Vermont watchman and State journal. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1836-1883, 1853-04-07


nent Of their own elective municirsl officers.
How far this project viii succeed, will depend
very much IN the first instance, upon the lndi
yidna whom this Government shall send upon
this mission. ! look upon Il as a very important
mission small as these States are. think that
really at this time j, is more important who
is sent by the United States 20 Central America
than who il sent 10 London, Paris OF II Peters
burg. And can say without intending to use
any language Of compliment. that place entire
confidence IN he President of the United States
that he wall, out of the many able aud distn
pushed men Of his oRn party. select the right
man TO 70 there have no doubt that he will
do So The only two diplomatic appointments
yet made by him-the one 20 switzerland ana
the one 10 Pcr-are a suiiicieni pledge IN my
mind TINT the new President will have regard TO
merit and qualification. Those appointments IN
my OPINION do hlm the highest honor rs thry al
50 do the highest honor 20 his political lfleuds III
this body who confirmed them without hesita
ton and without division ! have DO DOUBT That
the same good sense will preside over the APP
pointmeni made for this MISSION TO Central A
inericd. And II the right man can be iouud and
can be induced % 70 NE and take tins work
IN hand. aud bring this long delayed controversy
10 an amcable conclusion, he viii do himself
lasting honor ! DO not know Of any point IN
the whole field of our foreign relations where at
this moment so much good can be done. and
where 60 much credit can be gained. viii add
ih,t u seenis TO me TO be the last chance for the
settlement of the matter upon desirable aud hon
orable teuus If this chance fails do not my
self see any hope Of taking hold Of the matter IN
any other way with reasonable prospect OF
success. II We cannot now settle o.. these mat
ters remove all the difficulties that obstruct the
iulfilmenj Of the contract for the construction Of
tins canal, so far as that depends upon political
considerations do not see but what Nicaragua
and Costa Rica must be left to struggle Oh, per-
hups 20 20 war with each other. with moral and
political certainty that the construction Of ca
nal through their Territory Is indefinitely post
poncd. Whether that will be for their interest
II is for hem 10 Judge.
have taken up already more Of the time Of
the Senate than intended when I rose. | have
said all had to say upon this branch OF the sub
ject. But before take my seat | Will add a few
words IN reference to topics upon which 1t may
be expected would say somennng, and that Is I
the question in regard to the Belize and the Bay
Islands, and the recent transactions IN honduras,
and the opinions entertained by distinguished
Senators that these operations. and what has /
been done or not boon done by Great Britain,
furnish lust grounds for accusing her of breach 1
of the faith that was stipulated by The treaty OF
the 18th Of April, 1850 Now m reference to
this | viii caudidly say IN ihe outset, that do
not think England has either violated or Intended
to violate the faith of that treaty. Why should
she violate At : What had she % gam by enter
ing into treaty stipulation with no other utcn-
ton than to break II She was not obliged to
make the treaty. She could have 10 motive in
making i, but The faithful execution OF ITS pro-
visions. She owed as nothing ia the promises :;
we had no claim upon her winch required her to
enter into this compact with US. and what pos
sible iuducement of interest, or ambition, or any
other corrupt motive that could influence a State,
can we suppose Eugland to have had, 10 enter
into THIS treaty ior the sole purpose OF violating
IT? There was difficulty enough before. The
preieusion to the Mosquito prutcciomtc was ln
itself objectionable and embarrassing enough
Why then should England voluntarily and gratu
itousy AID to that embarrassment the new diff
Guilty that would present itself by breaking her
soleinnly plighted iaih to the United States 4
cannot tBiuk she would be 50 senscless as To
pursue such a course.
Then, 10 reference to the oiftirs of Central
America proper by which mean what Is con
monty so considered, leaving ont Of account this
Belize or Honduras question: cannot see bat
what ENGLAND has done all that she contracted
to do There may have been some difference
IN the Interpretation that the two parties placed
upon the stipulation. but she has been conln-
lally reccdihg from her former positions; she
las given up thus and given up that and has a.
vowed her desire 10 dsemaatr1ss herself entire a
y from the protectorate wnlcn has been exercised
By her over the so-cael Musqui kingdom for
two centuries past. She has proposed a cession
Of the whole territory, aud declares herself anx-
Ious and DESTROYS TO get cut OF the whole matter
as soon rs sll can with credit II there Is any
ground for suspicion Of bad faith, which do
not think there Is, IN reference 10 either party
il there were any dispoaition to cayii upon the
fulhlment Of all the implied obligations OF that
treaty. 1t might with more appearance Of reason
be sold, in view Of the recent transactions at San
Juan, that the United States had broken their
faith. We see there a municipal Government
establish Itself by popular movement compos.
cd OF American citizens. We sll know that we
have had nothing 10 do with bringing that about
The utmost we have done-and do not know
that We have done that's TO furnish some de-
gree OF cOuntenance and recognition towards It.
The fact, however, IS this: there Is AN ndepen
dent Government Of San Juan, under the name
of the Mosquito King, IL IS tue, but chosen by
the people, composed altogether OF American
citizens only mention tins to show that lfonc
was disposed to take exceptions there would be
reasonable grounds to say that the United States
u ti'HN' l"iNJf hhH 'AbANh tte talAl pl Nill
treaty.
With respect to the settlement of the Belize.
after all that has been said during this last win
ter after the report of the distinguished Chair
man OF The Committee on Foreign Relations
lMr. Mason) AFTER the speeches Of the honura-
bic Senator from New York Nr Seward,) and
the honorable Senator from MARYLAND. (Mr.
Pearce,l as well as the debate, of last week, | I
do not think ii would be worth white Tor me 10
enter into the matter now. / believe II IS now
admitted ca all eides OF the Senate. let the geo
graphical question be decided as Il may, lel the
Belize be placed IN Central America or in Mexi-
co, let the origin aud foundation Of the .sette-
ment there be whist they viii. 1t Is stlll generally
admitted that tins Belize settlement VAS not m
the contemplation of the parties 10 TIE treaty at
the time i was negotiated, nor ia that of the
Senate at the time they approved d. Attention
was not turned 10 that subject. The parties TO
that treaty had something else in view. They
were thinking OF n canal, of the means of con.
suucting that great work of nter-oceanie com
and probably M the whole course oil
The negotiation this Belize was not thought of.
The same remarks may be made of the Bav
Islands. They have been considered for cen
tury and a half as the dependencies of the Be
lie. And II was NOT in the understanding of
the parties 10 that treaty thai they should be al
iected one way or the Other by tle supulations
of that treaty. Now, understand the fact. M