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Doc. No. 75. 



suffer herself to be drawn into any controversy about the port and river 

 of San Juan. I think it most likely that her agents will endeavor to effect 

 some arrangements with the canal company^ by which passage shall be 

 granted for the proposed work upon certain conditions, favorable to their 

 interests. By this means they may flatter themselves they will be suc- 

 cessful in holding their position without involving themselves in a contro- 

 versy or provoking a scrutiny into their title. 



September 12 — Yesterday arrived Mr. Castellon, late envoy of this 

 republic in England. I was correct in informing the department that he 

 had been recalled, but mistaken in conveying the impression that the step 

 had been taken in consequence of dissatisfaction as to his public course. 

 His mission it was hardly expected would produce any favorable result. 



*^ ^ ^ ^ ^ 



^ ^ ^ ^ ^ WW 



Mr. Castellon informs me that Mr. Bancroft had received instructions 

 from the department in the matter of the seizure of San Juan, and that he 

 had several interviews with Lord Palmerston on the subject. He tells me, 

 also, that Mr. Bancroft has reposed some confidence in Mr. Mohna, the 

 Costa Rican minister in England. I cannot too strongly warn the depart- 

 ment and the diplomatic agents of the United States against this artful 

 man. * * * * * No reliance can be placed upon 



his statements, so far as they may concern the dispute between Nicaragua 

 and Great Britain. The nature of the relations between Costa Rica and 

 Great Britain may be inferred from the circumstance, that when a rumor 

 reached London that hostilities were meditated on the part of Nicaragua 

 against Costa Rica, Lord Palmerston sent in haste for Castellon, to tell 

 him that Great Britain could not look with indifference upon such a 

 collision, inasmuch as the republic of Costa Rica was under British pro- 

 tection." 



Mr. Castellon also informs me that in a long and tedious interview with 

 Lord Palmerston (his final one,) that officer referred to the intervention of 

 the United States in the matter of the San Juan as of no kind of importance, 

 and warned Nicaragua to indulge no hopes in consequence. We have 

 been disposed," he added, to treat the United States with some 

 degree of consideration; but in reference to this question, it is a matter of 

 total indifference to her Majesty's government what she may say or do." 



I repeat these things as I received them, and see no reason to suspect 

 any exaggeration on the part of Senor Castellon. But however this may 

 be, I send herewith a document, under Lord Palmerston 's own hand, 

 which will prove interesting to the department, (B.) 



It is a letter addressed to Senor Castellon, and received at the moment 

 of his departure from England. It is in reply to several notes addressed 

 by Mr. C. to the government, and contains the English exhibit of British 

 pretensions on the Atlantic coast of Nicaragua and Honduras. In the 

 haste of copying it, I have only had time to run rapidly over its contents, 

 and it strikes me as the weakest State paper which ever fell under my 

 notice. Bad, indeed, must be the premises, when Lord Palmerston 

 himself makes out so poor a case. I ouly hope this document may appear 

 before the world side by side with the analysis of British pretensions 

 contained in my instructions. 



Mr. Castellon had an interview with Louis Napoleon, but found him 

 wholly uninformed upon the subject of the Nicaragua troubles. He how- 

 ever explained the case to him at some length, to which Napoleon replied 



