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delusion. Whatever his purposes were he seems not to have been dis- appointed in them. If they were to speculate upon the credulity of this people, he fully succeeded. If they were to inspire them with fear and hatred of my nation, he gained his end.- I understand that he disclaimed all pu_blic pretentious to plenipotentiary powers; and yet he was more than a plenipotentiary-he was dictator. I have not the least doubt in my own mind that he persuaded many of the good people of this country to believe that, although he bore no official credentials from Louis Napoleon, there was still a secret understanding between him and the Grand Emperor of the French, who was not only willing to level the mountains of Costa Rica and send the fiery engines of commerce through the lakes and vallies of Nicaragua but was ready, at the snap of his finger, to reduce the United States to a perfect non- entity if she dared to open her mouth upon the subject.- I cannot for my life conceirn how he could have exerted such dominion in this country, and have so effectually captivated the hearts and the under- standing of the people, except by some stupendous falsehoods of this kind. Surely he could not have done it, in the simple capacity of a bankrupt Agent of a bankrupt House. Vain and silly as I am told he is, he has the merit of having involved Costa-Rica in an useless ex- penditure of ten thousand dollars; and of having obtained from two Republics their sanction of a Humbug which Folly herself would blush to own. And this is the brilliant genius-the great divinity that was to preside over the destinies of this country-the luminous Star that was to light it on to glory-the beautiful Apollo that was to lead the Costa-Rican maidens in the mazy dance-the wonderful Plutus that was to lavish fifty millions in Xicaragua-and the thundering Jupiter who was to Order his subaltern l\iars-Louis Napoleon-to launch the thunderbolts of destruction against the United States. Mighty man of wealth and war ! To what complexion has he come at last?- I am told that he is now threatening this Republic with heavy reclama- tions if she refuses to ratify his Contract. In this he is something like the Veiled JlJ okanna. He drops the mask and says-"ye would be dupes and so ye are."- The beautiful Costa-Rica-child of his adop- tion-the gentle Paloma of his love, that he was to shield from the gory talons of the Northern Eagle, is now to be plucked of its downy plumage and swallowed like a frog, if his necessities are not imme- diately responded to. He did the dancing in Costa-Hica, and it is only just and fair, that she should pay the fiddler. This is his idea of what Economists term an equitable division of labor. If I were a Costa-rican, I would resent the mention of his name in my presenae. He has betrayed this country into error once; and he should never do it again. Even as a foreigner I feel the shame of his connection with this continent; for in spite of all the unfounded prejudices of this Republic, as well as of Central American in ge11eral against my nation and my people, I cannot but retain a strong desire for the preservation of its honor and the promotion of its interests-if for no other reason than that of its name.- 1 cannot forget that-however the two Con- tinents may differ in many particulars-they have at least, a common name; and that is enough £or me. It is all America; and the people are all Americans; and it ought to be the pride of every one who bear?
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