The daily union. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1845-1857, 1854-01-13

America was not Central America al all This was not
the assertion of fact that he had formally made this ad
mission but deduction from the premises. logical or IL
logical II matters not Tor my present purpose thal MS
acq uiescence in the demands OF the British minister mad
America was no longer Central America. And this Is so
obvious from The Of my remarks, which referred 10
all the necessary facts that any misconcepon must nave
been very careless repeat, sir that the charge
the conclusion drew from the official acts and dec
laratons OF the honorable member 81
And now, SIR. to the references which ! nave Jus,
promised They will be 10 the British government and
the senator from Delaware in his capacity OF SeGre.
ary OF Sate and suppose that these authorities VIII al
any rate carry weight with them IN controversy m
volvng the interests OF the one, and, where It's opinion
adverse TO it's interests, the official proceedings OF
the other.
This treaty. after having been ratified by the Senate
nagoliaiors to England Tor the sanction OF the
government and there circumstances show that appre
henson excited lest the Honduras settlement should
be embraced within the limits OF the region over which
il extended. To prevent this, it returned with q
quasi ratification. rather declaration that the settle
Inent at Honduras and its dependencies not subject
to the engagements OF the treaty and this declaration
received and reciprocaed by the Secretary OF Stale
by similar act, which the senator from Delaware calls
'countcr declaration " but why, confess my inability
10 discover Tor Its does not counterac the demand OF
the British minister but assents to it by conceding that
the "engagemens OF the treaty do not apply to British
Honduras and lis dependencies The terms OF this con-
cessiOD shall refer TO directly that the senator from
Delaware may have the benefit of his own words TO
tabsh his own views. | will merely say here that |
have little belief in the practical effect OF his limitations.
Now, sir, what was the duty of the Executive, when
opa.atoh " nsidc.a,ions
stpulaons Why, to send it again 10 the Senate,
constituent branch of the treaty-makng power, for its
consideration and action, and undertake TO restrict
it's application by the understanding OF the negoators at
one of these happened to be the Secretary Of State For
this union OF functions was but accident, and what
was done upon that occasion may be done upon any
other and the understanding of these agents OF negoa
ton may become more important than the iext OF the in
strumen itself. And what given by the Sec.
retary OF State for this omission OF plain duty He
tells Sir Henry Buwer that the difficulty arises "from
the in convention OF the term Central Amer
ca' To be sure it does; and am only surprised that
the pacced and powerful intellect OF the senator from
Delaware did perceive that by this acknowledgment
he actually gives up the point controversy ndubta-
bly, and ndsputaby We did not intend to include your
possessions. for this the purpo OF the concession, bu,
we used the term Central America, which embraces
them and now must remove the difficulty by substl-
tung for the plain language OF the convention the Sun
defs,anding' OF the negotiations thus excepting from its
stipulalons regions which they extend II this is
not the true point OF the 'diculty" and tho "under-
standing. then there is none; for If Honduras and lis
dependencies are in Central America. there is di
Gculfy, and ground for demand side. nor a
| concession on the other.
| canno, find, after careful examination, that this
question OF the true position OF Honduras with relation
TO Central America, is At all met by the Secretary of
State The British minister claims its exclusion from the
operation Of the treaty because his government "does
not understand the OF that convention TO ap
pendenccs" And this declaration is met by the avowal
on the part of the Secretary of State, that neither
understood by them (the British governmenO nor by
either of Uhe nego,iaors TO include the British set
Element in Honduras Commonly called British Hondu-
ras, AS distinct from the Stale OF Honduras,) the
small islands in the nsighborhood OF that settlement.
which may be known It's dependencies. To this
temen and these islands the treaty negotiated was
intended by either OF TO apply And there termi
ns,es OF course all difference SO far as the nsgoiatos
were concerned
England obtains what she wants by the acceptance OF
her conditional ratification, and by the acknow
with which received by Executive for though
there s want OF cautious restrictive ephes-specal
peadings perhaps-n this assent, yet IL will be found
that they will produce effect upon the claim OF Eng
land One clear limitation. defining what we gave up,
would have been true policy and true sincerity We gave
up British Honduras, in express terms and certainly
that contains by lar the most important portions of the
possessions of England, extending she clams 10 the
Sars,oon river, II not the Gull OF Dolce. The only
limit is 10 the "dspendences, meaning suppose, the
islands, and restricting the claim TO the small islands in
the neighborhood OF the settlement, and which may be
known as dependencies. What small islands, and
what is the neghborhood oil a settlement claimed TO ex.
tend more than two hundred miles, and what may be
known dependencies present fruitful subjects for
controversy the dplomatst, who must rejoice in his
lrade could desire Honduras excluded from the iea-
y far appears by the papers, solely the ground
that the negotaiors did not intend To include Dot
all on the ground that II was not covered by the
ton. And, after thus asserting TO the demands OF the
British minister, the Secretary OF State proceeds to
plain why the term Central America used in the
treaty and the turns out 10 be, that ii was
"ajopted because Vscount Palmerson had assented
II, and used II as the proper term" sorry that no
better could be assigned for the of this descrp
tive epithet than wish 10 accommodate the British Min
lister for Foreign Affairs presume every senator who
yoed Tor the treaty supposed that the term Central
America" was employed to designate a given region Of
country, with we-known limits and that il not a
mere vague expression, used in compliment TO foreign
suggestion rhe Secretary adds, that 1--WE naturally sup
posed this account il would be satisfactory 10 your
Cover rnmeni The reason for this remark not all OBJ
vious. The British minister had made no complaint of
the terms used in the treaty. Nothing like IL. The
words Central America not to be found in bis note
ground OF the mutual understanding and on ,ba, ground
he obtains II.
But what follows is s,l less susceptible OF satisfactory
explanation. +" But IT your government intend"
says the Secretary OF Sate TO delay the exchange OF
ratification until we shall have hxcd The precise limits OF
Central America. must defer further action until we
have further information both sides, which, pres
could obtain before the Term fixed for exchanging
the Publications would expire" All this sir very un-
accountable The British government asked no delay Of
the exchange OF Publications. They had then actually
flied the treaty and the authenticated instrument in
possession OF the Secretary OF State And, what is still
extraordinary he announces in this very letter that
he accepts The declaration which accompanied the ac, of
ratification, and makes It absolute by bis concession
of the TACT stated and proceeds sign the letter. and 10
deliver il TO Sir Henry Buwer and, without further or
other action, 10 exchange the atihosons OF the treaty
Why talk OF the posponemen of ratcations in order TO
fix the limits OF Central America al the very moment
when he was exchanging ratifcations with the other
party And why talk OF fixing these limits after he had
admitted what the British ciamedthe exclusion o! their
colony from the provisions OF the treaty. IL shut
ting the stabedoor after the horse had escaped They
had fhoiro md In thptpu