The miners' express. (Dubuque, Iowa) 1849-1854, 1853-02-16
TY OF DUBUQUE,
THE BRITISH IN CENTRAL AMERICA

: reading man, that tEe british government n;
been pursuing a policy IN Central Americ
which strongly exemp6cs its character f'
grasping, and by brute force, retaining, wh'
:, does not belong t, it.
. :. 1t was not long sipce, that THIS grasping sv;
O ricious government, took possession of the Rus
!. tan Islands, in the Bay OF Handuras, whic
caused considerable excitement and produce
: symptoms of jealousy between the two govern
ments but this was small matte: compare
n with what they have recently done.
Under cover Of the privilege granted TO Eng
!, lish subjects, 10 cut logwood in Honduras, tha
: government has taken formal possession Of
Jnsiderable portion of the country and conver
, ted in into colony. The British flag no,
; waves triumphantly over country extendn
, nearly across the continent and over it, her of
ficers hold undisputed sway.
TIE seizure Of the Bay Islands and the pro.
tectorate Of Mosquito, are unimportaGt matters
when compared with this last grand openin!
WIDE THE LIoy's JAWS and swallowing up
considerable and essentially important portion 0
the continent.
A correspondent Of the New York Herald
writing from San Juan del .Norte, has the fol
lowing which bears directly upon the subject.
The Belize, or British Honduras, has beef
elevated to a colony, the superintendent conYer
! ted into Governor, and constitution given I,
the people. This prOrtnce extends almost acros
the continent, and ,oith the recently created col
ony Of the Bay Islands, toreshadoics the scque
to the Mosquito protectorate.
The famous Monroe doctrine, so exultingly
proclaimed and reiterated, seems to have beer
scattered to the four winds, for the heart of thi.
Western World is occupied by the most power
| ful Of the European States, and her vessels o
war are constantly hovering around like birds Of
| prev, chipping off bit here, and there, and
plastering it on to some colony or other, elonga-
ting a boundary line here, and seeing yonder a
forest of mahogany trees, forthwith proclaiming
it Belize-acting under instructions, of course.
| The possessions of Great Britain in the Yves
tern tropics seem to be increasing, and il be
hooves the Anne rican government to be vigilant
les, some day they will be shut out from COM
munica alton with the Pacific States at Q critical
moment
1t would seem that in place of dsputing in
Congress what the Monroe doctrine is, our pub.
lie servants would better serve the country, by
adopting promptly, rigid measures for protect
ing the feebler Republics of the continent, from
the graspng ayarice and tyrannical abuse of
naughty power like that of Great Eritian.
1t has been the character Of this government
for ages TO usurp and exercise authority over
feebler powers,-flch from them their lands and
enslave their citizens and it is not to be expec-
ted, when its cory is waning, it will relax a
me honored policy and forget habit which
has grown with its groth and strengthened with
its strength and which has contributed SO largely
to render it the admiration of its own people and
the feared of other nations, whose character for
literature, science, art, Manufactures and COM
merce, has made it the proudest nation Of the
world. But it is to be expected, that when
that government seeks to enslave, by the force
Spanish oppression, who have thrown off tn
yoke of slavery, and caught the form, if not the
substance Of freedom, that the American gov
ernment will lend them the favor of its protect.
ing arm and save them from being made the
prey off government which wants them but to
eat out their substance and burden them, as it
burdens all its subjects, to sustain one of the
most costly and prohigate monarchies Of the
world.
But we have little to expect from the tinid
| and vocellating administration of Mr. Fillmore.
His nerves have been to often tested, not to
give indubitable evidence, that where decision,
dignity and courage are required in the admin
istration of the government, he is sadly want
ing.
But thank God, this very domestic gentleman,
who has such profound regard for the peace
of nations, that he will allow the rights and lib
critics OF his own people trampled upon, rather
than assume the attitude Of bold and fearless
tesman, has but one short month left to pro-
pagate his false theory of government, when
he will be permitted to retire with all the honors
of an i'll advised administration.
We hail with joy and gratitude the speedy
approach of a new era in gu. national admins-
tration
The gifted and noble son of New Hampshire,
will soon assume the reigns of the Federal gov
ernment, when we may reasonably look for n
revival Of the stern, consistent. enlightened and
disnifed policy, which distinguished the earlier
days of the Republic. The nation is looking to
the approach of that period with the most exal-
ted hopes and expectations and we feel quite
certain, from the knowledge we have of Gen.
Pierce's character, that the people are not 70 be
disappointed