The Belmont chronicle, and farmers, mechanics and manufacturers advocate. [volume] (St. Clairsville, Ohio) 1848-1855, 1853-04-01

tary Of State, there are some topics on which
his statements possess historical interest and
value, more especially as correcting the
errors and misrepresentation which charact.
erized much of the Senatorial debates during
the late session. For all personal purposes
perhaps, the report Of Mr.. MAsos's commit
tee msy have been considered sufficient. A |
tribunal selected by those who had assailed
Mr.. CLAYTON, its verdict, as found in its re-
port, rebuts substantially all that had been |
al eyed against him in the premises. We
refer to what he said, therefore, only with |
the view OF exhibiting in small compass the
true side of questions which political charla-
tanism has more particularly marked as its
own. We speak to-day of the Baze and
the Clay,on-Bulwer treaty.
In regard to the settlements at Balizc, Mr.
G .AYToN demonstrated the accuracy Of the |
g'ound occupied by the Wings as against the |
p'etensions put forward two or three months |
10 by Mr. SouLE and his friends. The posi-. !
ton occupied by Mr.. MAsoS's committee is |
that "the boundaries allotted to the British
settlements on the Bulze lie altogether with
/ the territory OF the republic of Guatemala"
Ths position Mr.. CLAYTON proved is utter
ly erroneous, whether considered politically,
geographically, or historically; the truth be-
ing thatthe settlements were part of Yucatan,
and never formed portion Of what is pro-
perly denominated Central America The
authorities cited by the committee in support
of their opinion fail them on thorough ex-
animation, as, for instance, Captain BoHNY-
CASTLES Spanish America and maps is
sued by the government of Guatemala. Lcav-
ing out Of view the British writer's, the A.
mercan, French, and Spanish geograpbers,
having no possible interest in misstating the
matter all concur IN admitting that British
Honduras lies in Yucatan. The admissions
Of Guatemala herself prove the same thing;
end the course pursued by Mr.. Polk and Mr..
BUCHANAN, in appointing u consul to the
Balizc, is conclusive as to their opinion in re-
ference TO the source and character of the
British title Amongst the collateral evidence
adduced by Mr.. CLAYTON is the circumstance
that at the time when Britain obtained a con-
frmation Of her title her relationship to
Guatc mala " as exactly similar to that with
Mexico. Both had rcvOcd from Spain, an
both had been recognized and favored by
Britain. Tile presumption is that nt that
period Guatemala would have readily grant
ed the confirmation. desired, had she possessed
the rightlul authority. The archives, how
ever, not only Of Mexico but of Guatemala,
placed the fact beyond doubt that the settle
ments in question were in Yucatan. Taking
the whole chain Of evidence upon this point
into consideration, it is impossible to avoid a
conclusion which is the reverse of llatterng
TO the intelligence or candor of Senators who
labored in January to manufacture an excuse
for their fulmnations against the alleged
"imbeciiy" Of Wing administration. Eth
or the Senators who wasted patriotic dcclama-
ton on that occasion were wholly and mex
cusably ignorant upon the subject of which
they spoke, or they chose for Sactious pur-
poses to PROFOUND propositions which they
knew to be at variance with fact.
The provisions of the treaty between this
country and Britain which Mr. CLAYTON more
especially noticed are those which relate TO
the construction of n canal across the Isthmus
by the joint efforts of the two powers. As
fur back as March, 1895, the subject of an
interoccanic communication between the At
lantic and Pacific occupied the attention of
the Senate; and the principle then suggested
has since governed the negotiations of the
American Government, irrespective of party.
General JACKSON approved of it, and c. Bddle,
whom he sent 10 Nicaragua to make inquiries
concerning it-but who disobeyed instructions
and never went thcrc-procurcd from New
Granada an exclusive grant Of the right of
way across the Isthmus, subject, however,
to conditions that would have Injured to the
sole benefit Of Biddle, und others who were
10 be associated with him. General JACKSON
disovowed the arrangement, and went out of
office before better could be effected.
Again, in lS45, Mr.. WHEATON, in despatch
rentirmed the view expressed by Presidents
ADAMS and JACKSON, that the benefits of the
proposed canal sought not to be exclusively
appropriated to any one nation" In lsa7
President Polk carried the principle into
practical execution BY the treaty which was
negotiated with New Granada. In the mes
sage communicating that treaty to the Sen
ate he denied the policy Of obtaining an ex-
elusive grant of the right of way, and
vndicated the rinciple of opening the COM
munication to all nations on the same terms
The treaty thus recommended was confirmed
by the Senate by n vote of 90 to 7, every
Democratic Senator of that day voting for il.
Mr. HisE's treaty with Nicaragua, of which
Senator DOUGLAS is enamored, was, then,
in direct opposition to the principle previous
ly affirmed by both branches of Congress,
sanctioned by Presidents JACKSON and pnIK.
and finally confirmed in IS47 by every Dem
ocrat then in the Senate Senator DoUG-
Las, therefore, is more strait than the straitcst
Of his party, or forgetful of ante edents which
every Democrat ought to remember. Mr..
HIsE, in his treaty, secured to the u. States,
or citizens thereof, the exclusive right of
opening passage between the two oceans;
netting without proper powers, disregarding
the declared policy of his Government, aud
violating the instructions given TO him by Mr..
BucuAsAs, who proposed to afford the adyan.
tage Of communication at a moderate toll 10
oil nations. This was not the sole fault OF
the treaty. Its monopolsing privileges were
bad, but they formed only small part of It's
badness. II proposed that the Government
of the United States should construct a canal
in foreign country, and, failing this. that
the President or Congress should issue
charter or act Of incorporation for tho pos
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