New-York daily tribune. [volume] (New-York [N.Y.]) 1842-1866, 1850-11-21
The Anslo.no.qui,ian Pre,cnsions.

Ehf AuSio"fa oAGuAtIaH FTetcnsiOnss
In the course of the able speech of Mr..
CLAYTON, already published in this paper,
that gentleman made brief allusion to the
treaty negotiated by him and Mr. BU1wER,
on behalf respectively of the United States
and Great Britain. That allusion is spe-
cialIy interesting at this time when the true
construction of the treaty has been called
in question. For the sake of explicitness
we reprint the passages referred to;
..In the negotiation of the Central American
+rcatv-to proclaim the ratification OF which was
the last official act Of his lite-he Gen. Taylor in
sisted on clause, now to be found IN that treaty
which denied to Great Britain any right ia future
to colOnise fortfy or assume or exercise any do
miDion whatever over any part of Central Ameri-
ca or the MOSQUITO Coast-a clause which express
IL forbids to Great Britain the right to use any
protectorate for the purpose OF exercising domln-
ion and also forbids to her any right to assume DO
minion for the purpose OF maintaining protecto-
rate. He himself desired to recognize the Mica
ragua title BY the Nicaragua treaty, but lett the
question, after submitting that treaty to the Sen
ate. with an avowal of his willingness to ratly 1t,
TO be decided as the Senate should think proper.
Il left the Department OF State before the Sen
ate acted on the subject, aud, of course have no
knowledge OF their decision But l have. seen
within few days past statement PurportIn5 TO
embrace an official letter from Mr.. Chatfeld, the
British Charge d Affares to the Minister OF For
eign Relations of Nicaragua, in which 1t Is de-
clared that the treaty negotiated between TINS
Government and that OF Great Britain, expressly
recognizes the Mosquito Kingdom, as ASIDE from
the rights which you the Nicaragua Minister pre-
tend Nicaragua has on the Coast If Mr. Chat.
GoI 81 confess |
greatly doubt, he has been guilty OF a perYerSlon
of the treaty which no honorable Government
could defend for moment and which the British
authorities am well satisfied would dlsdaln to
adopt
We have here the distinct statement
that Gen. Taylor was in favor OF the recos-
milton of the right of sovereignty and pro-
pertv of Nicaragua, over the rivers and
port of San Juan, as contained in the treaty
negotiated by MIR. Squier with that Re
public. In this he was beyond question
right; for there is not a shadow Of doubt
that both river and port belong exclusively
to Nicaragua. Spain conducted her trade
with the interior through this port and
river for more than two hundred years, and
until the independence of the colonies. She
erected massive works for its defense from
the mouth of the river to its source; and
established San Juan as a port of entry by
royal ordcr5 dated ''Aranjuez, Feb. 90
1896" She also maintained u garrison
there which was expelled by the Mica
raouans in their brief but effective strug-
glc for independence in 1923. She also
maintained establishments all along the
MOSQUITO shore, at Blewields, the cap
ital of the pretended Mosquito King
dom, at Black River, and Cape Ora
cias-a-Dios. At the latter point she
had Collector or Administrator of the
Treasury, at a salary of Sl,65O per onnum.
At the period of the Revolution, this Off
Ger was Don Jose Arisay Torres She also
had q commandment at Black River as we'll
as San Juan.
Nor were the rights implied by these ap-
continents and this exercise of sovereignty
disputedb by England or any other power. For
although previous to 1853, England had at
tempted to take possession Of the country,
without, however, any reference to the
Mosquito Indians, but as dependency of
the British Empire,) yet by the treaty of
that year she not only agreed to eyacuate
the Mosquito Shore, but to withdraw her
protection from any of her subjects who
might " be so daring as TO presume" to re-
main there, or g to obstruct the entire euacu-
alton already agreed upon by his Britannia
Majesty" And $50 far from aiording
them the least succor or even protection, !"
she agreed ''to disayow them in the most
solemn manner, as equally those who might
thereafter attempt to settle upon the terri
tory belonging to the Spanish dominion"
Indeed, so evident were the rights Of SPAIN
that Lord Palmerston, in order to keep up
a show of argument on the question, has
been obliged to lay down the novel and pre-
posterous principle that the Colonies, as in
dependent States, did not fall heir to the
territorial rights of the Mother Country.
The rights of Nicaragua therefore being
clear and indisputable, Gen. Taylor felt that
the United States was called upon to recog-
nize them, not only as evidence of our non-
concurrence in the new and startling princi-
pie advanced by Polmerston, bat also in
reprobahon of the equal startling doctrine
that European powers, by affecting protee-
torates over savage Indian tribes, (them-
selves making no pretensions to sovereign
ty,) may set up virtual jurisdiction over
territory belonging to civilized States on
this continent, thus obtaining by subter
f,no al E.O,,l -.I.. H.