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

II back again Let have again that fine. old, and we'll
sounding Spanish name
Now as said the convention negotiated by my friend
from Delaware, with the appreciation OF the President,
me i9lh oi Aprl, 1850, removed considerable part OF
the obstacles which grew OF The claim TO the poecto
rate; but there were other difficulties remaining Costa
Rlca aad Nicaragua still al variance Nicaragua
refused "a any way, to recognise the independent exist
ence oil Tue Mosquito Indians She refused to
her territorial rights 10 San Juan In the mean time the
preliminary surveys had bsen instituted. and il found
mar 'he canal would not pass all the way on the left
places would go into the bed of the river and in other
places would 20 on the right bank OF the river; and
Iosa hea claimed that her rghtiu boundary came uplo
the right bank OF the river. Then how could we gel
along WIN Charter that given upon the principle OF
he exclusive sovereignty OF Nicaragua II was impos-
soe that foreign capitalists who do mol enter into these
naefs with the critical skill of dpomatiss, would risk
their capital ~ country like Central America, where
domestic feuds and border the order OF the day.
10 naili an enormously expensive canal which would
cost perhaps 800 GEO OOO disputed territory, where
Tue sell was iabe 10 be wresed from them al any
tnshl ey cohestDg power IL was necessary that some
mag iuthet should be done TO adjust all these cono
verted questions.
Who should DO IL The mediation Of the United States
ana Great Britain had over and over again been Invoked
ny both States In the treaty OF the 10th OF April 1885,
which have so often to allude, there express
stipulation that any differences existed between the
States or the goyeInmentin reference TO the canal,
any question Of hight OF property connected with H. the
high contracting parties would exert their good Offices
reconcile those differences. that while il absolute
y necessary that the work OF adjustment should be al
tempted, II seemed mpossbl that an, body else than the
two friendly powers could undertake it. Accordingly,
they fell IL their duy TO undertake it, and in the month";
think IL was. OF july 1851, conference was held here
IA Washington between the Secretary oil State and the
British minister on one side. aud the ENJOYS OF Costa
ci and Nicaragua the other but without any favor
able result. About that time Nicaragua had entered into
panlal contederacy with Honduras and San Salvador,
to sTsBgthen herself against Costa Rca She had merged
ner separate political sovereignty 10 this federation She
had longer The power, II she had the desire, 10 treat
separately upon this subject
An interval of eight ten months accordingly
followed. AT length IT was thought by the two
gov ernments that a further DELAY was out of the
question that it was already amounting to an in
definite postponement Of all energetic proceedings to-
wards the construction OF the canal and it was abso
ut. necessary that something decisive should be done
Accordingly, in the month OF April, 1884, the Secretary
Of Stale and The British minister, acting under the in
structons OF their governments respectively, came to-
geher and held conferences this subject and after
deliberaon, they agreed 10 the propositions
nony called the propositions OF the 30lh of April, 1884,
which were TO be offered 10 the two governments They
were only advisory They could be nothing else They
recommendations OF two friendly powers, having
interest at variance with that OF either party regard
ing them both with the most friendly eye, and
ly seeking the best method by which all these difficult
ties could be reconcled and an erectua impulse given
to the execution OF the great work. They were only
propositions They were not convention. They were
the basis of a convention that be submitted the
two governments OF Nicaragua and Costa Rca- After
having been arranged wh great deliberaon here, they
Nicaragua and Costa Rica. They accepted by
Costa Rica they rejected by Nicaragua. Now,
SIR lei for moment consider what these propositions
were.
shall not take up the time OF the Senate by going in
to very great detail Ii would be hard 10 be understood
without amapof the country, and without more time than
would be convenient tor the Senate TO besow the
subject but the objects few and simple The
first this OF the very large tract OF country y
ing OF Nicaragua covered by the claim OF the Mos.
quito Indians, TO retain moderate reservation for the
temporary OF the Mosquito Indians. They were all
to be collected here; they were 10 be Withdrawn from
every other point which they may have occupied In the
cent Dt
ment OF Buehelds the foundation of which runs back
into the seventeenth century, II am not mistaken They
all 10 be brought together this reservation, and
all the OF This large territory, and south OF The
reservation, TO be ceded In full sovereignty Mica
ragua THIS cession included the much-desred port Of
San Juan The great bone OF contention, ii may all
it, be given up Nicaragua by these propositions
and in consideration OF this large OF territory and
of getting rad OF The dlsageeabe controversy, pro-
lposed-proposed only, all this was proposuon-lbat
Nicaragua, pecuniary indemnity 10 the Mosquito
ton should pay them the proceeds OF dd paio-
rem duty OF ten per cent upon articles imported into San
Juan, for three years How much that would amount to
cannot undertake TO say, but do not suppose IL would
amount in the whole TO than fifty sixty thousand
dollars, Thei was the entire peeunaIy consideration
which be paid Tor the surrender OF the sovereign
ty of San Juan and for the cession OF the OF the
country lying west and southwest OF the reservation
which have alluded.
This was not all The reservation itself was not
esded 10 be perpetual On the contrary expressly
provided, separate article, that the terms OF the
Element should not preclude Nicaragua from making any
Indians for what should call the crtnguisbnen OF
their title She 10 be at Liberty at any time to make
private arrangement with the Mosquito Indians for the
final exiting ushment OF the tue aud consequently the
absorption OF the reservation into the Nicaragua State
adans TO be incorporated with the citizens oil State
of course which would be hardship, because by far
the largest part Of the population OF Nicaragua is com
posed OF The native and their descendants
These the propositions as Tar concerns the
Mosquito proecofaie and San Juan, and all that part
the controversy. Nicaragua being so highly favored
on that side, 1t was thought no more than reasonable
that Costa Rca, the other party, should be what IA
voTed her sde not however by giving her all that
asked because she claimed go up the San Juan river
through its whole extent from the lake TO the ocean
That not admitted in the proposition. She also
claimed that she bad equal right with Nicaragua
the port OF San Juan That could not be admitted be.
the exclusive sovereignty proposed 10 be given
to Nicaragua but it proposed that Costa Rica should
20 to the Colorado. branch that strikes off from the
San Juan TO the right and giving the large delta between
The Color ado and the San Juan TO Nicaragua that Costa
Rica should follow up the right bank OF the Colorado
then the right bank OF the San Juan the lake. and the
that the southern shore OF the lake should be the bound
ary, with the privilege OF navigating the lake and then
the river La Flor TO the Pacific | admit that this bound
ary favorable to Costa Rca, though il did not
have said, give her all that she thought she entitled
and Nicaragua had been greatly favored the
SIDE. Bot how. in boundary contest between pow.
ers OF about equal strength, you come to set.
ement any other basis than that Of compromise and
mutual concession The United States and Eoglan ha
done Il over and over again We claimed boundary
on the northeast as running far beyond the river 81
John--tor we have our San Juan too-we claimed thai
went far beyond that the northeastern bound
AIRY OF Maine England said that the boundary line be-
gan al Mars Hill, Tar south OF The ST. John. The
10 settle Il by each party giving up something of its ex