The republic. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1849-1853, 1849-10-19
From the Nashcills Banner and Vhig.
The Mosquito Question-Engi and the
United States

United States.
Our Government having, as il is now understood
officially notified the government of her Britannia
majesty, that il cannot acquiesce in the assump-
tons OF the latter with regard the territorial rights
of the Mosquito king the subject appears 10 TO BE-
worthy of a more careful and extended examina
ton than has met our eye in any OF the newspaper
OF the day. IL is our purpose therefore, In the fol
lowing remarks TO present 70 readers as full anc
fair view of this newly arisen Mosquito ques
tion-a question which may by possibility occasion
an embodiment in the amicable relations which
now SO happily subsist between this country and
Great Britain-as the materials within our reach
will enable TO take. Properly to understand It,
II will be necessary 10 read with attention the ate
protest, proclamation, notice, whatever else the
reader may choose TO term it, of the British cohsui
at New York, which, although II appeared IN our
last issue, we, for the complete understanding, ana
in order TO have connected history OF the subject,
here reproduce:
HER BRIrisH MAJESTY CONSULATE,
New YoRK, July 80, ls49.
Sir Her Britannia majestys government being
informed that an agreement LOT the estaphshiiieht
of a communication between the Atlantic and the
Pacific has been concluded between the government
of the State>of Nicaragua and MIR. Clapp and DIR.
Brown citizens of the United States, and agents of
the .New York and New Orleans Steam Navigation
Co1npany''--ofwhich company you apprized me that
you were one--from the execution of which agree
ment il is inferred that the government of Ncara-
qua has led the New York and New Orleans Com
pany tosuppose that that ACKNOWLEDGEMENT to
dispose of the exclusive right of navigating the St.
Johns river; such agreement likewise containing
clause binding the company to build public
store at st. Johns: i am instructed officially to
inform the New York and New Orleans Steam
Navigation Company which ] take leave to do
through you-that the boundary line of the Mosqui-
10 kingdom touches the st. Johns river at the Ma
chuca Rapid about thirty five miles below the lake
Nicaragua, and that from thence to the mouth of
the St Johns the navigation OF that river belongs
g. A.
pany that the port Of ST. Johns, now called Grey
town, at which they have agreed with the Nicara-
gua government TO build store, also belongs to
Moeouito that her majesty's government Is bound
To protect the king of Mosquito in the exercise of
the territorial rights which be possesses Grey
town, and over the lower part of the St. Johns
river; and that the government OF Nicaragua has
entered into agreement in regard to places
where il has no competence.
| have the honor to be, sir,
Your most obedient servant,
ANTHONY BARCLAY.
In the foregoing paper it will be seen that the
British consul at New York, acting under official
instructions from his government, assumes
| That the lower part of ST. Johns river, in
GLIDING the port at its MOUTH Grey town, Is within
the territory of the Mosquito king
3 That, in the exercise of his territorial rights,
the government of her Britannia majesty is bound
to protect his Mosquito majesty
TO the support of these assumptions, Mr.. John
Mcregor one of the Joint secretaries of the British
Board Of Trade, devoted, in the third volume OF his
Commercial Statistics published in London in
lS47) entire chapter, in the course OF which he
SAYS all, il may be presumed that any British
writer would be willing TO say and, will con-
clusively show much more than any writer of the
slightest pretensions to respectability and who was
DESTROYS of maintaining them, ought ever to have
yentured to say. We shall permit him to speak for
hinself-preferring TO quote at some length his
own statement of the British side of the question:
rather than attempt condensation of il:
According TO the boundaries laid down in l717, !"
he says "the Mosquito shore in America extends
from the northern branch of the Desaguaders Dos
aguadasl (evidently the San Juan) in 10 deg. q
min to Cape Gracias a Dios in Is deg. north lati-
tude; and from Cape Gracias Dios in 50 deg. 40
min. TO Cape CASTLE, or Cape Honduras, IN SO deg.
west longitude from Greenwich"
BIZ tchOm these boundaries ''were laid down IN
l777'' Mr. McGregor does not inform his readers.
They paper boundaries, no doubt, ''laid down"
by British pen. They most unquestionably never
received the sanction of SPAIN except as ideal
boundaries of portion OF her provinces of Honduras
and Nicaragua. which provinces at that time con-
stituted part of the Spanish captain generalship
of Guatemala. Though sufficiently large, however,
include the lower part OF the San Juan river, and
the port at Its mouth Mr. McGregor does not
appear to be quite satisfied with their extent, and
takes occasion, therefore, in another part OF the
same chapter, 10 say that
'The territory of the Mosquito country, hith-
erto claimed by the kings, extends from Cape Hon
the Escuda de yeragua, and comprises the seacoast
of the following provinces, viz:
.'PRowscE oF HONDURAS, including Cape Hon
duras, Roman river, Black river, Potook river,
Cane Gracias a Dos, and Wava river.
dPRoyINcE or NICARAGUA, including Bluefelds
river San Juan river and Sankes river.
COSTA RIGA, including Salt river, &c.
"vERAGUA, including Boca de Toro, Boca de
Chiriuui Escuda de Neragua"
These boundaries would have left the then cap
tain generalship of Guatemala, more recently
known as the republic of Central America, without
AN inch Of seacoast the Atlantic! They have
never for moment been recognised by Spain,
or by the republic Of Central America, or by any
one of the now separate and independent States
which recently composed that republic-recog-
missed we mean, in any other point of view than as
embracing portions Of the provinces above men
toned, either Spanish provinces or independent
States.
Having given the boundaries of the Mosquito
shore both az laid down in l777," and " as hith-
erto claimed by its kings, Mr.. McGregor pro
oeeds 10 illustrate the British connexion with that
territory, by (" the following sketches, upon the
authority of the records Of the Board OF Trade and
Plantations
Spain" he SAYS has certainly never con
quered the aboriginal occupiers Of this country, and
the inhabitants Of this coast are, at this day. per-
fecty independent"
expedition sent forth by Oliver Cromwell, in 1850,
the Mosquito king, with the concurrence Of his
chiefs and people placed Themselves under the pro-
lection Of Charles the Second; and the Governor OF
Jamaica in the name Of his sovereign, accepted
this union and promised them the royal protection.
"a long time elapsed before any regular British
settlement wac established ON the Mosquito shore
but many individual Adventures passed, from time
% time from Jamaica to that coast, and traded
with the natives for tortoise she'll sarsapsrilla, snc
deer skins; and, under their protection, barteret
British commodities for Spanish gold
'This transient commerce ON the Mosquito coast
and the logwoOd trade carried on by the British
.ettlement in the province Of Yucatan, on th'
western parts Of the bay Of Honduras, Spain though
pruoer 50 uniustly 10 interrupt, by capturing TIA
rhps Of British subjects in that part OF the world
as 10 cause the war Of l739 which continued to tn
peace Of 1745.
"Prior TO this period, the Governor OF Jamaic
had appointed ius ices Of the peace on the Mosqut
shore, With authority (besidcs the discharge Of tn
ordinary duties belonging 70 Their functions a. Jus
tices,) to decide commercial QUESTIONS VI contract
and Of debts"
During the war, the importance oi that country
was 20 fully understood that the BriSsh govern
ment determined 70 bold it under the im'nedlsV
sovereignty Of Great Britain. The king appOIn 'e'
superintendent 60 preside over the settlements OF
the Mosquito coast, and ~ cultivate and preserv,
the friendship # the aboriginal inhabitants; an'
also 10 promote the interests and extend the com
rnerce Of his ma jesty 5 subjects residing there"
frat init