place^ which 

 it was not possible to foresee, nor was it within the means of my govern- 

 ment to guard against. Captain Granville G. Loch, in command of her 

 Britannic Majesty's ship-of-war Alarm/' arrived at the port of San 

 Juan de Nicaragua, accompanied by two other vessels; which forces pen- 

 etrated into the interior of the river, without having previously communi- 

 cated with the commandant, who was there, by order of this government^ 

 intrusted with the defence of the same^ and, on the 12th of the following 

 February, attacked the forces which were stationed at the point of Sera- 

 pique. The forces of the State yielded, with very little resistance; and 

 Captain Granville occupied the whole course of the river with his vessels, 

 as far as the port of San Carlos^ which is situated at its entrance^ arid 



