The Camden journal. [volume] (Camden, S.C.) 1836-1851, 1850-01-19
3OS,OOO
2,l67,O0O
Aggregate population,

1T thus appears that Central America Is com.
posed of five States, which are Honduras, San
Salvador. Nicaragua, Guatemala, and Costa
Rica. The principle of States rights seems to
prevail too strongly among these States, and
the General Government not to have force and
Capitalization enough. AS 4 result Of such a
state of things, The union between the States is
uncertain and prccarious, and frequent COLI.
sions, amounting to civil war, have taken place
between them. Only so late as lS4s, the little
State OF Nicaragua, containing not qui'e two
thousand square miles, and little more than a
population Of three hundred thousand. declared
war agains, lis sister State Of Costa Rica
When we speak Of the population Of these
countries, the reader must bear in mind what
sort of a population it is. or he will draw very
erroneous interenccs. The population is
mixed breed, half Of it consisting of what are
called Lalinos, who are half.breeds-the of:
spring of Indians and Whites; the other half
made up of Indians, with sprinkling Of mulat.
toes and negroes. With such population,
we ought rather to admire the degree of civil
cation they have attained, than to wonder at
the rudcness and barbarism with which they
may be reproachcd. The happy influence which
the Americans from the United States have
lately exercised upon thcm-thc formation of
company from New York. TO unite the ,wo
oceans by canal-the treaties made with them
on the part Of our Government by Mr.. Squier,
and the prospects of advan'a age held out to them
by such close connection with the people of
the United States, has had the effect Of allaying
the petty jealousies existing among them, Of
opening their minds to other and greater aspi.
ra,ions, and of uniting them together in the one
object and purpose Of improving their country
by aid Of the Americans, and raising il to re-
spectacle rank and station among the nations.
1t is much to be regretted that the policy of the
British agents should lead them to step in to
thwart these noble views, as if 10 show deter.
mination that their country shall not be benefit.
ted at all, if the United States are in any degree
to be tie instruments of comforting the benefit
upon them.
Central America, composed OF these five
States, is appropriately named, as it lies pre-
cisely in the centre of the two great continents
OF North and South America, being the con.
Meeting link between them. II declared its in.
dependence in the year 1921, on the 2lst Of
September, having previously formed part of
Mexico, from which it separated in 1923,
which year is by some dated as the year of its
Independence. Since this period, however, the
disunion among the five States has been such
that they have formed separate governments,
at constant warfare with each other, until lat.
tcrly, nnder the happy Influence Of America,
they have determined to form closer union,
and commissioners met for that purpose in the
early part Of the fall of the present year, and
signed articles for a new confederation. Gualc.
mala and Costa Rica were invited to come in,
but they sent no commissioners, their govern.
ments being under the influence Of British
agents, ambitious, upstart men, who, having re.
sided a few years in the country, and gained
some power and influence over the simple na.
tives, feel themselves to be the undoubed Bri.
tish government, and act accordingly, with as
much arrogance and impudence, and exact and
receive as much homage and respect, as iiIhcy
were in fact that British government ITSELF
Under this fatal influence the union ofthc States
has been retarded.
The jealousy of the British agents against
the United States has frequently imposed upon !
cad deceived he people Of Central America. +