The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1854-01-12
Central American AfYairs--the True Policy
OF our Government.

i
| Central American Afairs--the True Policy
or our Government.
| Last spring We had very learned discussion
in the United States Senate upon the affairs
| Of Central America. On that occasion the
country was largely Illuminated, and the seri-
Gus attention Of the British government was
drawn to the explanations of Clayton, the re
| searches of Douglas. the views of Cass, and the
| beautiful diplomatic reasoning Of Everett
fresh from the State Department. But at the
end OF this learned and comprehensive debate
| the exact condition of our relations with the
| Central American States remained as much
puzzle to the public as before the debate com
menced. We rejoice therefore, that the Senate
| have resolved upon another trial, still further
to enlighten the country upon this great sub
| iect. With the opening argument of General
| Cass with the more extended explanations OF
| Mr. CLAYTON and with the more elaborate
! range Of the general discussion, this time. we
| expect such a flood of light to be thrown upon
our Central American diplomacy as will render
the entire business perfectly legible and intel
licible to the whole civilized world
But with oil this we are quite certain that
| this web of inexplicabe embarrassments will
remain at the end of this debate as full Of en-
| tanglements as ever, for the simple reason
| that nothing has been done to cut us loose
| from Mr. Claytou's unfortunate entangle-
ment with the "protectorate" of England.
| True, Major Borland an ultra advocate Of
the Monroe doctrine and manifest destiny"
| with a general rowing commission, as our am
bassador to all the Central American States, is
there: but it appears that so far from having
done anything to relieve us of our "entangling
alliances with John Bull. he has permitted
the intrigues of British agents TO widen the
rupture, among the States of the late fedora
ton into the most horrible scenes Of savage
warfare.
This is a state of things which in Che name Of
humanity, calls loudly for our active interposi-
ton, in such measures of neighborly policy as
| will restore harmony and union among the mem
bers of the late Central American republic, while
in the larger view OF our political and commercial
destiny the call is equally imperative fer such
action as will put an end to the pretensions
and intrigues Of England in that quarter of cur
continent, and establish those relations of amity
| between us and all the States of Central Ame-
RIGA so important to our free navigation of the
seas on both sides of our overland communca.
| tons between them.
Passing briefly over the history of Central
America for the last thirty years, we shall see
the straits to which the culpable negligence of
our government. in reference to the active in
intrigues Of England brought us, down to 1850;
but we shall also discover that all previous
negligence was " mastery inactivity" COM
pared with the laundering concessions to Eng
land in the Cayton-Bulwer treaty In 1921
the six States of Central America Guatemala
| Queseltenango Honduras, San Salvador. Nicar-
| aqua, and Costa Rica-became independent, and
were incorporated with Mexico; but on the fall
Of Iturbide in 1928, they were formed into an in
dependent republic. Barundia was the first
President, and was twice reelected; but soon
the emissaries of England scattered the seeds
| of dissension among the States Civil wars fol-
lowed, and the confederation was finally broken
up in 1889 Since that day, Cbatfeld on the
| Pacific side. and a certain James Green at San
| Juan on the Atlantic side, and their agents.
aided by English ships of war, when called for,
have kept the whole country in state of -
ment and discord the result of which has been.
| that by intimidation. protection. or mediation
according to circumstances, England at this day
| holds the balance of power in all the States OF
the late federation excepting only, perhaps,
Nicaragua All this is the result of the cri-
minal negligence and diplomatic laundering
of our government in overlooking the impor-
lance OF maintaining the legitimate iudepen-
dcnce Of the individual Central American
| States.
| With the acquisition of California, however,
| our relations with the said States assumed the
| high importance which highway to our new
territories on the Pacific instantly suggested.
Mr. Hise Of Kentucky, was accordingly sent
down in this view, to look after our long ne
| elected interests in that quarter. He made a
treaty with Nicaragua; but Mr.. Clayton, the
Premier OF President Taylor, thought proper
to smother IT, and it was suppressed. Mr.
| Squier was sent to supersedc Mr. Hise and
| Squier concluded good treaty which was
| admirably adapted to break up the intrigues
| and schemes Of Chatfeld and company. and to
open the way for the reclamation Of the indie
| pondence Of the other States OF the isthmus. as
we'll as Nicaragua. But the British government
took the alarm and Sir Henry Bulwer came
TO the rescue He found the Cabinet of Gen
Taylor, as he declared ii to be in a co1aden-
tial letter 70 Chatfeld, "a weak government
| the Clayton-Bulwer treaty-or rather the Bull