The daily union. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1845-1857, 1856-02-14

SPEECH or MIR. SEWARD,
or NEW YORK,

Delivered In the United States Senate January 81 1856
i CENTRAL AMERICA
The Senate having under consideration the motion 10
refer 70 the Committee Foreign Relations the letter OF
Lord John Russell relative TO tho Interpretation OF the
/ Mr. SEWARD said; Mr.. President desire to concen-
ate the attention OF the Senate and OF the country upon
the Central American question Therefore pass the
controversy about Mr. Cramptons violation OF neutral
iy laws as do the more general topic Of the Monroe doe
trne, bolh OF which subjects have been deliberately dis
cussed by the senator from Michigan.
The President of the United States has caused our
TO be fully and ably presented and Great Britain has
pcitiy refused 10 comply with demands 1t belongs
TO Congress TO determine the which the
Try shall pursue II Is necessary therefore, TO review
position. II 1t is right recede without dshon-
never to be incurred if it is wrong, recede
too soon 1--WE shall not recede may involve
try Ia no common evil to be avoided If possible
consistently with duty shall therefore take care
say consciously thing that might tend to name
own country or TO exasperate Great Britain.
1t no question Of persons Of parties is II
| domestic question Therefore, shall refrain now, as
did when spake TO it before from bringing any personal
or partisan or domestic subject into the debate
who shall invite or shall provoke TO such course.
Speaking geographically, Central America is situated
ON the isthmus which unes the two continents OF North
America and South America aud extends from the south
ern border of Mexico to the northern boundary of New
Granada and il spreads from that part of the Atlantic
which called the Caribbean to the shore Of the
Pacific ocean, Speaking politically Central America is
constituted by the independent States Of Guatemala San
Salvador, Honduras Nicaragua, and Costa Rca. These
states exclude the Belize British honduras and include
the Mosquito coast Central America discovered by
Columbus in the service OF Spain and so according the
law OF thatage became part the dominion of that king
dom the Pope having, by previous concorda awarded
to Portugal all the regions she should discover in going
eastward from the Azores, and to Spain all she should
discover in going westward from that point without know
ing that the two parties pursuing their opposite courses
were ultimately to meet and conflict This portion of the
sthmns was conquered and coonized and occupied by
Spain in 1925 and became after a time the kingdom
viceroyay of Guatemala. This vicc-royaty province
threw oil Spanish authority became indeDpnd-
ent federal republic in 1929 under the of the rcpub
lie Of Central America In 1889 the five States which
have already named and which constituted the republic
dissolved their political union and each assumed absolute
independence. They have aggregate population of
about two millionsone-twelfh whites tour-twelfths
mixed and the residue Indiana. - .s #.. s..
The acquisition of California by the United States in
lSis the disclosure of its immense mineral wealth. and
the consequent political organization and social develop
ment of that State preciptated upon them and the
world the solution Of the great problem Of communica
ton the sthuus between the oceans, which
had been studied without practical result three hundred
and fifty years Such passage, while it would be bene-
fetal to all nations indispensable TO the United States
because California was practically inaccessible from the
Atlantic States for the purposes of and defence
The United States had sympathized with a the Span
sh American States in their revolutions and had extend
ed 10 them favorable commercial treaties In 1923 the
President Mr. Monroe after grave consideration had
nouneed to the world as postulae that the American
continents by the free and independent condition which
they have assumed and maintained henceurth not be
considered subjects for future colonization by any Euro
pean powe but the United States had nevertheless al
ways declined although often urgently invited and in
voked 10 interfere Ia the political Affairs OF those States
Three prominent routes for inerocennc passages
discussed by way of Tehuantepcc in Mexico one by
way of San Juan and Lake Nicaragua, understood be
within the State OF Nicaragua; and by the way Of
Chagres IN New Granada The citizens and the govern
ment Of the United States applied themselves to obtain the
opening Of all these passages On the 1ih of March, ls4a
the State Of Nicaragua entered into contract with citi
OF the United States granting them exclusive right
TO construct a canal railway from ocean TO ocean
through the river San Juan and the Lake Nicaragua Tn
the 2lst of June s49 Nicaragua rendered to the United
States treaty Offering them peculiar and distinguishing
advantages connected with that undertaking. condition
that they should guaranty the sovereignty Of that State
On the Oh of September I840 the contract between Me
aragua and American citizens revised and renewed
and treaty offered by that State the United
States by which 1t proposed that the passage should
be open equal terms all States aud nations who should
euter into the necessary spulatons for It's safety and
preservation The United States hestated and refraned
from accepting either treaty. The subject embar-
rased by the presence and intervention OF Great Britain
Central America. While Spain retained her dominion
these continents and the adjacent islands she ealousy
cuded rdRn powers from commerce with her colonies
trade consequently grew up between them and
the British colonies in this hemisphere. The British gov
erument connived at that Illicit commerce. Wars cnsed
AT the close Of these wars In l7s3 Great britain had set
temenL known the Belize British Honduras situated
In the department iniendency Of Yucatan and also
possession occupancy the Mosquito coast forming
part Of the shore OF the Caribbean The extent and the
es Of both these possessions yehemeny disputed by
the Central American States On the 10th OF September
lsA7 the British agent announced TO the States Of Nicar-
and Honduras the determination OF his government 10
sustain the British proectorate the Mosquito coast from
Cape Honduras TO- and including the lower part Of the river
San Juan. Ex Doe 10 D. a. vol X LIST Sess 3lst Cong
On the s o February, ls4s only SIX days after the treaty
Of Guadalupe ldgu which transferred California 10 the
United Stated signed, British ships entered San
Juan and expelled the State Of Nicaragua tberefrom and
four days afterwards the force used Ia taking
the port Of Scapaqu the lower branch part Of the
river San Juan. Nicaragua succumbed but protested
the 7th Of March, ls4s On the 10th Of October ls49
British man-oiwar captured Tigre island of the Pacific
coast but belonging TO Nicaragua At the time
Great Britain had sometimes disputed with Honduras for
the island OF Ruaau which capable by being fortified
small expense Of commanding every possible passage
between the two through Central America Costa
Rca dsputng with Nicaragua the boundary Of the San
Juan understood to favor Great Britain Honduras
Guatemala and Nicaragua invoked the aid Of the United
States in resisting her aggressions.
II under these circumstances that the treaty OF 1850
called sometimes the Clayton and Buwer treaty, The
Central American treaty negotiated and concluded.
London the gath Of September, ls49, between Lord
Palmerton, Prime Minister Of Great Britain and Mr. ves
American minister 10 France, then his way 10 the
I French Court
Mr.. Rives stated that "he British consul at New York
had publicly claimed for the Mosquito Indians sovereignty
aud ownership the mouth and lower part Of the river
San Juan that the United States had become party
to the question in their right by vrtae OF the
tract by which Nicaragua bad granted TO American c
the right 10 construct nteroceauic canal by the
way of the river San Juan and the Lake Nicaragua that
the United States, examination, satisfied, we'll
legal geographical grounds that the State Of Mic
araRua the territorial sovereign OF the river and the
lake and that they had already concluded, about
concluding, treaty with that State for securing pas
sage that the United States however sought no exclu-
sye privilege and sincerely wished TO the passage ded
cated to the use OF AL nations the most liberal terms