Solon Borland in Nicaragua, Pulaski Co, AR *********************************************************** Submitted by: Bill Boggess Date: 15 Oct 2008 Copyright. All rights reserved. http://www.usgwarchives.net/copyright.htm *********************************************************** MINSTER SOLON BORLAND (1811VA-1864TX) (APRIL 1853 to APRIL 1854) <1850 pic of Solon orland> First major United States Diplomant from Arkansas, fourth United States Senator from Arkansas, a United States Army Major, a Confederate Army Colonel. (10/22/08) http://community.webtv.net/billboggess2/UNITEDSTATESSENATOR ENVOY EXTRAORDINARY and MINISTER PLENIPOLTENTIARY of CENTRAL AMERICA ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Nicaragua was but one of Doctor Solon BORLAND's over thirty years of public service, spending about seven months in that country, --- long enough to establish: 1)- an important agreement with the Nicaraguan government regarding Britain's aggressive land confiscations during past five or more years, 2)- the multitude of British abuses against American citizens and their properties around Greytown (San Juan de Norte) and, 3)- a paid temporary force for protection of Americans in Nicaragua against British-Jamiacian troopers and officials of Greytown (San Juan de Norte). Great Britain's treatment of American citizens and their properties in Nicaragua and the taking of Central American countries lands since 1848 was unacceptable and of national interest to President Franklin PIERCE so beginning of his administration he choose to confront Great Britain. To attain his goal he needed two strong willed individuals, so choose and engaged 42 y/o Senator Solon BORLAND for Central America and former Senator then Secretary of State under POLK, a party to nation's 49th parallel settlement with the Brits, 62 y/o James BUCHANAN for England, however finding an unfriendly, national and world wide press against his administration. Review Secretary of State, William L MARCY's 17 June 1853 instructional letter to United States Minister to Nicaragua, Solon BORLAND. <----------<>----------> Solon accepted President Franklin PIERCE's appointment and resigned his senate seat when appointed 'Envoy Extraordinary and Minister Plenipotentiary' --- after turning down April 8, 1853 offer as governor of New Mexico Territory, becoming the first person so commissioned to the individual republics, Costa Rica, Guatemala, Honduras, Salvador, as well as to "Central America.", but second minister following John Bozman KERR (1808MD-1878DC) to Nicaragua, -- officially 18 April 1853, passport obtained 27 April 1853. Solon arrived 15 May 1853 at Little Rock, Arkansas spending a few weeks with family in Hot Springs, purchasing a home in Little Rock, and half interest in a newspaper, then leaving for New Orleans 4th of July, no doubt spending time with brother Euclid, visiting 100-y/o slave Rose on brother's sugar plantation forty-nine miles south of the city, arriving Into this tense atmosphere at Managua 16 September1853, serving until June 1854, with bloody battling starting May 5th, about two weeks before he departed. Other southern gentlemen later served, such as his hometown acquaintance John Hill WHEELER (1806NC-1882DC) (younger brother, Samuel Jordon, was with Solon in 1831 Nate Turner rebellion), serving 2 August 1854, arrived 7 April 1855, left 23 October1856, then Texan Mirabeau Buonaparte LAMAR (1798GA-1859TX). NICARAGUA: ~~~~~~~~~~~~ Nicaragua became an important Central American nation as early as 1823, gaining interest of both, Great Britain and United States, when Spanish ended their authority 1 July 1821. www.scuttlebuttsmallchow.com/usmcnic1.html It was considered a likely route for a canal linking the two oceans (may still so be). Even more so when California and Oregon Territories became a part of United States in 1848 and with California's 1849 gold rush plus Pierce's trade treaty with Japan. January 1, 1848, the British SEIZED Nicaragua's port then and now known as San Juan del Norte located at the mouth of the Río San Jaan river at its southern most Caribbean coast, re-nameing it Greytown --- EXPELLING Nicaraguan officials --- replaced with British-Jamaicans. The port was a small Nicaraguan fort and customs station prior to 1848, the start of its period of rapid growth as a foreign merchant enclave was with United States citizen Cornelius VANDERBILT (1794NY-1877NY) www.vanderbilt.edu/News/register/Mar11_02/story8.htm and his Accessory Transit Company which became a big concern to the British (who illegally hampered its operations), beginning with the California Gold Rush, when thousands of travelers crossed the isthmus through this port on their way to or from San Francisco all while we were busy settling affairs after our Mexican war. The following year, 1849, Britain FORCED Nicaragua to sign a treaty recognizing British rights over the Miskito on the Caribbean coast, which the British called the Mosquito Coast (present-day Costa de Mosquitos). By mid-1852, Great Britain had confiscated control of the Caribbean Sea coastline south from Mexico along Central America the off shore Bay Islands and the only viable access to the Pacific Ocean, Greytown, on the Rio San Juan river, formerly, Nicaragua's San Juan de Norte ~ ~ ~ this concerned President PIERCE and others. August 26, 1849 a contract was signed between "Commodore" Cornelius VANDERBILT, a United States businessman, and the Nicaraguan government granting VANDERBILT's company--the Accessory Transit Company-- exclusive rights to build a transisthmian canal within twelve years, raising major concerns with Britain. Accessory Transit Company's passengers were loaded aboard a steamboat that took them up the Rio San Juan River a waterway sufficiently navigable that the British and Spanish used to have naval battles on it to Lake Nicaragua. The 10th largest freshwater lake in the world, the 'sweet sea' is about 80 miles by 30 miles, and is home to the only fresh water sharks in the world as well as 400 islands. After the passengers had been taken across the lake, they were dropped off at Rivas and put on stagecoaches for the 12-mile trip to San Juan del Sur. From San Juan del Sur, they took ships north to San Francisco or elsewhere. September 1849, the United States-Nicaragua treaty, along with VANDERBILT's contract, were approved by the Nicaraguan Congress. The contract provided VANDERBILT exclusive rights, while the canal was being completed, to use a land-and-water transit route across Nicaragua, which was miles shorter than one in what now is Panama, where a railroad was first constructed in 1855. 1850, Nicaragua was struggling with two lively conflicts, a bloody shooting war between its liberal and conservative groups and differences between the British and United States over the Central American countries. May 1850, while a United States Senator (4th from Arkansas),--- BORLAND claimed the Clayton-Bulwer Treaty (between Great Britain and United States) violated the Monroe Doctrine and stymied American growth! The opposition of the United States was due, very largely, to the fear that Britain would acquire a privileged position in regard to the proposed interoceanic canal. Great Britain, with her large presence in the Caribbean Sea, started 20 May 1852 confiscating the Caribbean coast of Central America, south of her interest at Balize/Belize and the Hondurian Bay Islands. This to the dissatisfaction of Central America countries and United States. Central American countries were in turmoil, finding they were unable to govern themselves with any stability against Great Britain and sorely in need of a friend. President PIERCE's apparent two pronged approach to correct things in Central America was implemented September 1853 simultanously in Central America and Great Britain with Minister BORLAND in Nicaragua and Minister BUCHANAN in England. Minister James BUCHANAN, in Great Britian, required Britain's withdraw from the coastal lands and bay islands south of Balize/Belize and Minister Solon BORLAND in Managua reached agreement with Nicaraguan government regarding the British confiscated lands within Nicaragua (Greytown and the coast line north). "Filibusters and Financiers", by Wm O Scroggs, 1916, ---Chapter VII p 71- 81, where in his research he concluded on page 77, (viewed 09/19/08), to wit: "There can be little doubt that all the trouble was instigated by the British consul and the ever present naval-officers.". Great Britain was reluctant to return Nicaragua her lands of Greytown (San Juan del Norte) operated by British-Jamaicans and her coastal land north, also, BORLAND's so-called 'insult incident' was but one minor, of several major on going and unjust problems being conducted against Americans by the British and was blown out of proportion world wide by unfriendly press, ~ ~ there after actions were taken by the United States and indeed, were justified when review the following: A Digest of the International Law of the United States: Taken from Documents ... - Page 594 by Francis Wharton - International law - 1887 (Bombardment of Greytown, July 1854) Documents Relative to Central American Affairs, and the Enlistment Question ... - Page 230 by United States Dept. of State, Great Britain Foreign Office - Central America - 1856 - 485 pages the republic; or a history of the united states of america in the ... - Page 210 ,1888 Central America and the United States: The Search for Stability - Page 21 by Thomas M. Leonard - Political Science - 1991 - 245 pages Solon's appointment to Nicaragua fit well into President PIERCE's overall program, --- which included; $10,000,000 Gadsden Purchase from Mexico for most southern rairoad route, survey for canal in Central America and three railroad routes from Mississippi river to Pacific ocean, attempt to acquire Cuba (by purchase or war), Hawaii and Alaska, plus opening trade in 1854 with The Treaty of Kanagawa, thus allowing trade with Japan and other Western nations. As minister, Solon called for the United States to repudiate the Clayton-Bulwer Treaty (of which President Teddy ROOSEVELT did achieve ca 1901, nearly a half-century after BORLAND's failed efforts) and for the American military to support Honduras in its confrontation with Britain over confiscated lands. Mid-October, in a public address in Nicaragua, he announced that it was his greatest ambition to see Nicaragua, "forming a bright star in the flag of the United States". Secretary of State William Learned MARCY (1786MA-1857NY), formerly; 1820 creator of Democrat party, U S Senator, Governor of New York, Secretary of War during Mexican war, ---- wrote a letter to BORLAND setting forth the "official" United States stance in the region which was giving him his most problems because Great Britain was trying to gain control of the area. (View MARCY's history) In 1854 MARCY had to deal with the complications growing out of the bombardment of Greytown under British rule since 1848 to 1860, (now San Juan del Norte, Nicaragua), ---- by the United States sloop-of-war "Cyane" for insults offered the American minister -- [Solon BORLAND] -- by its -- [Jamiacian officials and] -- inhabitants (which had been blown out of proportion) and for their refusal to make restitution for damages to American property. As BORLAND was leaving 16 May 1854, he interfered with a so-called, arrest of an American citizen (Captain SMITH had shot a crew member) this setting off international stories about their unfavorable Pierce administration to make the United States look bad, ~ ~ by a group of Jamaicans (NOT Nicaraguans) trying to take him to Greytown, the BRITISH -- NOT A NICARAGUA controlled city. Solon reportedly leveled a rifle at the Jamaicans, warning them to NOT board the vessel. See: Filibusters and Financiers: The Story of William Walker and His Associates - Page 75, by William Oscar Scroggs - Filibusters - 1916 BORLAND was held captive after going ashore and threatened with arrest by the Jamaicans, but after being held 48 hours was not, due to his diplomatic immunity. While arguing with local Jamaican officials, someone threw a bottle in his face leaving a scar on his forehead so noted in his daughters poem to him, At My Father's Feet http://files.usgwarchives.org/tn/shelby/newspapers/atmyfath3nw.txt See New-York Daily Times, May 26, 1854, p1, c1, Delaware State Reporter, May 30, 1854, p2, c4 and many other newspapers. This international incident, www.oldstatehouse.com/.../classroom/arkansas_news/detail.asp?id=739&issue_id=38&page=5 , along with the continuing illegal activities against the VANDERBILT operation were reported to the PIERCE administration by BORLAND on return to Washington city, who then dispatched an American naval ship to the area demanding them to appologize to the minister and to stop illegal harassment of and confiscation of property, correct other illegal activities against the VANDERBILT interests, and to make reparation or restitution for property stolen from American citizens. -- AFTER a warning, with nothing forthcoming, the American ship and marines bombarded and burned the unoccupied British city Greytown (now, Nicaragua's, San Juan del Norte). ~ ~ ~ The facts and that above documented simply DO NOT SUPPORT the flamboyant phrase; ~ ~ "gunboat diplomacy" ~ ~ as set forth by James M WOODS, Ph D, of Southern Georgia University, in the partially corrected biography of Solon BORLAND by "Encyclopedia of Arkansas History & Culture" (5/7/07)! ~ ~ Additionally, --- Great Britain had concerns over losing her Far East trade domineance being lessened by her former colony, a growing world trade threat, United States of America. "....November 1859 Britain delegated its protectorate to Honduras. "This caused great dissatisfaction among the Indians, who shortly afterwards revolted; and on 28 January 1860 Britain and Nicaragua concluded the treaty of Managua, which transferred to Nicaragua the suzerainty over the entire Caribbean coast from Cabo Gracias a Dios to Greytown (now San Juan del Norte)..." www.nationmaster.com/encyclopedia/Mosquito-Coast BORLAND's wisdom (history proved him correct) saw only hoplessness in Nicaragua with its internal blood-shed, turmoil and later appearance of William WALKER (1824TN-1860HON) (of Nashville Tennessee, where Vanderbilt University now stands), so resigned, returning to a private life with his family in Arkansas. Solon's former neighbor and acquaintance, John H WHEELER of Murfreesboro, Hertford county, North Carolina was then appointed minister. Solon's argument was proven viable a quarter-century after having uttered it in 1850, again in 1853, ---- a treaty signed in 1878 with Columbia for 553 square miles of land later known as Panama Canal Zone, where the French started the task in 1882, In 1903, Columbia refused to sign a treaty, thus Panama declared its independence and with Teddy ROOSEVELT's actions, United States finished & opened the canal 15 August 1914, following loss of 20,000 lives before 1889, 10,000 after. Canal supplanted the railroad built in1855. The increased lock width to 110 foot seemed advisable, considering Suez Canal at 197 feet, (today, its limiting mega-vessels from passage, with a new canal discussed from time to time). Review: The State of the Union: Being a Complete Documentary History of the Public and Domestic Affairs, Foreign and Domestic, for the year1854. --Washington, Published by Taylor & Maury,1855. www.books.google.com/books?id=57nyOyJtgakC, search "Borland", (18-pages)