The republic. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1849-1853, 1853-05-04

would at length be done. consequently made
the suggestion to the President to which | have
toned BY Congress, that, in order to do our part
toward bringing about this arrangement. we
should pvt our diplomatic relations win those
States upon the moot advantageous iootng.
will saw, however. that thought, And still think
that instead of recognising the Independence OF
this new municipal organisauon, TINS Tree city OF
one of the Hanse towns Of Germany)-considerinr
the antecedeuts OF the question and the history
of the whole affair, it would be better to renew
to Nicaragua the propositions that We made TO
her last April. and give up San Juan to her and
allow her establish her sovereignty over the
city. feel, it ia true, that there viii be some in
convenience IN that course, If this toevn 10 to grow
For, mind you, sir, il will be an American Town
Mr. Boone writes that out Of seventy vessels that
arrived In the six months he was there aixtv If
rsconect' were American vessels and if the ca.
nal 10 TO De constructed, this will be the eastern
terminus OF the great route of intsroceanic com.
mpnication, it will become in time a great Amer
can CITY, inhabited for the mos. part, by citizens
OF the nlted States; and do feel iha, there will
De considerable Inconvenience with this nrosnect
In requiring the little independent municipality
when mas now asserted lite inherent i9ht to estab
slsa Us own goyernment, to go back under the
sovereignty OF Nicaragua. Still, under the cir
cumstances OF the case, should be in favor, il it
rested with me, of giving Nicaragua that option,
and trusting, l have no doubt safely trusting to
ner good sense not to Cypress the inhabitants of
that city. believe she would give them an indie
pendent government, and allow them to carry
their affairs IN their own way, by means of mum
clpai authorities OF their election.
Now, sir, how far this project will succeed de-
pends very much in the first instance upon the
individual sent on the mission. I look upon il "a
very important mission Small az those States
are really think that at this lime il ia more i'm
portan who is sent by the United States to Central
America, than who ia sent to London, to Paris. or
d. Petersburg; and must say, without intending
70 use any language of compliment, that l place
entire confidence in the President Of the United
states, that out OF the able and distn gushed men
OF MS own party he will select the right man.
nave no doubt ne will bit, and have pleasure in
saying so. The only diplomatic Appointments
winch have yet been made by bim-that to Swift
zerland and that to Pcru-are sufficient pledges to
my mind that be will have regard to merit and to
quahhcatons Those appointments in my opin-
ion, do bim the highest honor, as they do to his
political friends upon this floor, who confirmed
them without hesitation aud without a division. |
have no doubt that be will be governed by the
same good sense in the appointment be made
Tor this mission; and If the right man can be
found, and II he can be induced to go down there
TO take tins work inSband and bring these pro-
VIII cover himself with honor. | do not see any
point IN the range OF our foreign relat where
80 mucn good IS now to be dore. And, air, al
low me TO say one other word on this point II
seems to me that this is the last chance we have
Tor settling these affairs a desirable and honora-
pie footing. III this fails, do not myself see any
nope OF taxing up the subject in any other rrn
with better prospect of success. If we cannot
nov settle all these matters and remove all the
dlrhc0tles that obsruct the execution of the canal
as tar as depends upon political considerations |
do not see but that Nicaragua and Costa Ric,
must be left to struggle on together with each
other, with the certainty, the moral and political
certainty, that the construction of the canal
through their country is indefinitely postponed.
:" nether that would De for the interest of Nicara
qua II Is for her to judge
have taken up of tho time of the Sen
ate than intended, and have now said all that |
have to say on the main subject. Before take
my seat, however, will add few words in refer
ence tootner topics on which may be expected to
say someth ng; l mean the Belize, the Bay Islands,
and the recent operations in Honduras and the
opinion entertained by distingu Senators
that those settlements and operations furnish lust
ground Tor accusing England Of a breach of the
stlpulatiOps of the treaty of the 10Th Of ApriL
lcoo IN reference to this, will candidly saw that
DO not think England has either violated or in
tended to violate the faith of that treaty. Why
should she! What bad she to gain by entering
into treaty stipulation with no other intention
than TO break II, She not obliged 10 make
the trehty. She had motive in making it, ex-
cept the motive OF faithfully executing its provi.
sions She owed us nothing In reference to Cen
trail America or the canal. We had no claim upon
her which required her to enter into the compact
with u.s. What possible inducement of interest or
auloitlon, or any other corrupt motive that could
innuence a State, it be supposed England
could have had, to enter into the treaty for the
sole purpose OF breaking iP There was difficulty
enough before. The pretenson to the MOSQUITO
protectorate was itself troublesome enough WHY
should England voluntarily and gratuitously
ado to that difficulty the difficulty that would
immediately present itself, by breaking her so
lcnnly-plighted faith with the United States,
cannot think that she would be senseless as to
do it.
Then in reference TO the affairs of Central America
proper, oy which L mean what is commonly 90 1
considered leaving out of the account Reliss and
Honduras, cannot see but what England has done |
ali she contracted to do There may have been |
SOME difference in the Interpretation which the two
parties placed upon the stipulation but she has \
been continually receding. She has given % this /
shu sue mas given up that. She ia desrous not |
only to ulsembarrass herself of the protsctor,te
oul sne mas resigned the sovereignty of San Juan
and mas proposed the cession ofthe whole Mosuuito
country east OF Nicaragua. If a suspicion of bad |
lsl'h' Wnlen do not admit, could rest upon either
party, II tnere were disposition to cayil upon the /
occasion, 1t might be said rather that the United
States In view OF the recent transactions at San |
Juan, had broken their faith, for there we see IN
independent government establishing itself by a !
popular movement, and creating a municipality |
composed OF American citizens. We all know !
that the government of the United States has had
hothlng 20 90 IN bringing II about. The utmost
that we have done-and do not know that we have
done that's to furnish some degree of counte.
nance and recognition to the new municipal gov
ernment But yet the fact is that there is an in
dependent government at San Juan, under the
name Of the Mosquito king, it true but composed
OF American citizens elected by the people I men
ton this only TO show that, if one ere disposed TO
take exception, there would be reasonable ground
Tor taking II against the United States.
With respect TO the settlements at Belize after
all that has been said in the of the winter on
this subject, especially after the speeches of the
Senator from Maryland (Mr. PxARcE) and the |
senator from New York, (Mr. SEwARD;) after !
me view taken of the subject by the Committee on
forelgn Relations IN their able report, and the
plantations that have taken place in the course of
the recent discussion, do not think it would be |
worm white Tor me to take up the time of the SEN
atc oy dwelling upon the question. believe il is
now admitted upon all sides of the Senate Cham
0er-iet the decision of the geographical question
be what It may, let the Belize be in Central Anne
rrcs or IN Mexico, let the origin and foundation of
these settlements De what they will-that they
were not in the contemplation of the parties
treaty at the time it was negotiated, of the SEN
ate at the time it was approved
Attention was not at all turned to these settle
mens. The parties had something else in view.
They were thinking of the canal and the means Of
carrying forward that great work of interoeeanic
communication.
Inc same remark may be made iu reference to
the hay Islands They have been for a century
and more part OF the dependencies of Belize, and
Il was not the understanding of the contracting
parties that they should be affected one way or the
other by the stipulations of the treaty of 18th of
April 1880
understand the iact5 in reference 10 the racent