Lynchburg daily Virginian. [volume] (Lynchburg [Va.]) 1852-1861, 1856-06-04
Proposed Arbitration Ofthe Central
American DinlcuIty.

The message Of the President. sent to the Sen
ate Of the United States on Thursday merely en-
closed the letter Of Mr. Marcy to Mr.. Dallas ia.
tod ON the Gath of May, on the subject of the
difference Of opinion between the British Gov.
eminent aud that Of tho United 5tatos regarding
tho construction and effect Of tho convention of
tho 18th of April, 1850, and the subject of Central
America generally.
The President says he cannot do anything which
could be taken to admit, either directly or implicitly
that there Is question in his mind relative To the
true construction of thnt convention and he feels
bound 10 take that in entertaining the PROPOSE
ton of arbitration he shall not he understood ac-
uated by the slightest feeling of disrust regarding
treaty -rights Of the L. =. But the President IL
prepared to say that of the questions oi fact
corning which the two governments differ may
not be conveniently determined by arbitration,
by some analogous method. or thiScass OF OBJ
jcets OF inquiry, Is the question; What are the
rightiul limits Of the establishment at the Balilc,
the side of the States of Honduras The question
whether the Bay Islands do not belong 10 that Repuh
Gc;and the question What extent OF country 10 enl-
hrncod in the term Mosquito oeas ~ il III thh aeta-
al occupancy OF the Mosquito Indians or considered
Indians; and with such territorial rights only a.
that description of persons nre entitled to claim nc
cordinP the established public law of Great Britain
and of the United States and OF SPAIN of the IN
dependent States which have succeeded spain in A
merica, remembering that no power exists ON the
part Of Great Britain and the United States To dispose
of the sovereign rights of Nicaragua any other
States of Central America.
Mr.. Marcy concludes as follows All these qnes-
tons of political geography regard in tho first ia
stance the sovereignty and jurisdiction of the indie
pendent States of Central America, Great Britain
and the United States had preensons thus to in
tcrvene except for the purpose of defining their
mutual obligations, arising out of engagements they
may have contracted in order to insure far they
are concerned the neutrality and Independence OF the
American lsthmus. Regarded only a. collateral con-
sdertions affecting tho construction of treaty be
tween the United States and Great Britain these are
questions, which, if not determined by agreement of
the two countries themselves the President will not
decline to refer to arbitration Aware of many prae
teal obstacles to the adjustment Of any international
differences of this natureb by arbitration ofhe Difficult
ties between Great Britain and the United States and
experience in the attempt TO settle by such means
previous controversy the subject of the boundary
between the United States aud the British prov
in North America, the President does not doubt that
any one of the powers OF Europe which should
sent TO undertake the task of such arbitration now
proposed, would perform the duty with perfect inn
Partially But to apply to any power to do this
would be to ask of II an act which, If granted would
add To our own domestic duties the labors aud bur-
den of settling the complicated differences of other
90 ernments He would greatly prefer that in
controversy like "a, present turning on points of po-
litlcal geography, the matter slS'd DC referred To
or more of those eminent men .. science
who do honor TO the intellect of Europe aud Ameri-
en-, and who with the previous consent of their re-
spectiye governments, might we'll undertake the task
Of determining such questions to the acceptance rs
well of Her Majesty government, As Of the United
States
you are instructed, therefore, to enter into COM
munication with Her Maesys principal secretary for
foreign affairs, in relation to Central America in
der to ascertain, in the first place, whether the exist