The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1854-05-25


advantages OF our country. This win open the !
wpy to annexation.
Now, what is there to prevent this union be-
tween Honduras aal the United States. BY
the Clay ton and BI.ver treaty-wh;ch was aa
cgreeInent between the United States and Eag-
land providing that neither of those countries
should set up or establish colonial governments
ia Central America-an opportunity was given
for France to come in and make the arrange
saent tripartite one. There was no public
announcement TO the effect that France had
accepted or re 'ectcd this proposition, bat there
may have been some private understanding be-
tween the high contracting parties that she
considered herself bound by the same obiga-
tion.
Let us new see bow this compact has been
observed by England. Did she give up her
protcctorate on the Mosquito coast? Did she
resign the yagabond king of that interesting
monarchy to the tender mercies of his shirtless
subjects? Not q bit of it, Downing street
tactics were superior to those Of Washington;
and " means of private protocol-which no.
body had previously heard ef, and the validity
of which has never been acknowledged by the
United States-she continued to exercise her
sway over the Mosquito kingdom as if no
treaty had ever been made. This violation Of
the treaty would be sufficient for all practical
purposes, but we have to record q
still more fragrant breach of faith. In
the Bay Of Honduras are several snail
islands; these islands are clearly portions of
the territory of Honduras England has sczel
them, and claims dominion over them. There
is no protection aboat this--no protocol, public
o. private, to justify lit is usurpation of
anothers property-it is stealing. Honduras
is weak-England is strong. Honduras has
something which England desires to possess,
and England takes it. This is in accordance
with the practice of English diplematists for the
last two hundred years.
After these violations of the Ciayton and B
wcr treaty by England, the United States BE-
came absolved from any further observance of
/ it and this republic stands now in the same po-
sition with regard to Central America as in the
matter of Cuba when Mr.. Everett rejected the
tripartite treaty. England hasled the way by
piratical seizure Of Ruatan island and its de-
tendencies, aud now, when Honduras is ready
to jump into our arms, shall we not open them
to receive her? The Englishend French Minis
ters may humbug Marcy, and he may be over
whelmed with the original idea of doing some
thing really beneficial to the, country; but it is
evident that he has now a glorious opportunity
to bring about the speedy and peaceful anncxa-
ton Of Honduras to the United States. Such an
act would be mutually beneficial to both coun-
/ frtpc Honduras 10 raJ ror -,
Of the people Of the United States, when such
occasions as this shall offer, are in favor of ex-
tending our institutions and our constitution
over the whole of North America There is
nothing, to say the least of it, to prevent the
speedy and peaceful acquisition of Honduras,
unless it be the stupidity and imbecility of the
administration.
In previous article on this subject we gave
condensed epitome Of the present condition
of Honduras, and Of the great benefit which
would result from the infusion of Anglo-Saxon
enterprise into the heart of Central America.
The movement has already commenced, and
the preliminary surveys for a railway across
| Honduras. connecting the Gulf Of Fonseca o.
the Pacific and the harbor Of Porto Cabello on
the Caribbean coast, have been made. These
harLors are among the very best in Central
America, having, il is sid, ten fathoms of wa
ter on the bars. Should this railway be built
it would give us the most direct and speedy
communication with California and the Sand
witch Islands. The Gulf Of Fonseca is nearer
to San Francisco than Panama by some twelve
hundred miles and several hundred nearer than
San Juan del Sur; while for railway purposes.
Honduras is superior to New Granada or Mica
ragua, as the country is mostly table land,
well timbered, we'll watered, aud healthy. This
railway must be built, ifINllt at all by Ameri-
can cash and American enterprise. If Hondu-
ras were annexed to the United States, it might
easily be finished in two ~ three years New
York could do it alone in that time
1t seems that the case sums I'D thus Hon
duras desires to be annexed TO the United States:
such union would be mutually beneficial;
England cannot interfere, because she has al
ready violated the Clayton and Bulwer treaty,
and that treaty is nulty as far as we are
concerned. There is the whole affair in nut
she'll, and we now desire TO see what Marcy
will do. The Nebraska question is sett,ed-the
constitution has been maintaiaed-we have
passed through another ..criss,n and the coun-
try is SAFE Now let us have a crisis about
Honduras. We must have a crisis-we must
have Honduras.
a BRACE OF EDITORIAL PoRTRArTs-In an
other part OF our paper to-day, will be found
copied from Virsinian contemporary, a couple
OF life-like sketches of two of our city contem-
Ioraries, which we recommend to the careful
examination OF our readers. They are dashed