The weekly Portage sentinel. [volume] (Ravenna, Ohio) 1854-1861, 1856-01-05
Observation-Disclosures


Ths Constitution Of the United statss
provides that congress shall assemble anna
1lly on the FIRST Monday Of December, and
thts been usual for the President TO make
10 communication Of public character to
the senate and House Of Representatives
until advised Of their readiness TO receive il.
bpfe deferred to this usage until the close
Sfshs 6rst month Of the session, but my
convictions Of duty will not permit me
loagsr to postpone the discharge oil the OBJ.
legation enioined BY the Constitution upO
The President "to give Is the Congress in
-"formstiOn ofthe sis.e ofthe Union, and re-
,"sommend 20 tbsif consideration such mea-
~surss ss' be shall judge necessary and ex-
pRdient.n- Ns~>
= lsis matter of congratulution that the Re
public is TRANQUILITY advancing in a career
StPfOsPerity and peace.
,yoREIeH RELATIONS CENTRAL AMERICA.
While relations of amity continue to exist
between the United States and all foreign
pswers, with some Of them grave questions
are depending, which may require the con-
siideration of Congress.
"a. OF such questions, the most important is
s.that which has arisen out of the negoIia-
Tons with Great Britain in reference to Gen.
tral America.
~. By the convention concluded between the
awa Governments on the 18th Of April 1850,
beth +plrties coyenanted that "neilher will
:sse3ery leccupy, or fUrtify, or colonize, or
srsssume- or exercise any dominion over
-sNicsrsgua, Costa Rica, the Moskuito coast
aor. any part of Central America"
It was the undoubted understanding of
The United States 10 making this treaty,
that oil the present States OF the former
Republic of Central America, and the en-
tire territory Of each, would thenceforth en-
Joy complete independence; and that both
contracting parties engaged equally, ond TO
-the same extent, for the present and for the
sfiture; that if either then had any claim,
0fTKhr in Central America, such claim aud
all occupation or authority under IL were
.upreservedly relinquished BY the stipulatons
Of the conyentiVn;and that no dominion was
thereafter TO be exercised or assumed in any
pan of Central America by Great Britain or
the United States
3. This Government consented to restric-
tions in regard to a region Of country,
wherein we had specific and peculiar irter.
ests, only upon the conviction that the re-
strictions were in the same sense Of arbtory
on Great Britain. But for this undertaking Of
the force and effect of the convention, it
never would have been concluded by us.
So clear was this undertaking on the part
sfthe United States. that, in correspondence
cotemporaneous with the ratification OF the
convention, it was distinctly expressed, that
the mutual covenants of non. occupation
were not intended to apply to the British es
ablishment at the Salize. This qualifca.
lion is to be sscribed to the fact, that, in
virtue of successive treaties with prev .ous
sovefeigns of the country, Great Britain had
obtained concession Of the right to cut ma
hogany or dye-woods at the Balize, but with
positive exclusions of ell domain or sover-
eignity: and thus it confirms the natural con-
itructions and understood import of the trea-
u DO to all the rest of the region to which
the stiPhIstions applied.
IT however became apparent at an early
day after entering upon the discharge of my
present functions, that Great Britain still
In all that part of CentralA America commonly
called the Musquito Coast, and covering the
entire length Of the State of Nicaragua,
snd part of Costa Rica; that she regarded
she Bslize a. her absolute domain, and was
gradually extending its limits ut the expen
se of the State of Honduras; and that she
bed formally colonized considerable insu-
lar group known as the Boy Islands, and be-
longing. offight, to that State.
All these acts OF pretensions of Grea,
Britain, being contrary to the rights of the
States OF Central America, land to..the mani.
fest tenor Of her stipulstions with the Uni.
ted States, as understood by this Govern.
saents have been made the subject of nego.
tiation through the American Minister in
London. transmit herewith the instruc-
tions TO him on the subject, and the cores
pandence between him and the British Sec
retary for Foreign Affairs, by which you will
perceive that the two Governments diffel
widely and irreconcilaby as to the construc
zion 6f rks convention, and its effect on thei
Hssspective relations to Central America.
Great Britain SO construes the convention
as to maintain unchanged all her previous
pretensions over the Musquito Coast, and ir
different parts of Central America. These
spretensions, as to the Musquito Coast, are
founded upon the assumption of political re.
ia tons between Great Britain and the rem
uant of the tribe of Idians on that coast, en-
tered into at a time when the whole country
vas colonial possession of Spain. Il
canuot be successfully controverted that by
the public law of Europe and by America
no possible act Of such Idans as their.prede.
cessors could confer on Great Britain any
political rights.
Great Britain does not allege the assent O.
Spain as the origin OF her claims on the Mus
qaiAo coast. She has, on the. contrary, b,
repeated and successive treaties renouncet
ana relinanished all pretentions of her own
cad recognized the full and sovereign right
OF Spain in the most unequivocal terms.--
Yetthese pretensions, so without solid foun
dasion in the beginning, and thus repeatedly
abiuFed, were 1t recent period revived bJ
Great Britain agaiast the Central American
States, the legitimate successors to all the
ancient Jurisdiction ot Spain in that region
They were, first applied only to defined
part or the coast OF Nicaragua, afterwards t
the, whole of its Atlantic coast, and lastly {,
Q part Of the coast of Costa Rica; and the,
are now re-assefted to this extent, notwith
standing engagements to the United States
On the eastern coast of Nicaragua ant
Costa Rica, the interference of Great Bri
tain, though exerted at one time in the form
OF military occupation of the port Of Sar
Juan del Norte, then in the peaceful posses
a;,,SsN nf tbe annPnnri ata authorities of m,