The daily union. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1845-1857, 1853-04-08
SPEECH OF JOHN M. CLAYTON,
OF DELAWARE;

1
Delivered in the Senate March IA aud l5 is53 in vindi-
cation OF the Central American treaty concluded with
Great Britain on The 10Th OF April 1880
| Mr.. DoucLAs and Mr. Mason having both replied to
the speech oi Mr.. CLAYTON OF the Sh OF March when
Mr.. MASON concluded,
Nj. CLAYTON rose 10 answer them and said:
Mr.; pRssIDEsr; have now heard both the senator
from Illinois Mr. DouoLAsI and the senator from vir-
gnia Mr. MASON, and shall reply to both And first,
lei me notice the remarks OF the honorable chairman of
.he Committee on Foreign Relations Mr.. MAsoNl in de-
fence OF his report The senator from illinois, who 10
member Of that committee, says for himself by way of
excuse suppose, that he present when il was
read in committee and, accordingly, he does attempt
to defend Il. The late senator from Kentucky. (Mr Un-
derwood,) another member OF the committee, anaounced
his dissen from il when the report made The hon
orabe chairman, MIR MASON, for whom | have great
respect defends IL still, alter all have said refute il.
But il cannot escape observation that he has not been
able TO produce any authority to sustain II besides that
which the report itself sells forth What that
Why nothing more. according to his present show
ing. than the assertion by Guatemala in some maps,
purely parte maps, each entitled credit than
plat OF a farm made by man claiming il who has
been IN possession OF il, and sought TO obtain H.
But do not agree with him that the maps he has pro-
duced do prove that Guatemala makes any claim the
Belize territory within the limits OF the treaty of 1856.
The map made by order oil the Chief of the State Of
Guatemala, &. d. Mariaao Galvez appears, like every
other map made by Guatemala which have seen to be
constructed without scientific arrangement and its
own face unreliable; and. II understand it. the chair
entirely mistaken his inference from it, that it
includes Belize within the limits OF the State OF Guate
maa The lines appear TO be dotted wnlcn are to desg
nate her boundaries, and dotted lines marked around
Belize, as ii 10 exhibit II as separate territory. The
honorable chairman and draw different nlerences from
the paper, aud the paper itself is authority for
either Of us
AS to his remarks the passages from Humboldt and
Alcedo quoted BY me. can only desire others TO look at
them and decide between US Humboldt does not in the
passage cited by The honorab senaor disced Acedo
in reference this question: but differs from him
gard to another matter. The honorable senator was en-
ely silent in regard TO all the other authorities quoted
except the map OF Guatemala published by Arrowsmtb
the royal hydlographer IN January 1926, which he ad
mits proves all stated it to be credited, but which
he thinks ought 10 be dscredtsd. because made oy
Engllshman produced It for the very purpose of
showing how Englishmen understood the subject. VIII
they sought from Mexico and not from Guatemala the
confirmation OF their claims British Honduras, under
the treaty OF 1885, and obtained the ratification OF them
by the treaty with Mexico IN Dec mber, 1926 The map
does conclusively prove this, made from the
original survey in the archives OF Guatemala" herself.
But ask again, why is II that all English authorities
be wholly dsregarded, and all the pretensons of
Guatemala are to be viewed with perfect confidence He
says bound TO receive assertions because she
claims it. deny that she claims it; and if she did, does
not Great Britain also claim II under grant from Mexi
and has she been in the undsputed OF
it since Guatemala had existence as a State The
honorable may well express doubts Of the conclu
arrived his report he has had time 10 look
The many other authorities to which referred him,
and to which he has made not the slightest exception.
It's irue the senator states. that MIR. Webster did,
in letter to Mr. Murphy of the 9th OF August, ls4I,
speak OF the Irishman, John Galindo, as Colonel Ga
Undo. dstngushed officer in the Central American
army and OF his mission TO England as being accred-
tied by the government OF Central America" But il 10
also true that Mr. Murphy writing from Guatemala on
the 20h January, ls42: informed Mr. Webster OF the i'm
position which caused his mistake The lrishman John
Gando, now called in the report Don Gando" the
Minister" was, said, imposor; and the letter of
Mr. Murphy proves that there gross msrepresenta
ton OF his official character the letter Of Alvarez
himself Who could rely on such testimony, even il it
had stated that Belize in Guatemala! Sir, submit
it that there shadow OF evidence left to sustain the
position that Baze s was the State OF Guate-
nala and knowing that have fully refued the report
leave it.
As to my letter 10 Mr. Bulwer, which is a counter
declaration prevent msconsructon OF his letter Of
the 4th OF July $780, the chairman perfectly right
10 his report that il did no, consent TO any alteration OF
domain in Great Britain at the Belize The letter
also expressly ssles that the dependencies Of Belize
the small islands knoun be dependencies OF British
Honduras il declares, also, without contradiction, that
the treaty does embrace all the Central American
pubics, with all their just limits and proper depend
encies" With these facts before him, any man may
decide The honorable chaians appeal from the Senate
to the Secretary OF State.
The senator from Virginia undertook TO state the facts
regard the declaration of Sir Henry L. Bulwer, and
my counter declaration OF the 4th o July, 1850. In doing
this, he has omitted some OF the facts. He omitted.
observe, to state that Congress officially informed
by me. almost Immediately after the exchange OF at6ca
uons that British Honduras was not included in the
treaty OF 1880. He has omitted to state that the public
also apprzed of the fact the very moment OF the
frs, publication oil the treaty. and that no complaint was
ever made of the exclusion OF British Honduras from
the treaty by any till the 9th OF January last more
than yeats after every one knew II or had reason
10 know it, Above all, he omitted 10 stae--what was
publicly here and elsewheethat at the very mo-
ment OF the exchange OF rahcations was ofncialy IN
formed by Mr. King, the chairman of your Committee
Foreign Relations, that the Senate al the time OF voting
on the lreaty peecy understood that British HOndu-
ras mol included in the treaty" II they did-and
they dare deny the statement OF their Official
! gan, the chairman oi that committee-why is II that
elaborate and persevering effort Is made TO ncucate
the absurd notion that British Honduras included in
the treaty. have here before the letter OF your own
charman--your organ, TO inform OF your views
The letter OF Mr.. King himself II is conclusive OF ths
fact that the senaor and all others who voted Tor OF
against the treaty. perfectly understood at the time that
the territory OF British Honduras not included in
the treaty All understood il then; but few have said
they did not understand 1t 30, and few others try to
prove il where their official organ declared 10
me they perfectly understood il TO be when the treaty
ratified by Them. They try to convict their own
tan, appointed by them TO communicate with me, OF .
ssaiemeni, or to convict themselves Of ignorance.
who. with Mr.. Webster, the Committee on For
eign Relations The tme stated that every member OF
that committee understood the treaty precisely n their
chairman understood it.
My object in offering the second resolution was give
the new administration fair opportunity OF examining
and deciding for itself the question without any previous
commal OF this body) whether the little Islands of
Roaian, Bonaca, Uhlla Barbara Helena, and Morat
within the limits OF the State OF Honduras II
they and the reports Of English occupation OF them
be true, then the treaty has been violated So, too,
the newspaper reports oi the occupation OF Truxio and
Llmas, in Central America be true, that would be matter
for immediate attention the part OF this government
will, have already said, "a far he that dare
20 urhest vindcaton OF the national honor snd the
integrity of the treaty. We bound part faith
T,tt, l,tha tk~