The Daily Union

A New Embrollment.

The old and important topics of patriotic agitation having either been deprived of their charm by settlement, or over-use, or a change of fashion, any new one is hailed with delight. Accordingly we have a flurry about an "international" difficulty between the captain of a United States sloop-of-war and the "authorities" (to wit: mayor and tail) of a little dirty village at the mouth of the river San Juan de Nicaragua. This village, which is within the limits disputed between the King of the Mosquitoes and the State of Nicaragua, being left pretty much without government, was taken possession of in May, 1852, by half a dozen Yankee adventurers, who erected it into an independent State "with a constitutional government."

Now, the Accessory Transit Company, which conducts the transportation and travel between the two oceans, through the Nicaragua country, had secured from both sovereign claimants to the territory the privilege of erecting wharves and all necessary buildings for their business on a sandy point, on the other side of the harbor, opposite San Juan, and have continued to conduct their affairs in that location peaceably for some time. But it entering into the sovereign noddles of the aforesaid half dozen Yankees reigning in the village of San Juan, that they would make money out of the travelling world by compelling the Transit Company to pull down their buildings, carry the materials across the harbor, and put them up again within the village, they proceeded to legislate to that effect. The company paid no attention to the decree. The "authorities" then sent out the forces of the empire, consisting of the town marshal and a dozen rowdies, to execute the law. They proceeded to pull down the buildings, and had effected that object to some extent, when the sloop-of-war Cyane, Captain Hollins, made its appearance off the port. The captain was waited upon by both parties, and after listening to both, determined that it was his duty to protect the property of the Transit Company from spoliation, which he did by despatching a file of marines to the scene of depredation.

Upon this being known, great was the indignation and excitement in the sovereign village of San Juan. The authorities drew up a solemn protest, directed through Capt. Hollins to "the civilized world," in which they set forth that their territory has been invaded by an armed force; that they are unable to resist; that they therefore "submit as a conquered people," and finally they abdicate the sovereignty in favor of Captain Hollins, and will hold him responsible for any injury that pigs or boys may do during the abeyance of constitutional government in the town of San Juan. We have not copied the words of this tremendous document, but have adhered faithfully to its scope and purport. Such is the new Central American question, and such are the materials out of which some of our brothers of the press have made out a case for the application of the great principles of international law--Charleston Mercury.