New-York daily tribune. [volume] (New-York [N.Y.]) 1842-1866, 1851-03-22

trigues, ard cannot be evaded. The canal
must be built, and in order TO do it San Juan
must be evacuated. That is the nature of
the case. AS for Mr.. ChatAeld, we have
sufficient reason to believe that Central
America will soon be relieved Of his presence
by his withdrawal to some other sphere of
usefulness, and we do not know that the
Home Government is to be held response
bic for all his doiDgs. Certainly, no enemy
Of England could wish to have her repre-
scented in way to do her more injury or
less credit than by such clustering bully.
Beside, his offensive acts have been main
ly in accordance with the principle set up
by Lord Palmerston, and carried through
in the Paci6co affair at Athens, namely,
that where a debt is due to a British sub
iect, by a citizen of another country
the British Government may come in and
compel payment from the Government Of
that country. 1t is an odious and absurd
principle, which cannot and will not al
ways be allowed to stand; but it is not
new one. 1t is older even than Pacifco
And then, as to our Administration. If
the fault is all with that, what is to be said
about the Senate 7 The Squier treaty
with Nicaragua was before that body
through the whole of the last session. The
Committee of Foreign Affairs was certain
" Democratic and patriotic enough;
its leaders were Messrs. Foote and Hun
ter, neither of them likely to plot with
Wing Administration to surrender the
country to a foreign power. They had the
majority-they might have got that treaty
ratified and put in force. They might have
compelled the Executive to make demon
STATIONS against English proceedings at
San Juan, and elsewhere in Central Amo-
RIGA, if there had been reason for it. But
they did no such thing, and if fault there
be, they and their party are involved in it
quite as much as any body else. But we
are inclined to think that they pursued the
wiser course. and that the result will
prove it.
But at any rate, we submit that the pre-
sent is not the fttest moment for warming
up the difficulties of this question. Eng
land has long exercised potent influence
in Central America. That influence she
acquired without opposition. No resist
ance was made by US when she set up the
Mosquito claim nor when she took posses
sion of San Juaa. But the acquisition Of
California, the discovery Of the gold mines
and the activity thereby given to commerce
in the Pacific, naturally give us direct ia
terest in Central America and especially
in Nicaragua, through which a shorter and
more convenient route to the western ocean
may bo made. Wo accordingly make
treaties and England consents 10 yield what
she had assumed. That is "A concession on
her part made, as il ought 20 be under
stood, not because we, or any other nation,
obliged her, but because she thought it ad
vissble. She naturally desires to seem to
have made it thus independently. This is
a point of honor. Shall we allow that
point Of honor Or shall we insist on de-
nyiDg it and risk delaying the construction
of the Canal! 1t strikes US that we had
better let the point of honor pass.
Mr.. Marcoleta is now here to negotiate
on behalf of Nicaragua, and we judge from
his antecedents that the interests he repre-
sents are in good and safe hands. He is
sent here by the Government of that coun-
try to try and clear up the whole compli-
cation, for it is naturally at Washington
that the question must be settled. The
matter has difficulties, and we presume
that the representative Of Costa RIGA, now
also at Washington, will do his utmost to
prevent settlement, which the dominant
party in that State and the whole anti Fed
eral interest in Central America would re-
gard as the defeat of their own schemes.
A few months will decide it. For sur part,
we are determined to give fair chance to
the negotiations now about to commence,
and wait for the result, before proclaiming
that the English Government have COM
mitted an act of silly because utterly use
less treachery, or eur own betrayed the
Republic. When we do arrive at that
conviction we shall express it with some
emphasis. Meanwhile we rely on the pal
pable and pressing interests of all parties,
and the spirit of the people of this country
as sufficient to render any such cOnsumma-