The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1853-02-18
The Clayton and Buiwer Treaty-Onsiaught
on General Cass.

lac Niu tou
ON General Cass.
From the L. ndon Times, jan 81
The discussion which has recently taken place in
the Senate of the United States with reference to
the treaty signed by Sir Henry Bulwer and Mr.
Calyton, on the 10th Of April, 1850 should have
no direct interest to this country for none OF the
charges now brought against the American Score
tary OF State of that time ought 10 weaken the
obligation created by the ratification Of that nstru-
ment. Even if complete case of misconduct were
established against the minister who signed this
convention, (Which we by no admit or believe
TO be the case) the contract would be not the less
binoing on both parties; and the object OF the two
governments, which was the establishment of a free
and neutral ship-canal between the Atlantic and
Pacific ocean, remains wholly unaffected by the
omission which Mr.. Cass and his friends profess to
detect in this negotiation. AS however, this debate
has thrown some light on the manner in which one
party in the United States is disposed to apply what
is termed ''the Monroe principle to Central Ameri
ca and even to own settlements in that part OF
the American continent, we feel called upon to lay
the question before our readers, though we are I'M
willing to suppose that these proceedings have arisen
out of any motives offensive hostile TO this country,
and we cannot seriously believe that the American
Senate will demand the abrogation of convention
OF great public utility solely because it has not de-
prved Great Britain of territorial right which she
has enjoyed for nearly two centuries.
In the first article of Sir H. Bulwers treaty il was
stipulated that neither 1.-The American nor the Br
fish government should hereafter assume or exercise
any uoullnlon over Nicaragua, costa Rlca, the MOS
quito coast or any part of Central America" This
provision was intended not only to secure the pro-
Jeced canal from any armed occupation, but also on
the part of the United States, to remove the appre
tensions which had been excited by the British pro-
tectorate of the Mosquito coast and by the designs
enormously imputed to Great Britain on the State of
Costa RIGA. AS we have always regarded the pre-
tensions put forward by Lord Palmerston, with refe
renee to the kingdom of Mosquitia az mischievous
and untenable, we entirely concur in his readiness
this occasion to surrender them for much more
important object. But it is remarkable that so
astute diplomatist Sir Henry Bulwer should
America" to stand in this article, without some
express reservation in favor of the British
settlements Of Honduras and the Bay of Islands,
which may be said to belong geographically
to that part of the globe. The oversight was
soon discovered and on the 10Th of June 1850
Sir Henry Bulwer informed Mr.. Clayton that he was
instructed to insist on an explanatory declaration
previous to the exchange of Publications, to the effect
that this provision does not apply to her Majestys
settlement of Honduras and its dependencies. On
the 4th of July, Mr. Clayton replied that the Amer
can government did so understand the provision and
with this assurance the Publications were exchanged
and the negotiation concluded as far as the two exc
cutive governments were concerned. But in this in
teIva OF time the treaty had been referred by General
Taylor, then President Of the United States to the
Senate for its approval discussion took place and
the treaty was accepted by majority of AZ to IL
the 22d OF May-that is, five weeks before Sir Henry
Bnlwer had demanded the explanation with reference
to Honduras and its dependencies. The charge,
therefore, now made against Mr. Clayton is that he
laid the treaty before the Senate for its approval at
time when this point had not been raised that he af
forwards settled the point by an exchange Of de-
claations which not submitted to the Senate at
all; and that the constitutional powers Of that body
over treaties with foreign powers consequently
not duly exercised in this instance.
On these grounds Mr.. Cass has attacked the whole
transaction with his usual Violence affirming that
neither the Senate nor himself had ever understood
the treaty to comprise the stipulation accepted by
Mr.. Claytons note; that, if it had been so under
Stood the treaty would not have had single vote;
and asserting that Mr.. King, then Chairman of the
Committee on Foreign Affairs, had verbally assured
him that this qualification of the original treaty pro-
posed by the British Government had been aban-
doned. On this last statement, however, it seems
that Mr.. Cass is contradcted by Mr.. King himself.
Other Senators declared that their only object in vo
ing for the treaty WAS ITO get the British out Of
were ably refuted by Mr.. Seward, of the State of
New York; but nevertheless they are brought for
ward with all the weight Of what is now the domi-
nant party in the Union, and they are av0wedly in
tended to dscredit the Clayton and Bulwer treaty
In the estimation of the people Of the United States
We are surprised that any class Of politicians
should have adopted such course of policy on such
a subject If ever there a treaty negotiated on
broad grounds of public utility it is this convention.
Its object and its only object, was to promote the
execution Of ship-canal between the two oceans,
and to secure the freedom and neutrality of the pas
faBe dSdust III CONTINGENCIES. Inc UlTOuSu
which such canal must pass belongs neither to the
United States nor to Great Britain; and, though
British or American capital and industry would
doubtless be required 10 complete such work, yet
this convention was intended to secure the canal
itself and the adjacent country from the dominion
exclusive sovereignty OF either power. The term
Central America" was employed, because that
expression is commonly used to denote the States
Costa RIGA; but it was certainly never intended
to include the whole isthmus, from Mexico to
New Granada, and still less to deprive us by
side wind, of the settlements Of British Hondu-
ras, which we have held by use, and by express
treaty with SPAIN for so long period The distance
from Belize to the proposed canal Is 500 miles, and
our possessions in that region not more particu
larry described, probably because it seemed mposs
government under Mr.. Polk, had long before
acknowledged our sovereignty in Honduras, by send
ing consul to Belize who, of course, received Her
Majestys exequatur, and, If any doubt could be
that settlement, such objections in no way concern
the United States Our treaties with Spain org
nally, gave MS the right to cut logwood and ma.
hogany on these coasts; and, though leave was
afterwards conceded to the British government to
occupy territory for these purposes within certain
limits, some reservation was made of the sovereign
rights of Spain in the convention of 1855 between
the two crowns But, since Spain has lost all the
crcumacent provinces, her interest in the country is
extinct, and ours is established under commission
from that crown, by prescription, and by successful
defence. There is no reason to suppose that Mr..
Clayton had directed his attention at all to this
subject, when he was honestly. engaged in negotia-
ting with Sir Henry Buwer for O totally different
purpose. Indeed, it could hardly cross the mind
of any rational being, that in settling with the
United States the neutral condition of this canal
the British government was renouncng rights
to one of its own settlements, especially as the
United States are not in the remotest degree con-
nected with this territory. This certainly ia the
widest application of the Monroe principle we
haor Of hat t1,a Nr fhoT Init
States is to canvass the title of European govern
ments to their American possessions, even though
the United States themselves cannot pretend
to any legal territorial interest in the region in
which they are situated. Mr. Clayton declared, on
signing the treaty with Sir Henry Bulwer, that
:" the friendly relations between the two greatest
commercial nations of the world would be strength
ened by this new bond of union between them; and
he anticipated the happest results from their honor