The daily union. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1845-1857, 1854-08-15
GREAT BRITAIN IN CENTRAL AMERICA

! GREAT BRITAIN IN CENTRAL AMERICANA. l.
We propose stating in series of articles as briefly as
possible the case at issue between the United States and
Great Britain in Central America The opposition have
as usual taken the initiative in Misrepresentation Their
course of argument proves only the injustice of their
agonsm, and their folly in failing first consider
facts before they allow themselves be msed by false
hoods. They like the Bourbons, who remembered
nothing and it is sad thing contemplate them as they
bndy upon defeat and refuse read the open page
history This trait has been amentab exhibited throughout
their whole experience No great question has been dis
cussed in which they did take exactly this course There
is not now on record solitary instance in which in their
sudden and INSCRIPTIONS zeal destroy democratic meas
ure or to overthrow democratic administration they did
find themselves oveaken by the practical defeat which
has rebuked alike their plans and their predictions Had
they read the history of banking Alright they never would
have fastened themselves to the Bank of the United States
which, in its final catastrophe dragged them down even
into its grave Had they studied the science of taxation
they never would have abored so long and so vany for
high tariffs Had they recalled the dangers of special eg
treasury on the hand supported the bankrupt law
on the other Had they reflected upon the progressive
spirit of the American people the victories of emigration
/
planted to any portion of broad hemisphere, the
page which preserves to postery their opposition to
the acquisition of Louisiana Florida Texas and Cafor-
na would have been ndited Their annals are full
evidences of their faulty and reckessnes in refusing
to be guided by the lessons of experience and in resist
ing the admonitions furnished by their own success
sive failures. To crown this monument of folly and
of disaster we find them rushing upon similar
! ata in THAR
Franklin Pierce the subject of British usurpation in
Central America.
First to San Juan or aGreytown" The most singu-
lar coincidence that now while the British
and wing papers bitterly decIaming against the
"inhumanty" of the bombardment of that port
this On the 9th day Of February ls4s (six days after
the negotiation of the treaty between the United States
and Mexico by hich acquired California; the British
shps-of-war Alarm and Vixen arrived at San Juan
"a town the of which Lord Palmerston afterwards
changed to Greytown tore down. the Ncaraguan flag
made prisoners of the officers of the town and orciby took
possession And few days after this date ION the 18th
February ls4s the forces attacked and after sharp
action dispersed the Ncaaguan forces which had orti
fled themselves short distance above San Juan or Corey
town. How far this outrage was justified it is only ne
cessary to say that Nicaragua compelled to submit to
VI te sue insisted
upon occupying San Juan part that territory which she
regarded sacred her own capital of Leon But we
shall refer to this caimof the Mosquito King and of Mic
aragua in another place
The daring and proagatc character of the British pro-
tectorae the Mosquito coast however when come
to consider in connexon with recent events cannot be
sufficiently condemned Up to l847 preence had been
made by Great Britain behalf of her Mosquito puppe to
of,
first object be permitted to cut logwood and mahog
any in small district of country which Spain yielded to
her on the express and condition that
Great Britain should exercise other power and should
not interfere with the undoubed right of Spain all the
region temporarily occupied and that British subjects
should not go beyond the contracted limits where they
were to be employed This England engaged do in two
solemn treaties and yet within few years past she tries
ignore this binding obligation, by saying that neither
Spain Nicaragua auy claim to the Mosquito coast
nasmuch the miserable Mosquito indians neyes yielded
Spain after her discovery Of Central America and that
therefore when the States composing Central America re-
voed, Mosquito free of them Mosquito had pre-
viously been free of Spatpl This the precious argu
meat of LORD Palmerson in lS4s, end this is of the
British for occupying Greytown ct the present
day Indeed the whole claim of the British protectorate
IN lentfa America salu upon
lous and shameless pretext Hon. John NJ Clayton Sec
rotary of State under General Taylor ably and power
fully exposed the pretensions of England in this respect
and the absence of honesty the part of her min
istes setting up this shameless excuse the early and
recent outrages she has peperaei IN Central America
that give his language the beet that could be
employed In bis instructions to Mr. Squcr, American
charge daaires to Nicaragua, Ito whose writings are
..1. Il
Washington, May l. ls49, Mr.. Clayt ton says:
The British claim the port Of San Juan, and in effect
to the whole Mosquito coast founded upon assumption
that the savage Indians who inhab that coast who perhaps
amounted IN numbers to ten thousand and
than FIVE thousand including gamboes and mulatoes,
subdued by Spain, by Central America by Mica
ragua that in fact they constitute monarchy, entitled
the privileges because capable of dischargng the duties
sovereign State
The statement of such a pretension is sufficient to
artle impartial inquirer The Importance of the sub
ct however and the apparent of the British
government in regard to it, require examination of the
title that region thorough the materials within reach
of this department will ALLOW compably with the limits
proper for this communication.
IL be disputed that Spain was the s European
nation which discovered occupied any part of the country
called Central America As long ago the 18th of Septe
ber 1913, Charles appointed governor and captain gen
provinces between Mexico and what called New Gre
NADIA exercised in New Spain by the vceroy
country.
The spanar having NJ first resorted to America chiefly
for mining purposes occupied those parts of the country
which they discovered hy