Weekly national intelligencer. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1841-1869, 1850-05-04

communicated would be the most practicable for
| railroad or canal
The vast advantages to which would result
from such communication, not only with the Of
America, but with Asia and the islands Of the Pacific
obvious require any detail Such passage would relieve
from long and dangerous navigation of than nine
thousand miles around Cape Horn, and render commun
cation with possessions the northwest coast Of
America comparatively easy and speedy.
The communication the ishmus has attracted the
attention Of the Government of the United States ever since
the independence the South American rel ublcs On the
Sd Of March, 1885, resolution passed the Senate in the fol-
! lowing words
Resoled That the President of the United States be re-
specy requested consider The expedency of opening
gotiaions with the Governments Of other nations and par
culary with the Governments Of Central America and New
Granada for the purpose of etectua protecting by suitable
treaty pulaions with hem such individuals companies
may undertake to open communication between the At
antc and Pacific by the construction of shpcana
the sthmus which connects North and South America;
and Of securing forever by such spuatons the free and
equal right of navigating such canal to all such nations,
the payment of such reasonable toll may be established to
compensate the capitalists who engage in such undertake
ing and complete the work"
No person can be more deeply sensible than myself Of the
danger of enapgng alliances with any foreign nation That
should avoid such alliances has become maxim Of
policy consecraed by the most veneraed adorn
history, and sanctioned by the unanimous voice of the
American people. Our experience has taught the
wisdom of this maxim in the only nstanceha of the guar
anty to France Of her American possesons-n which
have entered into such alliance IT, therefore, the
peculiar circumstances OF the present do not greatly
IMPAIR not altogether Destroy the force of this objection,
then enter the stipulation whatever may
be its advantages The general considerations which have
induced to transmit the treaty to the Senate for their ad
vice, may Re summed up in the following particulars:
l. The treaty does not propose to guaranty territory to
foreign nation in which the United States will have
mon interest with that nation. On the contrary,
deeply and directly interested the subject of this guar
anty than New Granada herself, any other country.
3 The guaranty does not extend TO the territories Of New
Granada generally, but confined the single province Of
the shmus of Panama, where shall acquire by the treaty
common and coexensive right of passage with herself.
g. 1t will constitute no alliance for any political object
bat for rur commercial purpose in which all the naviga
ting nations OF the world have common interest.
A. In entering into the mutual guarantees proposed by the
35th article OF the treaty. neither the Government of New
Granada that of the United States has any
elusive views. The ultimate object, presented by the
Senate of the United States in their resolution which
have already REFEREED to all nations the free and
equal right Of passage the shmus. the United States
the chief of the American nations should first become
W guaranty, Cdnuol DC uouUeu-inueeu, IL
confidently expected by the Government of New Granada
that similar guarantees will be given that republic by Great
Britain and France Should the proposition thus rendered
be rejected may deprive the United States of the just
huence which its acceptance might them, and
fer the glory and benefits Of being first among the nations in
concluding such arrangement upon the Government either
of Great Britain France That either of these Govern
mens would embrace the Offer cannot well be doubted be-
there does not be any other ecua Of
securing 10 all nations the advantages Of this important pas
sage but the guaranty of great commercial Powers that the
isthmus shall be neutral territory The interests of the world
at stake important that the security of this passage be-
tween the be suffered depend upon the
wars and revolutions which may arise among different
nations.
Besides such guaranty almost indispensable to the
construction Of railroad canal across the territory
Neither sovereign States individuals would expend their
capital in the construction of these expensive works. with
on, some such security for their investments
The guaranty Of the sovereignty Of New Granada the
thmus is natural consequence of the guaranty Of its
aty, and there does to be any other practicable
mode of securing the neutrality Of this territory New Ora
NADIA would consent to yield up this province 10 order that
it mil h become neutral State and il she should is
sufficiently populous wealthy to establish and maintain
Independent sovereignty But civil government must exist
there in order protect the works which shall be constructed
New Granada is power which will not excite the jealousy
of any nation If Great Britain, France, the United
States held the sovereignty the shmus, other nations
might apprehend that in of war; the Government would
close up the passage against the enemy but such fears
ever be entertained in-regard 70 New Granada
This treaty the heavy discriminating duties against
in the ports New Granada, which have nearly destroy
ed our and navigation with that republic, and
which have been in vain endeavorng abolish for the
last twenty years.
may be proper also to call the attention of the Senate
to the 25h article Of the treaty, which prohibits privaerng
in Of between the two pubcs and also to the
additional article which nationaze all vessels of the parties
which shall be provided by the respective Governments with
patent issued according to its aws and, in this particu-
lar, goes further than any of our former treaties.
WASHINGTON, FEBRUARY 10, 1s47. .
JAMES X. POLK.
DIsAsTERs DEPLoRABLE Loss OF LIFE.-At New
York, Monday morning, gang Of eleven labores
engaged in removing the rubbish and burnt goods from