Weekly national intelligencer. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1841-1869, 1853-02-05

communicated directly to the Senate, had there beer
any call or resolution passed BY the Senate for TIA
purpose, though, as the documents communicated
! to one House are always placed ON the desks Of
the members Of the other House, such call could
not have been held necessary.
Ga the very day of the exchange of our ratifca-
tons, and in the morning before the exchange took
place, Mr. CLAYTON informed Mr.. KING, the chair
man of the Committee on Foreign Relations in the
Senate, the chosen organ of that body that be was
then "writing to Sir H. L. Bulwer, and, while
"about to decline altering the treaty he wished to
I" leave no room for charge Of dupcity against our
" Government, such as that we now pretend that
" Central America in the treaty includes British
" Honduras" He adds:
81 shall therefore say to him, in effect, that such
construction was not in contemplation of the nego-
" tiators or the Senate at the time of confirmation
" May have your permission to add, that the true
understanding was explained by you as Chair
" man for Foreign Relations, to the Senate, before
" the vote was taken on the treaty. think it due
9 to frankness our part"
1t is apparent from this note that Mr.. KING and
Dir. CLAYTON had freely interchanged their views,
the the organ of the President, and the
other as the organ Of the Senate, before the note
was written, Mr.. CLAYTON knew from Mr. KING,
and he could not know it from better or higher
authority how the Senate understood the treaty Mr.
KING Immediately replied to the noteabove cited that
Hthe Senate perfectly understood that the treaty
/" did not include British Honduras" and then adj
vised the Secretary " to be careful Gas we see he
"was) not to any expression in his letter to Mr.
| Buiwer which would seem to recognise the right
Of England to any portion Of Honduras"
| We seey therefore, that Mr.. CLAYTON proceeded
with the utmost circumspection !; for, although he
could have no reason to imagine that the So
nate supposed British Honduras was included in the
treaty than Jamaica, yet, as if to make assurance
doubly sure, he called upon Mr.. KING to give him
the official information of the fact before he pro-
ceeded in writing another line; and he obtained it,
and has presented it and published it to his complete
vindicaton. Mr.. KING also has justified the course
of Mr. CLAYTON, by addressing to Senator PEARoE,
OF Maryland, the following statement, with re-
quest that it should be laid before the Senate, viz:
COL KING desires Mr.. PEAnCE say 10 the Senate
that has not been his desire intention in any thing
which he has been represented saying, in reference
to the Clayton and Bulwer treaty, to cast the slightest
"impuatisn Mr.. j. NJ CLAYTON, in reference to that
matter On the contrary he desires to do Mr. CLAYTON
the justice say that he is convinced that every thing
connected with that treaty, he (Mr. CLAYToS)
tuated by patriotic anxiety to protect the rights and
interests Of his country. Col KING feels mortified that
any thing i'd by him, under misapprehension of the
facts of tie case should have been made the basis for
unjust reflections on Mr.. CLAYTON"
Fad Mr.. KING apprized Mr.. CLAYTON that the
Senate had any doubt upon the subject, the treaty
probably would have been defeated. But, on the
other hand, it, after receiving Mr.. KINGS letter. he
had refused to permit Sir Henry L. Bulwer to make
his declaration, and defeated the treaty, he would
bot have escaped the censures of our Democratic
friends for the rest of his fe In that event, the
British would have continued to extend their do
minion and occupation in the Central American
States, which constantly increasing during the
administration of Mr.. Polk, with whose knowledge
and acquescence the British expedition under Capt
Lock, attacked and took the town of San Juan de
Niearagna and the fort Of Sarapique, at the very
time were making the Treaty Of Guadalupe
Hidnlgo; and long ere this there might perhaps
not have been left patch Of the vast country of
Central America unsubdued by the British power.