[Inclosure 2 in No. 9.] Mr. Hall to Señor Bátres. LEGATION OF THE UNITED STATES, SIR: I have the honor to acknowledge the receipt of your excellency's communication of this date, in which you are pleased to convey in expressive and eloquent terms the acknowledgments of the Government of Guatemala for the marked attentions and deferent considerations shown by the government to the President, General Barios, during his recent sojourn in the United States. By this mail I shall forward a copy of your excellency's communication to the honorable the Secretary of State of the United States, and I am persuaded that the friendly sentiments therein expressed will meet with a cordial response of sympathy and good will towards this republic and its illustrious President. I embrace, &c., No. 30. HENRY C. HALL. No. 18.] Mr. Hall to Mr. Frelinghuysen. LEGATION OF THE UNITED STATES IN CENTRAL AMERICA, Guatemala, September 21, 1882. (Received October 23.) SIR: With reference to your instruction No. 4 of the 9th ultimo, re lating to the postponement of the Congress of American States which it was proposed to hold in Washington on the 19th of November of the present year, I have to inform you that, in accordance therewith, I have delivered to the minister for foreign affairs of Guatemala, and have forwarded to each of the ministers for foreign affairs of the other states, a copy of the instruction referred to. My communications to Honduras, Salvador, and Nicaragua, respectively, were addressed on the 9th, and to Costa Rica on the 19th instant, after I had forwarded my credentials as reported in my No. 17. Copies of these communications are transmitted herewith. Although it was well understood by the Government of Guatemala that the proposed Congress of American states would not be realized, the minister for foreign affairs expressed great regret that a project of such vital importance, to the Central American States especially, should have failed even temporarily. He could but express the hope, however, that the project would be revived at no distant day, and that under the auspices of the United States it would be successfully carried out. I have, &c., HENRY C. HALL. [Inclosure 1 in No. 18.] Mr. Hall to Minister for Foreign Affairs of Honduras. LEGATION OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA IN CENTRAL AMERICA, Guatemala, September 9, 1882. SIR: Through the medium of this legation the President of the United States, some months since, extended to the several governments of the Central American republics an invitation to be represented in a general Congress of American states, which it was proposed to hold at Washington City in November, 1882. The invitation was addressed to your excellency on the 4th January last, and under date of the 20th February your excellency communicated the acceptances of His Excellency the President of Honduras, and at the same time expressing a high appreciation of the humane object and elevated purposes of the proposed Congress. In that invitation the confident hope was expressed that, by the remote date fixed for the meeting of the Congress, all conflicting questions between the republics of the southern continent would have ter minated, and that all would be able to participate in its discussions. Unhappily, that peaceful condition, contemplated as essential for carrying out successfully the object of the proposed Congress, does not exist. These, and other reasons which are set forth in the accompanying copy of a communication from the Secretary of State, by whose instruction I have the honor to transmit it to your excellency, have constrained the President to postpone the projected meeting until some future day. I would respectfully invite the attention of your excellency to that part of the Secretary's communication in which is expressed the belief of the President, that the fact of such a Congress having been called has not been without benefit; in this belief I am persuaded the government of your excellency will concur. I improve, &c., HENRY C. HALL. [Inclosure 2 in No. 18.] Mr. Hall to Minister for Foreign Affairs of Nicaragua. LEGATION OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA IN CENTRAL AMERICA, Guatemala, September 9, 1882. SIR: Through the medium of this legation, the President of the United States, some months since, extended to the several governments of the Central American republics an invitation to be represented in a general Congress of American states, which it was proposed to hold in Washington on the 22d of November next. That invitation was communicated to your excellency on the 4th January last, and its receipt was acknowledged under date of 14th February; I find no other communication on the subject from your excellency on the files of this office. The Secretary of State now instructs me to inform the governments of the Republics of Central America that the meeting of the projected Congress has been postponed until some future day. The reasons therefor are set forth in the accompanying copy of his dispatch of the 9th ultimo, addressed to this legation, and which by his instruction, also, I have the honor to transmit to your excellency. Washington, September 20, 1882. SIR: Your dispatch No. 9, of the 29th August last, has been received. It transmits a copy and translation of a communication from his excellency Señor Antonio Bátres, the minister of foreign relations of Guatemala, expressing the thanks of the government and people of Guatemala for the attention shown to President Barrios during his recent sojourn in the United States. In reply I beg that you will assure his excellency the minister for foreign relations that it was a source of much gratification to the President to be able to manifest, by means of the welcome and courtesies extended by this government to President Barrios, the warm sympathy and friendship entertained by the United States for its sister republic of Guatemala. I am, &c., FRED'K T. FRELINGHUYSEN. No. 20.] No. 32. Mr. Hall to Mr. Frelinhuysen. LEGATION OF THE UNITED STATES IN CENTRAL AMERICA, Guatemala, September 29, 1882. (Received October 23.) SIR: For several months past the government of Guatemala has been receiving information of projected invasions of its territory by expedi tions of armed forces, having for their object the enticing or compelling the inhabitants of the frontier, who are mostly Indians, into subscrib ing or adhering to public acts of annexation to the bordering States of Mexico; it is said that those expeditions have been preparing in Campeche, Yucatan, Tabasco, and Chiapas. The first of these invasions has taken place during the present month in the department of Peten; all the information in regard to it, thus far received, is contained in the accompanying copies of dispatches and letters to the minister of war of Guatemala, and which have been received during the past week. For convenient reference I inclose a tracing from an authentic map, showing what is believed to be the correct boundary lines between Mexico and Guatemala, and the location of the towns said to have been invaded, as well as those which are mentioned in the inclosures. The first information comes from the alcalde of an Indian town named Silvituk. As well as can be made out, from a letter dictated by a person who can neither read nor write, it appears that the place was invaded, and that the inhabitants were compelled to go to the village of Tenchac and there declare their adhesion to Campeche. He charges, also, that deception was practised upon them by a priest named Bersunea, "who told them that the Republic of Guatemala was taken." This priest is a native of Campeche, and is well known to the Guatemalan government. The several communications embraced in the inclosures are numbered from 1 to 5. Nos. 2 and 3 are translations of dispatches from the military commandant of Peten to the minister of war; they report the fitting out of an expedition in Tabasco, with the knowledge and consent of the governor, for the invasion of that department; that one commercial firm has given therefor the sum of $5,000, and another has contributed 60 Winchester rifles; that the expedition would be sent by steamboat from Tabasco to a place called Tonosique, on the Umacinta River, six days from his headquarters. He reports also the invasion of the towns of San Antonio and Concepcion. The remaining letters and telegrams merely corroborate the general news of the invasion. This affair has given the Government of Guatemala a vast deal of trouble and anxiety, besides the expenses which it can illy afford to incur, of sending 500 troops from Coban to the frontier. I have time only by this mail to communicate the facts, and to say that the government is reluctant to believe that the Government of Mexico has any knowledge of these hostile movements. At the earnest solicitation of the President of Guatemala, I cabled to you on the 26th the following: President Orantes has information of invasion of Guatemalan districts Concepcion and San Antonio by Mexican troops, compelling inhabitants to declare for annexation to Campeche. President hopes invasion not authorized by Mexico. Five hundred troops sent to invaded districts. I apprehend hostilities may ensue unless Mexicans retire. No suggestion of any action in the premises on your part has been made; it was desired only that the Government of the United States should be advised of these movements. I have, &c., HENRY C. HALL. [Inclosure 1 in No. 20.-Translation of communications received by the Government of Guatemala in relation to the invasion of the department of Peten by Mexican armed forces.] Governor Tuz to the prefect and military commandant of the department of Peten. SAN JUAN SILVITUK, September 2, 1882. SIR: I send this for your information, having received no reply to a dispatch I sent making known to you that forces were coming from Campeche to take possession of these places, which was carried out. A commission having been sent, they made us go down to Tanche (Tenchac) to subscribe to an act of adhesion of these towns to Campeche. Finding ourselves without resources for resistance we had to yield, but we offer not to take up arms against that department. This happened through the deceptions of the Curate Bersuisa, who told us that the Republic of Guatemala had been taken and that we could not resist a state like Campeche. Hearing this we were afraid, and we told them to continue, that we could not, inasmuch as we had taken an oath (to Guatemala probably), but afterwards we learned that you had sent circular orders, and these papers were taken in Tanche (Tenchac) and we had no knowledge of the orders which you sent us. Besides this, orders have been given to collect provisions for the troops that are going to Concepcion, or for your headquarters, I am not sure which. This is all I have to make known to the respectable headquarters. [Inclosure 2 in No. 20.-Translation.] SALVADOR PERERA. Military commandant department of Peten to Minister of War. PETEN LA LIBERTAD, September 4, 1882. DEAR SIR AND FRIEND: I write to communicate to you the news given me by a merchant who has just arrived from Tabasco. He says that in the capital of that state, with the knowledge and permission of the governor, a party of bandits is being formed to come and rob the department; that the house of Bulues & Company has given them $5,000, and the house of Valenzuela, 60 Winchesters; that sixty persons were ready who were expecting to complete the number to one hundred, to go out; they will come to Tenocique in a steamer of the house of Bulues; that place is not more than six days from here. Many of these rogues have been woodcutters in this department; have failed and wish to retrieve their fortunes by robbing and pillaging. The person who has given me this news is very respectable, and from the names of the individuals he mentioned, and whom I know, I believe it, because they are bandits capable of anything that is bad, and one of their pranks is to ruin the house of Jumet and Sastre to which the Bulues are in hostility. I will do everything possible not to be surprised, and will defend myself to the last. I have no other arms than 25 Remingtons, second class. I have therefore asked for 25 of first class, and I again ask you most earnestly to send them to me immediately with corresponding ammunition. With fifty men well armed I will teach these bandits a lesson. # I remain, &c., [Inclosure 3 in No. 20.-Translation.] IGNACIO G. SALAS. Military Commandant department of Peten to the Minister of War. PETEN, LA LIBERTAD, September 13, 1882. SIR: I have the honor to annex a dispatch from the alcalde and governor of the town of Silvituk (see No. 1), in which he communicates to me that the towns of the district of San Antonio have been invaded by forces from Campeche, who drew up acts in those towns annexing them to Campeche. Besides this, I have news that in the town of Concepcion, near the boundary of Campeche (state of), and 112 leagues from here, there are two hundred troops of Campeche that are preparing to march on these headquarters. I am, &c., IGNACIO G. SALAS. [Inclosure 4 in No. 20.-Translation.] COBAN, September 21, 1882. SIR: I have bad news from Peten, given me by a person who has just arrived from there. There are two hundred men from Campeche in the town of Concepcion preparing to march upon the capital of Peten. I expect you to send me orders and two competent officers for the emergency, I deem expedient. I am, &c., LUIS M. CRUZ. To the Minister of War: [Inclosure 5 in No. 20.-Translation.] COBAN, September 21, 1882. At this moment I have received a courier from the prefect of Peten, recommending the following telegram to be sent to you: "On the 15th instant one of the spies sent to the frontier of Campeche returned, stating that forces from that state to the number of 200 men have invaded the department and are marching upon this capital.” I await your orders, No. 33. LUIS MOLINA. No. 23.] Mr. Hall to Mr. Frelinghuysen. UNITED STATES LEGATION IN CENTRAL AMERICA, Guatemala, October 9, 1882. (Received November 4.) SIR: The cable of the Central and South American Telegraph Company was laid in August last, and was opened to public service on the 1st instant. Its connection with this capital is through the neighboring Republic of Salvador; although it was at first, comtemplated, and a contract to the effect between the Government of Guatemala and the company was entered into for the establisment of a station at the port of San José As a matter which possibly may interest you, and for future reference, I inclose herewith a copy of the contract referred to, and a copy of the letter of the agent of the company, Mr. Stanley McNider, in which he communicates to the government the reasons which constrain the company not to land their cable at San José, and only at the port of La Libertad in the Republic of Salvador, which is in telegraphic communication with Guatemala; as also the arrangements she has made with that government in regard to the transmission of cable messages. I have, &c., HENRY C. HALL. [Inclosure 1 in No. 23,-Contract.] The Government of the Republic of Guatemala, represented by its consul-general in New York, the Hon. Jacob Baiz, duly authorized to that effect, and the Central and South American Cable Company, represented by James A. Serymser, its president, have entered into the following contract, subject to the ratification of the Government of Guatemala: The Republic of Guatemala authorizes the Central and South American Cable Company to establish in the waters of the republic. one or more electro-magnetic submarine cables, to connect the coasts of Guatemala with those of the Republic of Mexico |