Geo. Williamson to Señor Lic’do Don Adolfo Zuniga, February 19, 1874

Mr. Williamson to Señor Zuniga

Sir: I have the honor to state that on or about the 10th of July last the flag of the United States, then flying over the office of Consul Charles R. Follin, at Omoa, was hauled down by a mob of soldiers and citizens of Honduras, and treated with marks of disrespect; and that at or about the same time the same mob violated the sanctity of the said consular office and property at Omoa, by breaking into the office, destroying and mutilating some of the property, and exposing the correspondence of the said consulate of the United States to public inspection. All these acts were in violation of international law and of the subsisting treaty between my country and Honduras. At the date of these unhappy occurrences Señor Arias was acting as provisional President of Honduras, and General Straeber, who commanded the forces at Omoa, was his appointee; but as it was impossible to open diplomatic relations with the government of Señor Arias, and his excellency President Leiva has succeeded to the executive office of the republic, it becomes my duty to address myself to him for redress.

Under instructions from my Government, I therefore have the honor to ask that full and prompt satisfaction be rendered for said outrage upon the flag of the United States and violation of the property of the consulate at Omoa. Referring your excellency to my conversation with his excellency the President to-day, in the presence of yourself and other members of his cabinet, on this subject, I beg to express the hope his government will find no difficulty in acceding with promptness to this just demand of my Government, and that no interruption may occur in the friendly relations which have so long happily subsisted between our countries.

With the assurance of my high consideration, I remain, &c.