Hertford County, NC - That Man Named Solon
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MINSTER SOLON BORLAND
(1811VA-1864TX)
(Revised: 01-17-13)
(APRIL 1853 to APRIL 1854)
~ ~ ~ This is my working hypothesis - the way I understand it as of
01-17-13! ~ ~ ~
Solon's family.
Solon's research.
More information concerning parties herein may be found on www.findagrave.com
Sally's family
time line.
Any material used herein from the 521 pages at The
College of William & Mary archives, is noted with (WM).
ENVOY EXTRAORDINARY and MINISTER PLENIPOTENTIARY of CENTRAL AMERICA
Nicaragua was but fourteen months of Doctor Solon BORLAND's over
thirty year dedicated public service, spending about half that time in
Nicaragua as of 16th September 1853, --- sufficient time to:
1)- succeed in obtaining an important agreement with the
Nicaraguan government regarding Britain's aggressive land
confiscations of past years along western Caribbean Sea coast line of
Central America and Bay Islands, including Nicaragua's port town and
fort of San Juan del Norte,
2)- obtain confirmation of the rumored multitude of abuses against
American citizens and their properties around Greytown (formerly, San
Juan de Norte) by the British-Jamaican's "...instigated by the
British consul and the ever present naval-officers." (page 77,
"Filibusters and Financiers", by Wm O SCROGGS, 1916), and
3)- to provide a paid temporary force for protection of Americans
in Nicaragua against Britain and those British-Jamaican trooper
officials of Greytown (formerly, San Juan de Norte).
Great Britain's treatment of American citizens and their properties
in Nicaragua and confiscation of Central American countries lands
along the Caribbean Sea since 1848, such as:
a)- the "Brits" taking of port town and fort San Juan del Norte,
which they renamed Greytown, then began harassing Commodore Cornelius
Vanderbilt's company which resulted in some damage and the trampling
on the American flag.
b)- again in 1853, the same illegal British-Jamaicans of Greytown
(formerly, San Juan del Norte) ordered Vanderbilt's company to raze
their new buildings at Punta Arenas but the nearby American warship
CAYNE, dispatched Marines ashore to guard American property in
Greytown (formerly, San Juan del Norte) from the illegally controlling
British-Jamaicans, thus preventing that which occurred two years
earlier. View historic
comments.
This was unacceptable and considered of national interest to newly
elected President Franklin PIERCE (1804NH-1869NH), thus, at beginning
of his administration he apparently choose to confront Great
Britain ~ ~ however, found to be confronted with an unfriendly,
"Brit" influenced, national and international press. To attain his
goal President Pierce needed two strong willed individuals thus,
selecting 42 y/o Senator Solon BORLAND for Central America and former
Senator then Secretary of State under James Knox POLK (1795NC-1849TN),
a party to the settlement of nation's 49th parallel as northern
boarder with the Brits, 62 y/o James BUCHANAN to England, serving 1853
to 1856. Following BUCHANAN's success, Pierce appointed George Miffin
DALLAS (1792PA-1864PA), a friend of Solon's and former vice president
under James K POLK, as Minister to Great Britain. DALLAS serving from
1856 to 1861, helped settle some of the disputes over the
controversial Clayton-Bulwer Treaty (1850), which prevented either
Britain or the United States to establish a colony in Central America
or to build an Atlantic to Pacific canal, this treaty was later
cancelled settling some of difficulties in Central America which in
part had been settled earlier by Solon BORLAND while in Nicaragua.
DALLAS also secured from Great Britain a disavowal of the right of
search, a historic matter of dispute.
Review closely, Secretary of State, William L MARCY's
(1786MA-1857NY) 27 April & 17 June 1853 instructional letters to
United States Minister of Nicaragua, Solon BORLAND.
Solon accepted President Franklin PIERCE's appointment, resigned
his senate seat (filled with Robert Ward JOHNSON (1814KY-1879AR)),
upon being appointed 'Envoy Extraordinary and Minister
Plenipotentiary' --- following his refusal April 8, 1853 of offer as
governor of New Mexico Territory, thusly, becoming first person so
commissioned to the Republics, Costa Rica, Guatemala, Honduras,
Salvador, as well as to "Central America.", being the 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 farm home in Little Rock, and half
interest in a newspaper, leaving for New Orleans 4th of July, no doubt
spending time with brother Euclid (1809VA-1881VA), visiting 100-y/o
slave Rose on brother's sugar plantation forty-nine miles south of the
city, arriving Into an extremly tense atmosphere at Managua 16
September 1853, serving until June 1854, with bloody battling starting
May 5th, about two weeks before he departed. Other southern gentlemen
served later, such as his hometown acquaintance John Hill WHEELER
(1806NC-1882DC) whose younger brother, Samuel Jordon, was with Solon
in 1831 during Nate TURNER (1800VA-1831VA) rebellion, serving from 2
August 1854, arrived 7 April 1855, left 23 October 1856, then former
Texas governor Mirabeau Buonaparte LAMAR (1798GA-1859TX.
Solon's appointment to Nicaragua fit well into President PIERCE's
two prong approach concerning United States past and current problems
with Great Britian and to his overall program, - - - which included;
$10,000,000 Gadsden Purchase from Mexico for a southern railroad
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), also Hawaii and Alaska, plus opening trade in
1854 with The Treaty of Kanagawa, thus allowing trade with Japan and
other Western nations which was cutting into Great Britain's world
trade dominance displeasing them by making the United States a major
player in world-wide trade.
Great Britain, knowing the power of a friendly press, gathered their
international press in support against United States.
San Juan de Norte had been confiscated by Britain from Nicaragua, then
renamed Greytown, its officials replaced with British-Jamaican natives
who where illegally taking Americans properties, disrupting American
businesses and illegally held Envoy Extraordinary and Minister
Plenipotentiary, Solon BORLAND, a prisoner for forty-eight hours,
refusing to make of ANY kind amendments for their many illegal acts, ~
~ then fleeing the Greytown (formerly, San Juan de Norte), when later
confronted, hardly a case of "gunboat diplomacy" as Dr Wood leads his
viewing public to believe! ~ ~ ~ The documented facts DO NOT SUPPORT
the flamboyant phrase; ~ ~ "gunboat diplomacy" ~ ~ chosen by James M
WOODS, Ph D, of Southern Georgia University, in his partially
correct biography of Solon BORLAND in "Encyclopedia of Arkansas
History & Culture" entry (02/17/12)!
~ ~ ~ NICARAGUA:
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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. View history.
It was considered a likely route for a canal linking the two oceans
(and may still be). Even more so when California and Oregon
Territories became a part of United States in 1848, with California's
1849 gold rush, plus Pierce's trade treaty with Japan.
Costa Rico and Nicaragua had an ongoing dispute regarding ownership
over the San Juan river and Lake Nicaragua.
January 1, 1848: the British SEIZED Nicaragua's eastern port, then
and now, known as San Juan del Norte located at the mouth of the Río
San Juan river at country's southern most Caribbean coast, bordering
with Costa Rico on the south with whom Britain was heavily involved in
trade of their coffee and other goods, ~ ~ ~ re-naming said seized
port Greytown --- EXPELLING Nicaraguan officials --- replaced with
British-Jamaicans. The port had been a small Nicaraguan fort and
customs station prior to 1848, the start of its period of rapid growth
as a foreign merchant enclave, with United States citizen, Commodore
Cornelius VANDERBILT (1794NY-1877NY) and his Accessory Transit
Company, which had became a big concern to the British (who illegally
hampered its operations with its Jamaican officials of Greytown),
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 our affairs following the
Mexican war. This same year 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.
As afore mentioned, Costa Rico and Nicaragua were having an ownership
dispute regarding the San Juan river and Lake Nicaragua, which was
none of United States concern except, hoping such would be settled to
ease tensions within the area.
Be that as it may, 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 in
which the British and Spanish once had naval battles, to Lake
Nicaragua. This the 10th largest freshwater lake in the world, the
'sweet sea' which is about 80 by 30 miles, and home to the only fresh
water sharks in the world, as well as around 400 islands. When
passengers crossed the lake, they were dropped off at Rivas, then
transported overland by stagecoaches for the 12-mile trip to San Juan
del Sur from where ships came & went to San Francisco and elsewhere.
United States also contracted them to haul our mail which strangely,
concerned Costa Rico.
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 it and other
Central American countries.
May 1850, while a United States Senator (4th from Arkansas),---
BORLAND, rightfully 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 an inter oceanic canal.
Great Britain, with her ever so long and large presence in the
Caribbean Sea, then started on 20 May 1852 confiscating the Caribbean
coast of Central America, south of her interest at Balize/Belize,
including the Honduran 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 were sorely in
need of a friend
President PIERCE's apparent two pronged approach to correct things
in Central America was implemented September 1853 simultaneously 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
withdrawal from the coastal lands and Bay Islands south of
Balize/Belize while Minister Solon BORLAND in Managua reached
agreement with Nicaraguan government regarding the British confiscated
lands within Nicaragua (Greytown and its 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 (formerly, San Juan del Norte) operating with
British-Jamaicans and her coastal land north thereof, also, ~ ~
BORLAND's so-called 'insult incident' was but one minor, of several
major, on going, unjust, and illegal problems being conducted against
Americans by the British and was blown out of proportion by their
friendly world press corps as well as some modern day so-called
history professors who publish books, ~ ~ thereafter actions were
taken by the United States which were indeed justified, ~ ~
considering the review of 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
As minister, following (not as Arkansas Encylopedia would have you
believe), securing the important agreement regarding Great Britain's
taking of Nicaragua's land (town of San Juan del Norde and the coast
north, a violation of said treaty) Solon called for the United States
to repudiate the Clayton-Bulwer Treaty (of which President Teddy
ROOSEVELT (1858NY-1919NY) 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
coastal lands and their Bay Islands.
Mid-October, in a public address in Nicaragua, Solon announced that it
was his greatest ambition to see Nicaragua, 1,700 miles from United
States, "... forming a bright star in the flag of the United
States". (CONSIDER, if you will, the fact we now have Hawaii, some
2,500 miles away and Alaska as states).
Secretary of State William Learned MARCY, formerly; 1820 creator of
the Democrat party, a U S Senator, Governor of New York, and Secretary
of War during Mexican war, (view correspondence on pages 1 to 39 and
39 through 57) wrote BORLAND his 30 December 1853 letter setting forth
the "official" United States stance in the region which was giving him
his most problems mainly 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 after1860, (now San Juan del Norte,
Nicaragua), ---- by the United States sloop-of-war "Cyane" for insults
offered the American minister -- [Solon BORLAND] -- by its -- [illegal
Jamaican officials and] -- inhabitants (which had been blown out of
proportion by an unfriendly press) and for Britian's refusal to make
restitution for damages to Americans, their properties and land
confiscated.
As BORLAND was leaving 16 May 1854, he interfered with a so-called
arrest of an American citizen (Captain SMITH who had shot a crew
member) this setting off international press 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 grabbed a rifle and pointed it 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 by the British-Jamaican officials after
voluntarily going ashore and was threatened with arrest, ~ ~ so held
forty-eight (48) hours, he was not arrested, due to his diplomatic
immunity. While arguing with local British Jamaican officials, someone
threw a bottle in his face leaving a lifetime scar on his forehead,
significant enough to scar him for life, so noted in his daughter
Fanny's poetic tribute to him, At
My Father's Feet, thus when questioned about it the obvious wound
upon return to Washington city, he told of what occurred (also , ~ ~
this added to the illegal activities conducted by the British in
Nicaragua. See New-York Daily Times, May 26, 1854, p1, c1, Delaware
State Reporter, May 30, 1854, p2, c4 and many other national and
international (unfriendly towards Pierce) newspapers.
This, international
incident, along with the continuing British-Jamaican illegal
activities against the Americans and VANDERBILT operation were
reported to the PIERCE administration by BORLAND upon his return to
Washington city, who then dispatched an American naval ship to the
area demanding the British Jamaicans to apologize to the minister, to
stop illegal harassment of Americans, return confiscated properties
and to correct other illegal activities against the Americian and the
VANDERBILT interests, PLUS, make reparation or restitution for
property stolen from American citizens. -- FOLLOWING a warning, with
nothing forthcoming, the American ship and marines bombarded and later
burned the unoccupied British city Greytown (now, Nicaragua's, San
Juan de Norte).
~ ~ Additionally, --- Great Britain had rightful concerns over loss of
Far East trade dominance being lessened by her former colony, a
growing world trade threat, United States of America.
George Miffin DALLAS', Dallas-Clarendon Convention, signed in 1856,
set a basis for the settlement of difficulties in Central America
brought forth:
"....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)..."
BORLAND's wisdom saw only hopelessness in Nicaragua without British
concurrence, with contnued internal blood-shed, turmoil and later the
appearance of William WALKER (1824TN-1860HON) (of Nashville,
Tennessee, where Vanderbilt University now stands), so at age 43
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, followed by the Texan former governor Mirabeau Buonaparte
LAMAR.
Solon's argument was later proven viable a quarter-century after
having first 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)
PREPARED BY :
Compiled with copies originally mailed November 2008 by William (Bill)
Samuel BOGGESS, raised Carthage, Jasper county, Missouri(ah) until
1944.
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Copyright. All rights reserved.
http://www.usgwarchives.net/copyright.htm
This file was contributed for use in the USGenWeb Archives by
William S. Boggess - bog417@gmail.com
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