The republic. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1849-1853, 1853-05-04

4ulS WdS tu& OF1g1u, tQ16 rt06 CHARACTER OF I'M
Mosquito claim, carried on in defiance of th
power OF Spain, as long as the power of Spail
existed, and after the Spanish colonies threw OF
the yoke, carried on in defiance, or with the &C
quiescence. of tho coteE1iinous States. Such
understand to be its history and character reducet
at the present day to very small dimensions. til,
state of affairs having wholly changed, and til.
English government having no longer any interes
or any motive to adhere to the protectorate Suct
she assures us is the case
Now, in reference to this canal. it's southern
terminus. the port of San Juan, fell within the
limits of the territory which was claimed to be
(caimed to be is all say) uffder this protectorate
Inn claim was OF Course denied by Nicaragua.
She had temporarily possessed herself II the port
after long dispute with the British; but in Janu-
ary, l646, the Nicaraguans were promptly ex.
PEELED BY an English force, and the FIRST thing that
was done by the British authority-and must
say, In my opinion, in very bad taste-was to
change the ancient euphonious name of San Juan
Del NoEte, or San Juan de Nicaragua Il do not
care which) into the modern, and to my ear very
insipid, appellation of Grey Town. hope the first
rites OF San Juan, ifthey independent, will be
to change it back again. Let US have again that
line, old and well sounding Spanish name.
NOW, as said, the convention negotiated by my
friend from Delaware, with the Apr obation Of the
President. on the 18th of April 1850, removed a
part of the obstacles which grew out of
the claim to the protectorate but there were other
difficulties remaining Costa RIGA and Nicara VA
were sun at variance Nicaragua refused, in any
way, to recognise the independent existence of the
Mosquito Indians. She refused to renounce her
territorial rig hts to San Juan. In the mean time
the preliminary surveys had been Instituted, and
II was FOUND that the canal would not pass all the
way on the left bank of the river, 1t was found
that probably in some places it would go into the
bed OF the river, and that in other places it
would 60 on the right bank of the river; and Costa
Rlca claimed that her rightful boundary came
up 70 the right bank of the river. Then how could
a = ha ~ hot onrsra ,,ra
the principle Of the exclusive sovereignty of Mica
raguaf 1t was impossible that foreign capitalists
would risk their capital in country like Central
America, where domestic feuds and border wars
are the order of the day, to build an enormously
expensive canal which would cost perhaps S lO0,-
0OOOOO, over disputed territory, where the soil was
liable to be wrested from them at any moment
by contesting power. It was necessary that
controverted questions.
Who should do it? The mediation of the United
States and Great Britain had over and over again
been invoked by both States. In the treaty of the
l9th OF April, 1850 to which have so often to al
Jude, there was express stipulation that if any
differences existed between the States the Gov
eminent In reference to the canal or any question
OF right OF property connected with it, the high
contracting parties would exert their good offices
to reconcile those differences; 30 that while it was
absolutely necessary that the work of adjustment
should be attempted, it seemed impossible that
anybody else than the two friendly Powers could
undertake it. Accordingly they felt it their duty
to undertake it, and in the month, / think it was
OF July, 1851, conference was held here, in
ashlngton, between the Secretary of State and
the British Minister on the one side, and the ENJOYS
OF Costa Rlca and Nicaragua the other; but with
out any favorable result. About that time Nicara-
qua had entered into partial confederacy with
Honduras and San Salvador, to strengthen herself
against Costa RIGA. She had merged her separate
political sovereignty in this federation. She had
no longer the power if she had the DESIRE to treat
separately upon this subject. An interval of eight
or ten months accordingly followed.
AT length it was thought by the two Govern.
mens that further delay was out of the question;
that 1t was already amounting to an indefinite
postponement of all energetic proceedings towards
the construction of the CANAL and it was absolutely
necessary that something decisive should be done.
Accordingly, in the month of April 1852, the Sec
rotary OF State and the British Minister, acting
under the instructions of their Governments re-
spectively, came together and held conferences on
this subJect; and, after mature deliberations they
agreed to the propositions commonly called the
propositions Of the Both of April, 1852, which
TO be offered to the two Governments They were
only advisory. They could be nothing else. They
were recommendations of two friendly Powers,
having no interest at variance with that of either
party; regarding them both with the most friendly
eye; and anxiously seeking the best method by
which all difficulties could be reconciled and an
efectual impulse given to the execution of the
great work. They were only propositions; not
convention. They were the basis of convention
that was to be submitted to the two Governments
of Nicaragua and Costa RIGA. After having been
arranged with great elaboration here, they were
sent by separate commissioners to the capitals of
Nicaragua and Costa RIGA They were accepted
~ Costa Rica; they we're rejected by Nicaragua.
Now, sir, let us for moment consider what these
propositions were.
shall not take up the time of the Senate by
going into very great detail 1t would be hard
to be understood without map Of the country
and without more time than it would be convenient
Tor the Senate to bestow on the subject; but the
main objects were few and simple. The fret was
this: out OF the very large tract of country lying
east OF Nicaragua covered by the claim of the
Mosquito Indians, to retain o moderate reserva-
ton tor the temporary use of the Mosquito In
dians. They were all to be collected here; they
we're to be withdrawn from every other point
which they may have occupied In the centre of
the coast of this territory lay the ancient settle
ment of Bluefelds, the foundation of which runs
back into the seventeenth century, if am not
mistaken. They were all to be brought together
on this reservation, and all the rest of the large
territory west and south OF it was to be coded in full
sovereignty to Nicaragua. This cession included
the much desired port of San Juan. This great
bone OF contention, if may so call it, was to be
given up to Nicaragua by these propositions; and
In consideration Of this large cesson of territory,
and OF getting rid of the disagreeabe controversy
1T was proposed-proposed only, all this pro
postlon-that Nicaragua, pecuniary indem
nifty to the Mosquito nation, should pay the net
proceeds of an ad saore duty OF ten per cent upon
How much that would amount to cannot under
take to say; but do not suppose it would amount
in the whole to more than fifty or sixty thousand
dollars. That was the entire pecuniary conside
ration which was to be paid for the surrender of
the sovereignty OF San Juan, and for the cesson of
the rest OF the country lying west and southwest OF
the reservation to which have alluded.
This was not all. The reservation itself was not
intended to be perpetual On the contrary, 1t was
expressly provided, in separate article, that the
terms of the settlement should not preclude Nicar
aqua from making any private agreement, she
might please with the Mosquito Indians for what
we should call the extipguishment of their title.
She was to be at liberty at any time to make pr-
vate arrangement with the Mosquito Indians for
the final extinguishment of the title, and conse
quentiy the absorption of the reservation into the
Nicaraguan State-the Indians to be incorporated
with the citizens Of that State of course; which
would be no hardship, because by far the largest
part of the population of Nicaragua ia composed of
the native race and their descendants.
These were the propositions as far as concerns
the Mosquito protectorate and San Juan, and all
that part OF the controversy. Nicaragua being 80
highly favored on that side, it thought no more
than reasonable that Costa RIGA, the other party,
should be somewhat favored on her side, not how
ever by giving her all that she asked because she
claimed TO go up to the San Juan river through it's
whole extent from the lake to the ocean. That was
not admitted in the propositions She alec claimed
that she bad an equal right with Nicaragua in the
port OF San Juan. That could not be admitted, be-
cause the exclusive sovereignty proposed to be
gwen to Nicaragua; but it was proposed that Costa
klca should go up to the Colorado, branch that