The republic. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1849-1853, 1853-05-04
IN: WEDNESDAY MORNING, MAY 4, 1885


into.
But it is time that 1 should proceed to the expo
slnon winch propose to make. and which mus
iorewarn you, Mr.. President, in the outset. is t
be OF plain, business-like character, which i
would be idle TO seek to invest with any rhetorical
attractions. Our relations with Central Americs
have Tor some time formed one OF the most impor-
tant topics OF confederation within the whole range
OF our foreign relations--an Importance out Of al
proportion to the consequence of these States them
selves; that is either to their population, to theil
political weight. or to any commercial relations
which we either have or ever can expect to have
with them The five States, Guatemala San Sal
vador, Honduras, Nicaragua, and Costa RIGA, all
| together do not contain population greater than
that OF the single State OF Ohio. That population
instead of being compact Homogeneous, brought
together, is divided into Eve States, with their
capitals remote from each other, with very made
quate means OF communication, and in other re.
amy relations with foreign countries, like the pop.
uaton OF the noble State which have just naraod.
The State with which we have been brought most
into connection, that of Nicaragua, According to
the account Of Mr.. Squier, has but two hundred
and fifty thousand inhabitants. and ten theusand
only of these are Of the pure European blood
while the rest, tho remaining two hundred and
forty thousand, are Of mixed races, colors, and
castles.
| l do not say this by way of disparagement. !
do not mean to argue that relations with these
States are unimportant because they are small.
They are incidentally Of great magnitude. do not
i
every thing to contend with. They were educated
in the worst possible political school, that is, the
old Spanish colonial regime. They have struggled
into independence under the greatest inconveni-
They will grow, have no doubt, and prosper.
They have beautiful position, lying between the
two great oceans, with some OF the finest pots up
on either shore. Their climate, for a tropical eli
mate, is for the most part salubrious and agree
able They have fertile soil which yields all the
valuable products Of the tropics, and they have
mines of silver and gold; they have lakes and
rivers which furnish facilities of communication;
they have agriculture and some commerce; and
they have made some progress in the arts of civil
cation. But they have yet great deal to learn;
and it will be for their permanent advantage if, in
| the result of their communication with other pow
ess more advanced than themselves, they shall de-
| rive some important lessons. Their internal feuds
are dcplorabe, and their incessa mt border
a drawback ,Ipon all progress. While am speak
ing, the State of Guatemala, with population OF
eight hundred thousand, is marching an army OF
six thousand men against her sister State of Hon.
duras with three hundred thousand; and Hondu-
ras, in her turn, is sending military force TO dis
lodge the English wood-cutters upon her disputed
frontier. Sir, these feuds, these border wars and
contentious, can produce, they do produce, no
other result than series of bloody revolutions,
which, besides leaving them in state of almost
semi-barbarsm, has the effect of disheartening
their friends in every other part Of the world.
These States have formed, or at least have en-
deavored to FORM their political institutions after
the model of our own. While they might have
learned from Va that Federal Union which, leav.
ing every thing that belongs to local administra-
ton to the separate States confers on the central
government only those matters that are of general
concernment; in short, government like ours, if
wisely and purely administered, may be the
strongest government on the earth, as believe
| ours in the long will turn cut to be; on the
other hand, there is no form of government go
weak, 30 hopeless, 30 contemplate as that OF small
| separate States lying side by eide without har-
mony, without concert, and employing all their
energies in making war upon each other.
Though there was a great interest taken by the
United States in the fortunes of the Spanish Amer
lean colonies when they threw off the yoke of the
mother country and asserted their Independence
an interest mainly inspired by the kindling elo-
quence of Henry Clay-there was perhaps no part
OF these vast territorial possessions that excited
less interest than the five States into which the
ancient kingdom of Guatemala resolved itself.
They were small separately and small collectively.
We had little or no commercial intercourse with
them. They had no great places OF resort to
attract the curiosity of the traveller; in fact, we
knew but little about them; they were almost lost
upon the map of America. In 1922, year after
the revolution effected, the State of San Saliva
dor passed formal act in her Legislature, provid-
ing for her incorporation into the American Union;
and she sent two commissioners to Washing
ton TO carry that act into effect. do not know
that the least notice was taken of them. sup
pose they treated with personal civility as a
matter of course, bot no communication was made
to Congress upon the subject. am not cure that
any official response was made to it, even from
the Executive. / am inclined to think there was
none. At subsequent periods, and under various
administrations, attempts were made to enlist the
active interference of the United States in favor of
the Central American Republics but never with
the least success under any administration. do
not say this reproachfully it is no matter of re-
preach. Looking back for period of nearly
thirty years upon the history of these countries,
cannot find the time nor the occasion when we
could have enlisted actively in their affairs with
any prospect OF doing them the least good, or with
out departing from all the safe and settled princi-
Piles OF policy of our own country.
| But at length the time came; at length an era
| opened, not only in our own history, but theirs,
and in the history Of the whole world You know
that refer to the acquisition of California and the
discovery of its gold Then, sir, an intense neces-
sity Immediately felt for the speediest, most
munication between the Atlantic and the Pacific
oceans-between the old States and new
acquisitions on the shores of the great sea. Then
the tide Of ration-I cannot compare it to any
| thing else but what have witnessed hundred
times the seashore-the tide of emigration, like
| the tides of the ocean, went pouring down the
coast, swelling over every rock and every shoal,
rushing into every inlet, turning back the currents
of the rivers, and seeking, by kind ofirresistble,
moral necessity, outlet into the Pacific ocean.
The project of canal had often been started be.
fore propositions had been made, charters applied
| for, surveys undertaken but nothing practical
had been done. But now it was plain that the time
| had come when something practical must be done.
Attempts were commenced, and pretty soon We
heard of small steamers navigating the inland
streams and lakes of Central America, and COM
panies of pilgrims of both sexes and OF all ages
| from the United States were seen winding their
way through those dark tropical forests, through
the branches of which the rays Of the sur had never
| penetrated since creation.
| A charter for q canal WAS soon granted by Mic.
aragua to a company of American citizens, and if
no political difficulties had existed, and if Central
! America had been occupied by population like
that which poured the waters OF Lake Erie into the
bed of the Hudson at Albany, do not know that it
is extravagant to say that at this moment three,
masted vessels OF twenty feet draught would be
navigating the waters of Lake Nicaragua on their
way to the Pacific.
But unfortunately political obstacles did exist
obstacles of all kinds. There were dissensions be
tween the neighboring States OF Nicaragua and
Costa Rca. There was difference between Mic
paragua and the British Government, assuming to
be the protector of the Mosquito Indians and eal-
ouses, it must be said, were entertained-un.
founded jealouses, l think-but jealouses were
sincerely entertained between the United States
and Great Britain-that each OF these great mari
time Powers was DESTROYS of obtaining some ex.
elusive advantage for itself in reference to the
! opening of this route of nteroceanic communica-
| ton.
Now, sir, it was great object, as | understand
it, of the treaty negotiated on the part OF this Gov
eminent by my friend from Delaware, to remove
these difficulties particularly 30 lar as the United