The daily crescent. [volume] ([New Orleans, La.]) 1848-1851, 1849-10-17
The Mosquito ou0stiOn-How Stands It?

The correspondent from Washington of the Bal
timore Sun, who uses the signature of Spectator,
gives statement of facts which sustains the opin-
ion that there has been a correspondence with
Great Britain. He says that instructions were long
since sent to Mr.. Bancroft, Minister to England
and to Mr.. Squires, our Consul at Nicaragua, in
struoting them that under no circumstances could
England be permitted to gain a fresh footholG
" upon this continent, and that her pretensions
" about the Mosquito kingdom would not be re-
" cognized by this Government" When the Ma
tlonal lnteligencer lately denied that there had
been any angry correspondence between Mr.. Clay
ton and MIR. Champion; and again that there had
been any correspondence between Mr.. Clayton and
Lord Palmerston, the British Foreign Secretary
we suggested that there had been no denial of
correspondence with the British Government
through other channels. The above statement bv
Spectator" is consistent with the terms of the
denial OF the lntellgencer, and yet shews that the
subject has been under discussion between the Off
cial authorities of the two countries.
We can we'll understand that this is an important
diplomatic question, and that it is against the pub
lie interest to make known the particulars of an IN.
tricate negotiation in all the stages of its progress
but we are unable to understand that there il anv
call for eoncealment of the fact that the subjects
under discussion between the two Governments.
What are the merits of the correspondence. we
cannot of course know. The case upon our own
SIDE mas been frequently presented in the newspa-
pers' and seems to be clear and unanswerable
Inc grounds Of the British pretensions have not
Deen stated, and we have not met with them az.
cept IN meagre abstract Of speech made in the
u s. Senate in 1913 on the Yucatan occupetion
question, by Mr. Dix, the late able Senator from
new YORK and in some leading articles in London
papers, where the American claim is treated MS
utterly baseless. The first position-and it is the
most important, for without it all the rest would be-
yalueess In British eyesis that the control of the
nicaragua route across the Isthmus, is indispensa
pie TO Great Britain, in order prevent the United
states from having permanent monopoly of the
right OF way, The possession of the routes bv
Iehuantspec and by Panama, they saw, leaves
only for Great Britain the intermediate route nv
Nicaragua and if that be controlled by Amer
cans they Will have practical dominion on the
lsthmus to the exclusion of all nations. The neces.
s1y, therefore, of guarding British interests, gives
value to the pretensons of right over the territory
winch Great Britain sets up in behalf of the Mos
quito Chief and his tribe
Ahese pretensions amount to a denial of the
sovereignty OF the State of Nicaragua, or of Spain
I
l'aeli' before the revolution made Nicaragua indie
pendent, over any portion of the MOSQUITO territory
Nfeat Britain assumes that these Indians have
never been subdued, but have maintained their in.
dependence against Spain, and the successor ~
SPAIN 1t is pretty much the same doctrine 90 ,ba
subject of territorial rights which was urged bv
France and Spain against the United States nr,.
vious to the peace of 1888, which went to show
that the Colonies could not claim beyond their
actual possession, at most to the head waters Of
the streams running into the Atlantic-ths lands
beyond the AIeghanies being then in possession Of
powerful tribes of unconquered natives.
The right Of Great Britain to dispute the sove.
Teignty of Nicaragua in behalf of his MOSQUITO
Majesty, is sustained on the ground of old poicel
connexions and recent compacts. ~ ,o p-i,irh
Writers date the origin of .nese connexions back to
alliances y, ''-' buccaneers, who it seems, made
and nth the Indians against the Spaniards,
England claims a lawful inheritance of the as.