Vermont watchman and State journal. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1836-1883, 1856-02-22


Of conquest, Of purchase, or ol tei'y.-
These claims rest upon NJ better foundation.
In right and Justice than the clalm OF the
hlphWavman, who holds your purse by main
strength, and bids you help yourself II you
can.
Mr.. CAss. That is true.
Nj. Foor. But, sir, we have no occasion
10 90 back Of the treaty IN order To- look IN
Ia the validity of her tlles. inasmuch as all
those possessions of England clearly come
within the limits Of what Is understood and
known as constituting political Central A.
mercn, as the correspondence, and the de-
bates, and all history show, and therefore,
within the provisions aud operation Of the
treaty.
| Sir, am not about to enter into Discus
sion Of these points The ground has all
been travelled over n advance, and parlicu
lary by my honorable friend from N. York
the other day should only be able to re-
poat what has been better and more iorcibly
said by him and by others Nor shall | stop
10 discuss 50 ridiculous pretension Of The
British Minister, as that the Bay Islands
cone within the exception of the decia5a-
ton of the American negouator at the time
OF the exchange of notifications to wit,
I
clude the British settlements IN Honduras,
nor The small islands In the neighborhood
| known as It's dependencies" This preten-
sion appears all the more preposlerous when
we consider that there Is a group of small
islands within three leagues Of the coast OF
British Honduras, which exactly answers TO
the words Of that declaration, without going
of more than four hundred miles 10 the large
d a..
er Bay Islands, as alone answering to the de-
scrptye words of the declaration "small
islands 40 the neighhorhood Of the British
settlement at the Belize, and which m1y be
known Hs It's dependencies.n Sir, tits all an
iileuhought--a mere subiehuge-and alto
gether unworthy Of that mighty mistress Of
the seas, who vaun's herself as holding The
world of waters m her arms, aud the islands
thereof as in the hollow of her hlud,'
But, sir we hold her bond not 10 occu-
1y, or iorify, or colonize, or assume or exer-
else any dominion over any part Of Central
America nor make use OF any protection
which ie affords or may afford. or any ALI
ance which she has or may have, to or with
any State or people, Tor toe purpose OF oc-
cupylng iorlylng, or colonlZIng any part OF
Central America or OF assuming ure,ercis
ing dominion over the same" This is The
pledge ct both the PARTIES. lfthis language
means anything, lt means not only hat nell
Their Of the parties shall ever do any Of these
acts, either rectly or indirectly, either by
itself or 30 alliance with any other Power,
bat thai NJ either party is 90 possession az
The time, such possession shall be fothwuh
surrendered. am unable TO conceive what
more explicit, full and comprehensive
terms OF total exclusion present and future,
from all possession and from al occupancy,
could have been selected from HE vucabua-
~ OF the English language. The negotia-
tors seem 10 have critically studied the most
cleir add must comprehensive form ut pnrt-
seolnVy to express their intent and purpose
90 thus particular. But You {. ,okiug at NJ.
Cmytoul failed 20 catch them 50 as 10 hold
them. Ter all, The language appears To be
SD PLAN that no man need mistake M meau-
ing and rs purport who would not intention.
ally pevert IT, But pass by all dialectlcs
of verbal citlcism.
The idea that this language Of the treaty
has only prospective reference, Is an iher
after thought mere subterflge. which no
effort at strained aud far-fetched construc-
ton can commend TO the acceptance OF or
binary intelligence. IL Il was understood
at the time that the treaty was only 10 have .
prospective operation, and that Il 10 no F.
wise affected present existing rights of oc-
cupaucy, pray tell me, # you can, why the
British negotlalor SO pertnacousy in
sisted upon a written declaration, that the
Belize was not to be considered AS included In
the treaty, when according to the consiruc-
ton now commended for by his Government,
1t was included within the treatry ur not in.
asnuch as whatever right Of occupancy Eng.
land then had there, was a present existing
right and could not at oil be affected by the
operation Of tho treaty. ~ that operation was
prospective only.
Again, Mr., President, il ~ a significant
circumstance, that when the British neg1tia.
tor Sir Henry Lytton BuIwer was SO care.
iu 10 demand OF the American ueroti,for
an express declaration, at the time of the
exchange Of publications.. excepting from the .
operation Of the treaty the usulruci. or the
night of thy British Government TO retain
the privilege wb.ch she had Obtained first
from SPAN, and afterwards from Mexico. Cd .
cui logwood and other dye woods in British .
Honduras he was altogether silent as 10 any .
exception whatever from the sweeping lpnF- +
uage OF the treaty, IN regard TO any other of .
these possessions, ErDressio t1,ipg es, ar
cheio dtteus, applies with sigmdcan, force
Ia lhls case Ihe very fact of his requiring
thus single exception carries with Il a two
iold admlsSon--tirst that It was understood
and intended that the treaty should have d
present as well as a prospective operation
and, second, that al these other D ssesslops
we're understood and intended to be embrac-
ed within It's operation
Now, Sir under these circumstances and
with this understanding, the British noroti-
ainr signed tho bond, and theuceforth com
mtled his Government, upon the exchange
OF ratlhcltlons to an immediate renuncla-
ton OF all these possessions. And this is
precisely what we demand Of her to-day -
We hold uo before herown eyes and before
the eyes OF the world, her solemn covenant
engagement, and demand OF her, according
to It's letter and according to its spirit, the
immediate and unconditional surrender of
all her actual possessions in Central Amer
ca. Loss than this the Government of the
United Siates cannot demand. Just this,
aud all 0t this, she does demand. aud will .
insist upon Just this much and no less
Than thus much, the plain and unmlstakable
terms of the treaty demand. Our own IN.
tltnlte and vital national interests demand n.
Tins treaty guarantees 10 us, Of any roads or
canals crossing this territory an connect.
ing the Atanuc and Pacific oceans, demlnls
II. A free and unmolested access, by the
geat highway Of nations, over this territory
to our vast and extended possessions on the
Pacific coast, in California, aud Oregon, and
Washington, demands its. More than all.
and above all, our national honor demands
it,
Sir, we can never without dishonor. ac-
cept the British Interpretation of this treaty.
We can never without degradation, assent
to, or acqnlesce in, the Continuance Of her
colonization and occupancy of any portion
of Central America The idea of Welding
to her pretensions in this regard is not to be
entertained for one moment 1t would be
nothing more nor less than the utter defeat
of the very end and aim, the very object and
purpose OF the treaty itself 1t would be to
take away all mutually in the compact; TO
give up all the benefit and ADVANTAGE that