The republic. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1849-1853, 1849-10-19

i hnu all the Olner VI a hoPiSoi
| MIR. McGregor exclaims;
| "Such are the resources Of a country which has
been shamefully neglected, though not altogether
| abandoned by England
off we examine he continues call the circum-
stances bearing upon the claims of right 10 posses
sion and occupancy; and if consider that Spain
has lost all dominion the Continent of America,
| we are reasonably led to the conclusion that the
Mosquito territory is still independent country;
| and one which Spain never had the least CON
troll occupation Ii is evident that none of the
| anarchcal States Of Central America have any
right by occupation or by recognition TO the Mos
quito country. If we contend that the country Is
independent, question arises to how far It's
kings rulers, and more than all, its inhabitants
are under the protection sovereignty of England
The English from Jamaica, and all who speak the
English language, who have frequented il since
1857, have found the same favor among the people
as formerly; the Spanish races continue to be, as
formerly detested and held as enemies. Mr.. Rob
erts' account of the coast well all the more
recent information we have received are perfectly
conclusive to the accuracy of these facts. The
misfortune has BEEN that the Mosquito kings them
selves, and the Zamboes, the people who possessed
most authority have manifested but little wisdom
or justice in the country"
Such is the statement of the British side of the
question by gentleman holding office under that
government, and made, as he says, upon the au-
thority of the records of the Board of Trade and
Plantations. If the authors commercial statistics
are as little To be relied upon his historical facts, he
cial matters. lie may be, and he probably is, duly
impressed with the importance" to Great Britain
of the Mosquito shore; but of its "hstory'' in some
essential particulars he shows himself profoundly
and discreditably ignorant His statement, that
soon after the year l764, future British admins
trations continued TO support the British settle
ments on the Mosquito shore, 'and to maintain
the sovereignty of the [Britishl crown over the
Mosquito territory in such manner TO silence
the pretensons of Spain to any dominion ~
deserves TO be characterized sheer fabrication.
He ought to have known it directly the =
verse of the TRUTH he refers To treaties between
Great Britain and Spain which clearly and unde-
niably wope it to be The 18th article of the
treaty of 1863, which he alleges chad connex-
ion whatever with the Mosquito shore,'' had di-
rect and important connexion with that shore, as
Will be by reference to the article itself which
is as follows:
''XVII. His Britannia majesty shall cause to be
demolished all the Notifications which his subjects
shall have erected in the bay of Honduras and other
places of the territory of Spain in that part of the
world four months after the ratification of the pres
ent treaty; and his Catholic majesty shall not per-
mat his Britannia majesty's subjects, or their work
men, to be disturbed or moested, under any pre-
tence whatsoever, in the said places, their
patton of cutting loading, and carrying away log
wood; and for this purpose they may build without
mndrance, and occupy without interruption, the
houses and magazines which are necessary for
them, for their families, and for their effects; and
his Catholic majesty them by this article
the full enjoyment Of those advantages and powers
the Spanish coasts and territories above stip-
ulated, Immediately after the ratification of the
present treaty.
How gentleman of Mr.. McGregor's intelli-
gence, after reading the foregoing article of the
treaty of 1863, could bring himself the conclu-
sion that it had no reference whatever to the Mos
quito shore, ii wholly passes our comprehension to
conceive. His Britannia majesty thereby bound
himself 'sto to be demolished all the fortifca
lions which his subjects had erected in the bay of
Honduras and other places Of the territory Of Spain
that part Of the U0rld, " within four months after the
ratification of the treaty. Among the Notifications
thus to be abolished most manifestly was that which
had'been erected by British subjects, a few years
before, at Black river, the Mosquito coast which
Spain had always claimed her territory, which
her territory, and which lay ''in that part of
the world" So the contracting parties both under
stood the provision at the time, and, stated by
Mr.. McGregor himself, the British government
gave orders the next year for demoshing the fort
The stipulation in the latter part of the article, on
the part of his Catholic majesty, is worthy of par
ticuar attention Having procured from his Bri
fannie majesty pledge that he would cause the
Notifications erected in that part of the world To be
demolished, his Catholic majesty graciously prom
Used extend his protection such British subjects
or their workmen as were engaged, in the same
quarter, in the occupation of cutting and carrying
away logwood. With this view, he undertook to
grant them leave to build and occupy, without hin
drance or molestation, the necessary houses, mag
aZines, &c. He even assured them, by this provi-
sion of the treaty, those 90 advantages and powers
the Spanish coasts and territories" including,
of course, the Mosquito coast. In letter and in
spirit then, this article is clear recognition by
Great Britain of the sovereignty of Spain the
Mosquito shore. And this is precisely the view
| taken of il in article in the August number OF
the Dublin University Magazine entitled "A few
words about Mosquito and Mosquitoes" purporting
| TO have been written "by Major Luke Smyth
| O'Connor, lst West India regiment and in the
course of which the author deplorcs what he con
siders the weak, vacillating and sighted poll
cy uniformly pursued by Great Britain in relation
10 the Mosquito shore, from the period of the war
Of 1899 down To 1874, since which last mentioned
date, we shall have occasion 10 show, she has
walked up and pursued more decided and vigor-
Gus course of policy than she has heretofore been
wont Speaking Of the 18th article of the treaty of
1863 the writer says:
"Spain, jealous of the protection afforded by
England 10 the Mosquitians, knowing the value
and importance Of the country, great alike in war
and peace, made it article in the treaty Of 1863
hat England should relinquish her military and
federal right Mosquitia-a clause agreed To in
n hurry and repented Of at leisure"
However much "repentcd Of" Great Britain
found herself under the disagreeable necessity OF
making a similar but more explicit REIMBURSEMENT
in the treaty concluded between herself and Spain
in 1888, the 9th article Of which begins thus
"The intention Of the high contracting parties
being to prevent much possible all the
Of complaint and misunderstanding heretofore oc-
casioned by the cutting Of wood for dying, log
wood, and several English settlements having been
Spanish continent it il expressly agreed that his
Britannia majesty's subjects shall have the right Of
cutting, loading and carrying away logwood in
the district lying between the rivers Wallis or Ba.
| lie, and Rio Hondo," &c.
| The article, after describing the boundaries o
the particular district 1.-THE Spanish continent,
| in which British subjects 10 be permitted u
cut logwood, and securing 10 them the privilege o
building the necessary houses for themselves, fam
lies and workmen, carefully provides "Dat hss
stipldtions shall not be considered az drOgding in
any wise from his 1.-THE King of Spain'sl night, o
| sOUereignty"
Therefore, continues the article, call the Eng
lish, who may be dispersed in any other parts
whether on the Spanish continent, or I'm any of tn
islands whatsoever, dependent on the aforesai,
Spanish continent, and for whatever reason il nigh
be, without exception, shall retire within the dstrc
which has been above described, in the space o
eighteen months, 70 be computed from the exchang
| II the notifications"
| The district Of country, IN which alone British
subjects for the future 10 be permitted 10 sett
| for the purpose Of cutting logwood, and to which
" all English" who had "squatted' down on an,
,th.r part Of, islands dependent on, " the Span
ian con. nent' were to repair, constituted a part
what h nov, called British Honduras, and does no
touch the Mosquito shore. All the English, there
C,re Who had established themselves on that shor