Cooper's Clarksburg register. [volume] (Clarksburg, Va. [W. Va.]) 1851-1861, 1856-01-09

| IpretenSlons, as to the Mosquito coast,
are founded on the assumption of politi
cal relation between Great Britain and the
remnant Of tribe of Indians on that
coast, entered into at time when the
whole country was q colonial possession
of Spain. 1t cannot be successfully con-
troverted, that, by the public law of Eu
rope and America, no possible act of such
Indians or their predecessors could confer
on Great Britain any political rights.
Great Britain does not allege the assent
Of Spain as the origin Of her claims on the
Mosquito coast. She has, on the contra
ry, by repeated and successive treaties,
renounced and relinquished all pretensions
of her own, and recognised the full and
sovereign rights of Spain in the most un-
equivocal terms. Yet those pretensions,
SO without solid foundation in the begin
| ing, and thus repeatedly abjured, wer0,
at recent period, revived by Great Bri-
tain against the Central American States,
the legitimate successors to all the an
cient jurisdiction of Spain in that region.
They were first applied only to defined
part of the coast of Nicaragua, afterwards
to the whole Of the Atlantic coast, and
last to part Of the coast Of Costa Rica
and they are now reasserted to this ex-
tent, notwithstanding engagements to the
| United States.
On the eastern coast Of Nicaragua and
Costa Rica, the interference of Great Bri-
tain, though exerted at one time in the
form Of military occupation Of the port Of
San Juan del Norte. then in the peaceful
possession of the appropriate authorities
Of the Central American States, is now
presented by her as the rightluI exercise
Of protectorship over the Mosquito'triOe
Of Indians.
But the establishment at the Balize,
now reaching far beyond its treaty limits
into the State of Honduras. and that Of
| the Bay islands, appertaining of right TO
the same State, are as distinctly colonial
! governments as those of Jamaica or Ca
NADIA, and therefore contrary to the very
letter as we'll as the spirit of the conven-
ton with the United States, as it was at
the time Of ratification, and now is, under
stood by this government.
The Interpretation which the British
government, thus in assertion and act,
persists in ascribing to the convention,
entirely changes its character. While it
holds US TO all our obligations, it ia great
measure releases Great Britain from those,
which constituted the consideration Of this
government for entering into the conven-
ton. 1t is impossible, in my judgement,
ior the United States to acquiesce 10 such
a construction of the respective relations
Of the two governments TO Central Ame-
RIGA.
To renewed call by this government
upon Great Britain, to abide by, and car
ry into effect, she s!ipulations Of the con-
vention according to its obvious import,
by Withdrawing from the possession or
colonization of portions Of the Central
! American STATES Of Honduras, Nicaragua,
and Costa Rica, the British government
has at length replied, affirming that tho
operation OF the treaty is prospective only,
and did not require Great Britain to aban-
don or contract any possessions held by
her in Central America at the date Of lis
conclusion.
! The reply substitutes partial issue, in
the place of the general one presented by
the United States. The British govern
ment passes over the question of the rights
Of Great Britain, real or supposed, in Cen
trail America, and assumes that she had
| SACI4 III IAIH AG AilS O'LIG VI LtIC lLGhIJS anu
that those rights cOmprchcnded the pro-
tectorship of the Mosquito Indians, the
extended jurisdiction and limits of the
BaIize, and the colony Of the Bay Islands,
and thcreupon proceeds by implication to
infer, that, if the tipulatious Of the treaty
be merely future in fleet. Great Britain
may still continue to hold the contested
portions of Central America. The Uni
ten States cannot admit either the infer
ence or The premises. We steadily deny,
that, at the date Of the treaty, Great BIi-
tain had any possessions there, other than
the limited and peculiar establishment at
the Balze, and maintain that, if she had
any, they were surrendered by the con
vcntion.
This government, recognizing the obli-
cations of the treaty, has of course desi-
red-to see it executed in good faith by both
parties, and in the discussion, therefore,
has not looked to rights, which we might
assert, independently Of the treaty, in con-
sidcration of our geographical position
and of other circumstances, which create
for US relations 10 the Central American
States, different from those of any govern
mcnt OF Europe.
The British government, in its last com
munication, although we'll knowing the
views of the United States, still de-
clares that it sees no reason why a concila-
tory spirit may not enable the two gov
ernments to overcome all obstacles to g
satisfactory adjustment Of the subject.
Assured Of the correctness of the con-
struction of the treaty constantly adhered
to by this government, and resolved to in
sist on the rights of the United States, yet
actuated also by the same desire. which
is avowed by the British government, to
remove all causes of serious misunder~