The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1853-01-08


soteaaeny and earnestly REQUIRED in these columns,
are at last receiving the attention which their i'm
portanoe deserves. Two years ago they were promi-
neatly before the public and the government, and 1t
was supposed from the prodgious diplomatic hustle
at Washington, that they would be brought to a
50 isfactory and permanent settlement. Indeed,
after many months Of suspense, it was finally pro.
claimed that they had really been adjusted, at the
cost o. vast labor and through unequallsd skil, by
MIR Clayton, upon behalf Of the United States, and
Sir Henry Bulwer, upon the side Of Grea. Britain
The prodigy which these national nid wives in
troduced to the world was 9 treaty, or "conven.
ton," which has since obtained some notoriety az
the "Clayton and Bulwsr Treaty" This treaty,
1t was vauntingly announced to the world, was not
only intended to settle all disputes in Central me
rca and terminate forever the pretensions Of Great
Britain in that quarter but to dispose permanently,
Of " The Mosquito Question" and secure and qua
rantee to the general good and welfare of
mankind all existing and all possible modes
Of communication between the two oceans
The only article, however, which had a political
bearing, or which really touched the chief question
in which the United States was interested, namely,
that Of British aggressioEs in Central America, was
ARTICLE The governments Of the United States and
Great BIZ itsn hereby declare that neither the
the other will obtain maintain for itself any ex
elusive control the fad chip canal agreeing that
neither viii ever erect maintain any fortifcations
commanding the same, in the vicinity thereof o.
suPy OF forty or colombo or assume or exercise any
dominion over Nicaragua. Costa RIGA, the Mosquito
coast, or any part of Central America viii either
max use Of any protection which either affords may
afford or any alliance which either has may have
with State people, for the purpose OF erecting
or maintaining any such Notifications, OF occupying
forfyng or coonizing Nicaragua Costa Rica the Mos
quito coast, or any part Of Central America or Of
assuming or exerching dominion the same nor
will the United States Great Britain take advantage
OF any intimacy, or use any alliance connection. u-
fuepcs that either may with any State govern
msnt through whose territory the said canal may pass
FOR the purpose q acquiring holding directly or nd
rscty for the citizens subjects Of the any rights
or advantages in regard to commerce navigation
through the said canal which shall be offered on the
same terms to the citizens or subjects Of the other.
Under the beefthat this article not only terminated
all existing British pretensions but guarded against
them for the future, and that it restored to the
Central American States, but especially to Ncara.
qua, all the territories Of which, under one pretext
and another they had been deprived, it was ratified
by the United States Senate. Thi, construction it
would appear, was accepted by the Senate, on the
authority Of the negotiator and not deduced by its
members from O careful consideration of the terms
of the treaty. for stripped of all of its highsound
ing phrases it will be found that it amounts to very
little. 1t is nothing more than dexterous play on
words, and means any thing or nothing, and may be
read backward or forwards, az interest policy may
dictate. Such the view taken of it at the time
by those who were best acquainted with Central
American affairs, and the result has proved the &C.
curacy of their judgment.
1t is true Mr.. Clayton claimed that il not only
terminated the pretended British protectorate on
the Mosquito shore, but freed Central America from
all further en,roachments The British govern
ment the other hand asserted that it recognized
and confirmed that protectorate and it continued to
maintain not only the same relations which it had
previously sustained with the Mosquito savages,
but followed out systematically the aggressive policy
which it had previously pursued.
The construction put upon the article by Mr. Clay
ton explained in his letter to Mr. Squier dated
May Z, 1850. He then said
We have never acknowledged, and never can acknow
ledge the existence Of any claim OF sovereignty in the
b0quto King, or any other Indian in America TO do
would be to deny the title the United States to her
own territory Having always regarded the In liam title
Is mere rlgnt OF occupancy We can sgree that
such title should be treated otherwise than as
thing to be extnguhed at the will the dscovsrer Of
and Buwer treaty Great Britain will no longer
have any interest to deny this principle which she has
In every other case in common with U.s. Her
protectorate will be reduced to shAdow-sfat
umbrafor she neither occupy fortify colonize
nor exercise dominion control in any part Of the
Mosquito coast or Central America TO attempt to do
either Of these things after the exchange Of Publications.
would inevitably produce a rupture with the United
States By the terms Of treaty. neither party pro-
tect to occupy nor occupy to protect.
Not only so; but in speech made subsequently, at
Wilmington, Delaware,) Mr.. Clayton distinctly
asserted that
Tnvlo desired reCouniao he
title to the Mosquito shore by the Nicarsguan treaty ne
sotated BY Mr. squier but left the question after sub
willingness to raty to be decided as the Senate should
think proper.
Such being the construction of the treaty as pro.
claimed by Mr. Clayton, what were its practical re-
suits 1t was signed April 10, 1850; ratified, and
the ratiGcat ions exchanged July 4, 1885, and pro.
claimed July 5, 1880 Two years and half have now
elapsed, and yet England persists and insists her
Mosquito pretensions, and the port of San Juan,
wrested from Nicaragua by British arms in 1885, still
remains under virtual English jurisdiction and under
the guns Of British vessel of war Nor has Eng
land contented herself with an unyieldng hold on
her assumptions anterior to the proclamation Of this
treaty.
In August, 1851, more than year after it was
perfected, q British vessel of war appeared in the
fine and commanding harbor of Ruatan, an island
belonging to the republic of Honduras, o State
of Central America. The captain Of this vessel,
an officer named Jolly, then proceeded to or
ganize the island as dependency of Belize, some
times called British Honduras. And in July, 1862,
(uly last) . APPROXIMATION was made from Belize,
as follows -
PROCLAMATION.
OFFICE THE COLONIAL sEcRPrARr,l
BELIZE, July IL, 1852
This is to give notice that Her Most Gracious Ma
estJ Queen has been pleased constitute and make
the islands Of Rua Bonacca Utla Barbarat Helene
and Morat to be colony to be known and designated
" The Colony Of the Bay Islands,"
By command Of Her Maesty's Superintendent
AUGUSTUS FRED. GORE, Colonial Secretary
God eaye the Queen
And this has been the.pfactical commentary on the
Clayton and Bulwer treaty Such are the tangi-
BILE results Of two and half years experience Of
its blessings 1t has disgrl iced us amongst foreign
nations and diacredted US, sad weakened our influ.
IL II