The daily union. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1845-1857, 1856-10-08
THE MOSQUITO pROTECToRATE.

Those who may have read the correspondence respect
ing the Mosquito question: and the articles in this journal
upon that subject will bear in mind that the reason as
signed by the British government for adherlng to It's
claim to protectorate the Mosquito Indians is that
frmness in that pretenson considered as point OF
honor with them. This, to an impartial mind, might
seem an odd apology in view Of the repeated cove
nans of Great Britain with Spain withdraw from the
Mosquito coast 1t would naturally be supposed more
honorable faithfully comply with solemn treaties with
principal power of Europe than to attempt to evade
them by setting up the transparent Indian screen of Mos
quito sovereignty behind which very piercing eye
would be required discern John Bull in all his burly
proportions
writer in recent number of an English periodical
endeavors avoid the pressure especially of the treaty
between Great Britain and Spain of l7s6, by averrng
that that treaty was cancelled by the war with Spain
which grew out of the revolution in France at the close OF
the century This is position somewhat novel, and
perhaps startling How far it may be tenabe is another
question 1t is undoubtedly principle OF public law that
treaties between parties TO anterior in date 10 the
commencement of hostss abrogated by the war 1t
is not to be denied that this principle applicable to
the treaties between Great Britain and Spain.
1t appears indeed to have been acknowledged by
those powers for by the first of the additional articles be-
tween them of the 2sth August 1914 s stipulated that
all the treaties Of commerce which existed previously to
the year 1885, were be considered ratified and con-
rmed Ii may be denied that the convention OF 1856 is
COMPACT OF that character. We cannot however, ina
CINE upon what ground that denial be based The
object Of that treaty to regulate limit and dehne the
rights of British subjects the Atlantic coast OF Central
America II seems however TO be bold indeed to question
that this must always have been understood, even in Eng
land to be commercial treaty, in view OF the fact that
II is published as such in Hersets Collection Of CONNER
cAl and Slave Trade Treaties" London, ls4o compiled
from authentic documents by Lewis Hetslet esq., Libra
rian and Keeper ofhe Papers, Foreign Office"
The dissertation in the English periodical to which we
have adverted contains other topics perhaps worthy of at
enon It's object appears be to show how forbearng
and reasonable that government has been in Its proceed
ings in respect to Central America Its in that at
tempt scarcely be said to be in fair proportion to its
arrogant Hppancy and viii certainly have no influence In
frightening our into anything savorng OF an
gnent Of his Mosquito Majesty II may be sup
posed to comport little with the dignity Of any regular
government and least Of all with that of monarchy to
contend that that udcrous puppet Of the smuggers OF
Jamaica grit with his glpaper bauble who without the
least semblauce Of royalty "he likeness Of kingy crown
has on competent to discharge with responsibility the
duties Of such station when put forward as the
chief Of mere naked barbsrians.