Nashville daily patriot. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1855-1857, 1856-01-11

ehanau, complaining Of tie infraction Of the
Treaty on the part Of Great Britain, and insist
ing upon more faithful fulGlmento of its stipu-
lalious:
Mr. MARCY TO Mr.. BUCHANAN.
DEpAAfMFxr OF SrA4R, D
Wa liRgton, August 6, 1855. !
JAHEs BUcnANAs, Esq, &c, Sc.
SIR:--The President is anxious TO have the ques.
lions which have been raised the treaty between
the Uuted Stats and Great Britain, O! the 9th of
April, 1850, sriiled If possible or at least brought
70 distinct issue, before you retire you retire from
your mission. The negotiation cannot be committed
70 any one who so well understands the subject in
all It's bearings as you do, or who can so ably sus.
tain aud Garry out the views of the United States
The President has beeu unwilling to manifest
Impotence at tie delay which has attended this
negotiation, while her Majesty's Government was
eagrossed by the war with Russia, but he deems il
to be but reasonable that il should be urged to
conclusion 1t is important that the United
States should know tie position Great Britain is
determined TO maintain relative to the Central
American questions.
need not express to you the surprise the Presi
dent felt on learning the views of her M,iesiy's
Governments presented 70 you in Lord Caren-
don's statement OF the 81 Of May, 1884, in regard
10 Rustau and the other islands constituting what
may now be looked upon as the British Colony oil
the Bay Islands. These views are considered by
this Government not only contrary to the spiri
but directly at variance with the clear language Of
the convention of 1850.
After the very cogent argument contained in
your reply TO that statement, the President is unw
ling that the positions, rather indicated than main
tanned by Lord Clarendon relative to Rustan, will
be adhered to- II a stipulation explicit in terms
and so clearly applicable to the Bay Islands, is to
be nullifed by Interpretation every other provision
in that instrument, so far as it imposes obligations
upon Great Britain, may in the same way, and with
equal plausibility, be defeated
Should Great Britain refuse to withdraw from
Ruatun and the other islands on the coast of the
State of Honduras, her determination, in that rec.
pect, could not but be regarded by the President
a noncompliance with the stipulatons of the treaty
OF 1850. The fact that these islands are a part OF
Central America is so unquestiouable, and TIE slip.
ulations Of the convention are so directly applicable
to them that there seems TO be no room for raising
question OF interpretation.
After what was said TO you by Lord Aberdeen,
when ct the head of the British Government, it is
to be hoped that the British pretension 10 hold
Ruatan will be abandoned. If Great Britain still
persists in holding these islands, and in maintaining
Il colony there, her determination to that effect
should be distinctly announced, so that this Govern
ment may no longer be left in doubt as to her in
tentions On this point you are instructed TO ask
of her Msjesty's Government an explicit declara
ton.
The main Involvement which this Government
had, you have well observed, for entering into
this treaty, was 10 prevent Great Britain from &C.
quirng or exercising dominion in Central America;
but this object is entirely defeated by the interpre-
taton which the British Government proposes to
give TO that instrument. While the United States
are excluded from occupying coloniZng
cisng any dominion over any part of Central Ameri
ca it cannot be admitted thet the same restriction
is not imposed on Great Britain
You are, therefore, directed to declare explicitly
to her Msiesty's Government that the President,
after full consideration OF what is alleged in Lord
CarendOns statement Of the ID of May, 1854, can
not entertain doubt but that Great Britain is sol
EMMY bound by the first artice-of the convention
Of 1850, not to occupy, or fortify, or coonize, or
assume or exercise any dominion over RuaIan, or
any other of the islands the coast of the State OF
Honduras, known or described as the Bag Islands,
and that he expects she will, in fufment of the
stipu!aous of that treaty, abandon the possession
sac now holds OF this part Of Central America.
Il would be superfuous to enlarge upon the views
you have taken Of the British protectOrate over the
sguito Indians. The groundlessness of the British
pretensOns to exercise control or dominion in Cen
tra American affairs under the shadow of this
protectorate, is so clearly demonstrated in your
remarks in reply to Lord ClareudOn's stat,ment, as
to supercede further discussion on the subject
What effect these remarks have produced on the
British Government is not yet known If they have
received the consideration due TO them, | am sure
they will open the way TO the adjustment of these
embarrassing Central American questions
1t is not strange that Lord Clarendon should
manifest some reluctance to have the foundation Of
the British protectorate over the Mosquitoes pored;
but the rights claimed under it seem necessary to
have called for the examination which you have
given to the subject. The result of that examination
shows that the Mosquito Kingdom, as a political
State is, in any view Of il, what Lord Palmerston
acknowledged it TO be- mere fiction. Upon this
admitted hc.ion Great Britain now attempts TO
establish an extensive sovereign power over an
extensive region in Central America; and when
required bv the United States to withdraw from the
exercise OF this power in COMPLIANCE with the stipC-
stions Of the convention Of 1850, she endeavors to
escape from her obligation to DO so by designating
the dominion she exercises pro;ectorate
prOtectorate necessarily implies the actual
existence OF sovereign authority in the protected
pOwerbut there IT, in fact no such authority; there
can be no protectorate. The Mosquitoes are u con
venience to sustain British professions, but cannot
be regarded a sovereign State. Lord Palmerston,
as was evinced by his remark to Mr. Rives took
this view Of the political condition OF the Mosquitoes
Government should hot he surprised if the United
States considered the subject IN the same light
il was the confident belief of the United States
that this fiction of Mosquito Kingdom had been
disposed Of by the convention, but very much to
their surprise II is now resortcd TO the basis OF
British dominion over ali extensive region of Cen
trail America.
Admitting that the convention did not require
the absolute remuneration of the Mosquito prOtectO
= 1 q
After the conclusion Of that treaty. it could not be
used for the purpose of occupying, terrifying, or
colonizng any part Of Central America, or for the
purpose OF assuming or exercising dominion over
the same.
Great Britain will not, think, contend that Il
has been thus practically restricted since the rlt
cation Of the convention OF 1850. There il 10
visible power civil or military in the Mosquito
rtory but that which Is exercised by British sub
jects.
IL is understood, and indeed asserted by the
British government that the proteCtorae is only
used for tie seeariiy OF the rights OF the Mosquito
Indians and that il is ready abstain from further
Interference in that country whenever these rights
can be ia proper manner guaranteed 10 those In
dams
This is a question between the State OF Nicarau-
qua and those Indians with which neither Great
Britaia nor the United Sites has any business to
interfere, except in friendly conference with Nicar
augua.
Were this the only difficulty Ia carrying out the
convention Of ls5O, as it is understood nv the
United States, | should entertain but little doubt
that a satisfactory adjustment might be made OF the
Central American question. apprrheud, how
ever, thHt there viii be more difficulty IN inducing
Great Britain 20 comply with tie stpulatous Of the
treaty 10y surrendering the terEitury encrOaehed
on by her subjects, between the Sorun aud sar-
stroon river. Her claim TO bold possrssion OF this
part Of Central America in groundIess as her pre-
tensions % the Bay islands
~,