Richmond daily times. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1853, 1853-01-13
THE HONDURAS QUESTION.

We publish in another column extract from
very able and interesting Speech recently de-
ivered in the Senate by Mr.. Seward relative to
the Clayton and Bulwer Treaty. The remarks
of the New York Senator furnish the clearest,
most satisfactory and ineligible exposition ofthe
subject we have yet seen, and we trust that the
renders pref udces against the speaker, growing
out Of his course in reference to another subject,
will not prevent him from giving due considera-
ton to his facts aud arguments. 1t will be seen
that ia an official communication from the Presi-
don't to tho Senate. that body was informed moro
than two years ago that the treaty of 1850 was
not intended to include British Honduras. And
yet Messrs. Cass, Downs & Co. pretend to h ave
heard this for the first time within the last week,
and affect to be shocked and alarmed beyond
measure at tho discovery.
If these Senators sincere in their present
declarations, they must at least plead guilty to
an inexcusable amount of neglect and ignorance
in the discharge of their official duties. If the
Michigan. Sempronius had exercised one half the
vigilance, whom the treaty under considera-
ton, that he displays now nearly three years af-
ter its ratification, he mi ght surely have caught
intimaton of the Interpretation which the
President, the Secretary of State, his own friend,
Mr.. King, and other Senators, placed its stip-
ulations. But like an inveterate old Fogy, as he
is. Mr.. Cass slept on his post in the hour of dan
ger, and now when the mischief, if mischief has
been done, is irrsmediable, he suddenly wakes
up from his Rip Van Wrinkle reposs and startss
earth, sea and sky with his idle aud Intellectual
clamor. TO compare his gabble to that of the
geese the Roman Capital, would be unjust
to those feathered sentinels, for their notes of
warning were heard when danger was approach
ing, and not three years after the citadel was
stormed.
But this outcry about surrender of the Mon
roe doctrine by MIR. Clayton, is simply ridicu-
lous. If that doctrine has been abandoned at all
it was abandoned by Mr.. Polk, when he sent
consul to British Honduras, thereby recognizing
British dominion the country. The Clayton
Buwer treaty leaves the title of Great Britain
precisely whore it stood before, neither affirming
nor denying its validity. 1t should be distinctly
borue in mind that the primary aud avowod OBJ
ject of that treaty, appears its face, was to
secure the cooperation of Great Britain and the
United States in the construction of ship cnual
between the Atlantic and Pacific oceans, and to
make the territory in the vicinity Of the canal
neutral. But Gen. Cass & Co. now virtually de-
clare that according to their understanding of the
matter. this was mere pretext to hide another
object, to w.t. the exclusion of Great Britain from
Central America.
1.-THE United States is prepared to declare, and
to maintain the declaration by arms, that no Eu-
ropean power shall establish new colony on
any part of the American continent, lot us take
THAT position openly and boldly, and not seek to
accomplish our object by stealth and indirestion'
We feel assured that it was not in the contem-
pation of the Wing administration by which tho
treaty of165O was negotiated, to GUST Great Bri-
tain from Central America usder the pretsxt of
ensting hor aid in the establishment of an in
teroceanic communication.