The Papers of Mirabeau Buonaparte Lamar, Volume IV, part 2

TE:us ST.\TE Lurn.\HY

106

for the press, a work of about three hundred & odtl pages-compnsemg a brief, though succi11ct account of ib <liscO\·ery & early history - its emancipation from ::,pain - its subsiquent history & revolutions down to the advent of the Jililmstcrs - an account of their raids & doings in the country - their t•xpulsion, nntl a history of the present government & its relatio11s, - togethl'r with nn account of her productions - ani- mal - vcgitnble - mineral &c - her commerce - customs - char- acter - climate - antiquities - geography - transit - and a survey of her capabilities & future de:::tiny. All compilc<l from the most au- thentic records, writers, data, & conispondcnce, ai<k·d by my own ex- perience and obserrntions. Un this work I haYe expended much care, time, allll patience. 1'1y object in writing it, is to gi,·e to the world a reliable work, embracing fads, "·ith a regular record of e,·ents as they have trm1:-pired in her history: Hut at the ,mmc time, following my own comictions of right, in upl10ldiug the charadcr & ads of the Republic, m1<l <lefonding ::,mne of her gallant s011s, includi11g the nwmbcrs of the present govcrnment,_from the malignant a:-persi011s of o/1,cr wrilers who are also ellgag<,d in writing her hi:;tory. I ULJ<lertook this task at the earnest request uf some of our most eminmt com1tryme11t [sic] and with the urnlcr:-tanding, that when eornpleated, /hey woul<.l have it translated at tl,eir own e.rpcnse into Spanish Frlc'nch and tierman, and that it should be dc<lieated to His Excilcncy Gen Tomas )lartiney President of Nicaragua. But the opinion in whicl1 I am held by him, makes it more than probable, that such a dedication, might meet with an unkind recep- tion, therefore J I [sic] Leg- that you will sound his Excilcncy on the subject, and if lw is willing to receive it kindly, let me know, & if other- wise informe me. - If farnrablc to the project, try and secure, or rather proeure, his daugcrotype, so that I may ha\'e au engraveing made for insertion. You wi II fothC'r oblige me, by SPlHl ing a list of names of Govermt officials - all the State officers - )Lilitary Commanders-Prefects of the Departnwnts - and commandantcs & custom house officers along the line - I want them for insertion. Your frit'11<ls arc Suppri:-l'd hen\ while the l~illihusters laugh at your being-suspected of enkrtaining fillibustering proclivities. Your friends, bP<·,rnse o[ yum well known feelings the other way - and the others say ''d-n him, he always was against us, & I am glad of it: 1 hope the·_,· 1ri II :;hoot him.'' Hut JWYer mi11<l C_vrinus, Xicaragua will not yet be uudeceaved & <lo ~·ou justice; wait paitiently, & do not let a sense of i11jn,:liec, (which though wrong,) is inocently done you, betray you from the line of your pn:-t condud, & the path of rectitude. Lam glad you eon<lemt'd Sonwrs wi Id sdwams with F.nchurique ( ?) in Peru, you di<l right in dcdincing any thing to do with them. He may hare forgwl the pnpNs connt'eti11g- your name with the transaction, at the instigation of Va1Hh•rbilt, as I understand that worthy Shylock, says he \\'ill _wt sen<l Walker haek to hn11g Gen! )lartincy & Jarey, & that if' ,\lien lwd nut ht'l'll too (·011~<·iP11tio11:-. he ,ro11ld hare ha<l von f-Pnt out of the countr~·, but that he poi~oncd them against you a·ny how. Bye the hyc, ,:penking of ohl V. n•minds me that I hear he brags that he sent Capt B/01chanl ~liller by the last Skarner, to upset all our ar- rangements about the line, & 1-ny:a in conneetion that if he would, or rather if Allen would ha,·c c<ml"c11h•<l to pa_v *10,000 prirntely to Geri!

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