Cooper's Clarksburg register. [volume] (Clarksburg, Va. [W. Va.]) 1851-1861, 1853-03-02
The Central American ,ue,,,on :

On the subject OF the affairs of Contra,
America, the President has Just sent 9
message to the House of Representatives
Transmitting a letter from the Secretary
OF State, IN relation to communication s
recently made to the State Department
by the British Minister, concerning the
claims of England upon Central America,
and with reference especially to the IN
ter-oceanic ship canal. Great Britain
proposes to virtually withdraw her pro-
Leetiea from the Mosquito King, to make
Greytown free city, and to extend the
United Pro:ectorate oil the United States
and England over it. The construction
of the ship canal is provided for under
new plans. The President, in transmit
ting the documents to Congress, abstains
from expressing opinions, but unites in
recommendation by Mr.. Everett for
the withdrawal OF the American Charge
in Central America. and the appointment
of full minister to each of the Central
American States. The President says:
The whole subject is one of so much
delicacy and Importance, that l should
have preferred, SO near the close of my
administrations not to make it the inject
OF an executive communication. But in
asmuch as the measure proposed, cannot,
even if deemed expedient by my success
sor, take effect for near a twelvemonth,
unless an appropriation is made by this
Congress. have thought it my duty to
submit The report of the Department to
the two Houses.
In the letter of Mr. Everett, communi
Gated by the President, u detailed expo
sition is given of the frauds on which
these recommendations are made. He
bases the chief Importance of the matter
upon the necessity to the United States of
the inter oceanic ship canal, and refer
ring to a stipulation of the treaty of April,
10, 1850 for settling differences of right
of property between the Central Amert-
can states in the territory, he says:
In the execution of this stipulation, GER
tain propositions were agreed upon by this
department, and the British Minister, in
the month of April last. having for their
object TO settle the territorial controversies
which existed between the states and the
Governments bordering on the line of the
canal These terms of settlement were
assented to by Costa Rica, but did not
prove acceptable to Nicaragua. In ma
king these propositions to the States in
telested, and in all the negotiations car
ried on by this Government. the only OBJ
lect has been to secure. as FIR as possible,
the passage of the canal through one and
the same civilized State, in order to pre-
cIude the evils likely to arise from it's pas
sing through more than one jurisdiction,
and to exercise the influence and media
tons of the United States, which had been
invoked by the parties in the controversy,
III the manner best calculated to promote
their respective interests.
The conflicting claims Of GreatRritain
and Nicaragua with reference to Mosqui-
10 are among the difficulties which en-
barrass this subject. These difficulties
arise principally from the fact that the
ort Of San Jgan del Norte the Eastern
outlet of the canal, is claimed to belong
10 the Mosquito territory. -
But the relations of Great Britain to Mos
quito and the Mosquito Indians. over
which she claims to have exercised a pro-
tectornge for a long course of years, re-
manned under this treaty somewhat un-
determined. The port of San Juan del
Nurte, to which the name of Greytown
has been given by Great Britain, though
claimed as within the limits of this pro-
tectorage. has, for about year been real
ly governed in the name of the tituluar
King of Mosquito, by committee of five
American citizens. chosen by the people.
Nicaragua claim the rightful sovereignty
over this port.
Information has lately been received at
this Department from the Minister of
Her Britanic Majesty. that the company
oh tn cloi
nal across the isthmus of Nicaragua, ha-
wing found it impossible to carry out the
plan rs originally contemplated, has re-
solved to propose to the government OF
Nicaragua u modification of that plan,
with the view of constructing canal OF
smaller dimensions than those specified
in the contract, aud the British Minister
has been instructed to intimate to this
Department, that If this information should
pruve correct, her Maiesty's Government
would feel themselves at liberty, under
the treaty Of April 10Th. 1850, to with
draw their protection from that company
and transfer it to any other company which
should undertake Il canal on the original
plan, it being deemed of the utmost i'm
portance by the British Government, that
the great conception of the inter-oceaniC
canal, adapted to the accommodation O
vessels of the whole commercial world
should not dwindle down to an ordinary
transit route for coastiug vessels, which,
to distant nations, would be comparative
~ destitute of value.
The British Minister has also been in,
structed to signify to this Department tha
since Great Britain first assumed the pro
lection and defence of the Mosquito Indi
ans, the position of all parties had chan.
ged. Spain, instead of exercising abso
lu:e sovereignty over Central America
and prohibiting all commerce on the coasts
mndrr her sway has entirnlu- lost hnr 10