The daily union. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1845-1857, 1853-04-10

with Ceniral America have for some time formed one OF
the most important topics OF consideration wl.hh 'ne
whole range of our foreign reatlonsan Importance out
of all PROPORTION o the consequence of these States them
selves thai is, either 10 their population, TO ther polca
weight, or 10 any commercial ieiauons wnch we eneI
! have expect TO have win them; Ihe hve
States Guatemala San Salvador, Honduras Nicaragua
and Costa Riea altogether do not contain population
greater than that OF the single State OF Ohio And that
population instead of being compact, homogeneous
boug hit together is divided into nve States, with Their
capitals remote from each Other with very inadequate
means of communication, and IN other respects wholly
disabled from making itself felt IN any relations with for
egn countries, like the population OF lhe Slae The noble
State, which | have Just named The state win wh,ch
we have been brough most into onnexon that OF Nj
caragu according 10 the account OF MI oquler mas Dn
two hundred and fifty thousand Inhabitants, and ten
thousand only of these OF the pure European blood
while the rest, the remaining two hundred and forty
thousand are OF mixed races, colors, and castles
| do not say this by way of disparagemen do not
mean TO argue that relations with these States are
unmporan because They are small They are incident
ally OF great magnitude. 40 not undervalue these lltile
republics. They have had everything 10 contend with;
they educated in The worst possible political
school--hat is, The old Spanish colonial regime. They
have struggled into independence under the greatest ncon
venences and obstacles They in their infancy They
will grow, have no doubt, and prosper They have
beautiful position lying between the two great oceans,
with some OF the finest ports upon either shore Their
climate for tropical climate, is Tor the most pa saubri
Gus and agreeable. They have fertile soil which yields
all the valuable products OF the ropIcs and they have
mines Of silver and gold they have lakes and rivers
Which furnish facilities OF Ommuncaon; they have ag
rcullure and some commerce; and they have made some
progress in the arts OF civilization But they have yet
great deal 10 learn and it will be Tor their permanen,
advantage II III the result OF their communication with
other powers advanced than themselves they shall
derive some important lessons Their internal ieuds are
deporabe, and their incessant border wars are draw
back upon all roaress. While am speaking the State
oil Guatemala. with population Of eight hundred thou
sand, is marching an army of six thousand men against
her sister State OF Honduras with three hundred thou
sand and Honduras, her turn, Is sending military
force to dislodge the English wood cutters upon her dis
pued frontier Sir these iends, these border wars, and
contentious, produce, they do produce other
suit than series of bloody revolutions, which, beside
leaving them in state OF almost semi barbarsm, have the
effect OF dsheanenng their friends in every other part
These States have formed, or least have endeavor-
ed form, their political Institutions after the model OF
our own While they might have learned from us that
federal union which, leaving everything that belongs
to local administration TO The separate States. confers
the central government only those matters that are OF
general concernment in short government like ours,
If wisely and pure administered, may be the strongest
government the earih as believe ours in the long
run will turn out 10 be; on The other hand there is no
form OF government weak hopeless SO contempt
BILE that OF small separate States lying side by ride
without harmony, without concert, and employing all
their energies in making war upon each other.
Though there great interest taken by the United
States in the fortunes the Spanish American colonies
when they threw of the yoke of the mother county,
aAd asserted their ndependence-an interest mainly IN
sped by the kinJling eloquence OF Henry Cay-there
perhaps part Of these vast territorial possessions
that excited less interest than the five States into which
the ancient Kingdom OF Guatemala resolved itself
had little commercial intercourse with them. They
had great places OF resort TO attract the curiosity OF
the traveller in fact we knew tut little about hem they
were almost lost upon the map OF America. In 1922,
the year after the revolution was effected, the State OF
San Salvador passed formal act in her legislature pro-
vid,ng for her Incorporation into the American Union
she sent two commissioners to Washington TO carry that
act into effect do not know that the least notice was
taken OF them. suppose they were treated with per-
sonai cvility a matter OF course but no comnunica
tion made TO Congress upon The subject am not
sure that any official response was made 10 IT. even IRON
the Executive. am Inclined TO think there was none
At subsequent periods, and under vauous adminstra
lions, attempts made 10 enlist the active interference
OF The United States favor OF the Central American re-
pubcs but never with The least under any ad
ninistraton | do not say this reproachully II is no
matter OF reproach. Looking back Tor period OF nearly
thirty ears, upon the history Of these countries, cannot
find the time the occasion when we could have en-
listed actively their afais with prospec, OF doing
them the least good, or without departing IRON all the
safe and settled principles OF policy OF our own country
But al length the time came al length an era opened
aot only in our own history but theirs, aud in the his
tory OF the whole world You know that refer TO the
acquisition OF California and the discovery OF It's gold
Then. sir intense necessity Immediately felt for
the sgeedest and most economical and most convenient
routes of communication between the Atlantic and the
Pacific oceans-beween the Atlantic States and our new
acquisitions the shores OF the great Then, SIR
The iide OF emig ailon-l cannot compare IT to anything
else but what have Witnessed hundred times on the
sea -shore-he tide of emigration, like the tides OF the
ocean, pouring down the coast, swelling over every
rock and every shua rushing into every inlet lornng
back the currents oil the rvers and seeking by KIND oil
lrTesistIbe, moral necessity, an
ocean The project OF canal mad often been started be.
FORE propositions bad been made, charters applied Tor,
surveys undertaken but nothing practical had been
done. But II was plain that The time had come
when something practical must be done. Attempts were
commenced and pretty soon we heard OF small steamers
that navigating the inland streams and lakes oi
Central America, and companies OF pilgrims OF both
and OF all ages from the United States wind
log their through those dark tropical forests through
The branches OF which the rays of the had never pea
etraed since creation
A charter for canal was soon granted by Nicaragua
10 company of Amencaa citizens, aud II no political
dc nltes had existed, and II Central America had been
occupied By a population like that which poured the
waters OF Lake Erie into the bed OF the Hudson AL.
that this very moment three masied vessels oil twenty
feet drausht, would be navigating the waters OF Lake
Nicaragua, on their way TO the Pacific
But unfortunately, political obstacles did exist-obsa
ces OF all kinds There dissensions between the
height boring States of Nicaragua and Costa Rca There
was difference between Nicaragua and the BRUSH gov
eminent. assuming 10 be the protector OF the Mosquito
Iianed-unoHnded Iealousles, | think-but leslouses
were sincerely entertained between the Uned States and
Great Bnainhat each OF these great maritime powers
was desIous oi obtaining some exclusive advantage 10
itself in reference 10 toe opening OF this route OF inter
oceanic communication
Now sir, il was great object, as understand IL, OF
the treaty negotiated on the part OF this government by
my friend from Delaware 10 remove these difficulties,
ulay lar the United States and Great Britain
were concerned and establish the principle that neither
OF these great powers wished for separate and exclu
sive advantage That treaty negotiated precisely
the principles that had governed every movement and
cry sep which had been taken from the first by the Uni
ted States in reference to artificial interoceanic
ncaton AS think, i was the right princlpe-ibsl is,
IL - III Il 49, ..t,r..y