The southern press. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1850-1852, 1851-12-18

ITS sArURE. ORIGIN. AND CONSEQUENCES.
No. 8.

, which remarked Ia the preceding letters, mol
, only supersedes the Constitution Of the United
States, but carries with Il complete revolution
Ia the code Of international law IN one of ia
most important principles, applicable alone to
, the United States, and the other States Of this
: continent. The doctrine that hordes Of wan
dering savages, without civil government, or any
attribute whatever, TO bring them within the OPP
Grafton of international law, cannot be consid-
cred as parties to that great compact has been
adopted and acted upon by every European pow
er for ages past All Europe has, in like man
ner, recognized the first discovery aad occupation
OF any portion Of a county, roamed, not inhab-
to occupy any portion of it, AS comforting right
to such occupancy by civilized section, 10 the
exclusion of all others. And this right was pre-
sumed TO be derived from the authority of the
Great Creator of the universe, who commanded
his people TO 60 forth, Increase and multiply
aud make the earth fruitful This right il also
strengthened by the great principle of universal
justice, since nothing would be more unjust, or
more directly opposed TO the general happiness
Of the human race, than that large portion OF
the earth would be afflicted by all the evils of
great surplus population, by far the larger pro-
portion Of which is stepped in poverty and
wrctchedness, while few wandering savages
claimed the exclusive right of roaming over vast
regions, vi ich, if made fruitful agreeably TO the
Divine command, would be the means of bestow.
ing plenty ard happiness on n hunded, or thou
sand times their number, as is now the case in
the United States. All civilized nations have
acted on these principles, and most especially
England, which not long since took possession
of New Holland ard New Zealand, by proclama.
ton, though not one foot Of either was dscov
cred by Englishmen, and that merely on the
ground of occupancy of single party.
Yet, notwithstanding all this, England has as
sumed the protection" of horde Of savages
scarcely superior to the rootd iggers of the Cal
iforna desert inhabiting part of Central Amer
ica, forming aportion of the Spanish discoveries,
and always included in the territory now apper-
tanning to the independent State of Nicaragua
1t is sufficiently notorious that Central America
was discovered by Columbus in 1902; con-
quered by the Spaniards in 1924 and created
into captain. generalship in 1927 The State
of Nicaragua forms part of Central America,
and the territory included in it was acknowl-
edged by England to belong to Spain, by the
treaty of l766, of which the following is one of
the principal articles "The subjects of his Bri-
to pnir md oil IL hon
till now enjosed the protection Of England, shall
epacuate the country Of The Musquitos, and The
continent IN general, and the adjacent islands,
,oithout exception, situated beyond the frontier
line ofterritory granted by His Catholic Majesty
to England" The entire territory of Central
America became, as everybody knows, indepen-
dent OF Spain, by series of revolutions, and has
been recognized as such, not only by the United
States, but by England, Spain, and all the prin-
cipal powers of Europe. 1t consequently inner
its all the rights and possessions of the mother
country.
1t Will, therefore, BE- seen that the republic of
Nicaragua, possesses precisely the same rights
and jurisdiction over the savagcs within its
limits, as do tie United States and all the States
of this continent and it follows that if England
has right to take the Musqutos under her
protection, she has an equal right to adopt a
similar policy towards the savages of any other
portion OF North or South America introduce
them into the society of civilized nations as
equal parties; form alliances for them and take
them under her protection in other words
take possession of their country under the mask
of universal philanthropy, which, next to the
hypocrisy of religion, is the best cloak in the
world for ambition and avarice She may thus
seize and hold possession Of any important port
or territory roamed, or occupied, by horde of
savages; she may incite them, as in her wars
with the United States, to plumber and mas
sacre, or in any way, or at anv time, interfere
with the sovereignty, and disturb the internal
tranquility, and endanger the lives of the citizens
of any State on this continent, comprising an
Indian population; with the United States,
Mexico, Peru, Brazil, Chill, and Ruenos Ayres.
Those who can see through the early dawn of
the future, the inevitable consequences of new
principles, before they begin practically TO devel
ope the nseves, will readily comprehend the vast
score which this doctrine of Lord PALMERsToH
will give to the ambitious policy of England,
should it be acquiesGed in by the United States,
and those of the rest of the new world II will
bring about an entire change in the system of in
ternational law and that change will operate
exclusively to the advantage of England, and
the injury Of America It will at once place
every horde of sayages on footing with civil
lied States, and concede TO them, through the
faculty of transmigration acquired by being
Unidentified with England by virtue of her :" pro
tection," rights, which if exercised under the
sanction of n great maritime power like Eng.
land, will, in addition to consequences already
specified, effectualy crush the progress of Chris
tanity and civilization in the new1world, and
possibly produce retrogrado action in both. It