New-York daily tribune. [volume] (New-York [N.Y.]) 1842-1866, 1856-02-11

THE CENTRAL AMERICAN QUESTION.
Rxa. Tls I~nlon THaes. Jas =


and America on the Central American question. tne
documents are exceedingly voluminous, out we can,
In a very few sentences give our readers an ao
Of the real matter in dispute between the Two cVuu
70. Great Britain is possessed Of settlement a.
rally. on the coast of Central America, the ryhi 20
occupy which for certain purposes, was conce1eu "
her by Spain in the treaty OF IL 80, reservlng
TO the Crown Of Spain fun and 1nalinn s -
eighty over the district. Great Britain has also pos
.es..d for MANY years the right OF protecon over 'e
Mosquito Indiana bsrbarous tT1oe that "aI1s a.
will over the coast of considerable poruon VI
America Great Britain had also occuPleu tue nso
1sIond OF Ruatap placed in a commanding situation
In the Bay Of Honduras. lhls Wa Tue s1a1c VI 1n-s
IN $50 when the attention OF both Governments was
drawn by the discovery and rapidly increasing "eeI
Of California, 70 the growing Importance OF the ro1o
scross the sthnus which led to that golden region;
Hence resulted the treaty between Great Britain ana
IN, United States negotiated between MI auu
Sir Henry Bulwer April 1880 the hrst article OF wach
s~cIor,s that the United States and Great Bntan
are that neither will occupy, or iory, or co'oaIe,
or assume or exercise any dominion over Nicsasui
Costa Riea the Mosquito Coast or any part OF CenrA
America Nor viii either make use OF any protection
which either affords, or may afford, or any aiAnce
which either has may have, TO or with any state OF
ueople for the purpose Of occupying iortiyihs of
eolouizipg Nicaragua Costa Rca, the Mosquito CoaSt
OF sny part of Central America, or OF assuming W eA
ercising dominion over the same" Notwithstanding
this treaty the British Government still retain pos
session Of Rustan stil occupy Balze, and sun retan
the rrotectorate over the Mosquito indiana. IL - not
digrufed that oil these places are Wltiu
lea The Government Of the United States wave any
claim to tue evacuation of Baze, but insist upon our
abandoning the protection OF the Mcsquto lndnS snu
the possession OF Ruaan leland And now our readers
are az fully IN possession Of the real merits of the con-
troversy a. If theyshad waded through those twelve
columns Of very closely printed matter into whlch
the rival Governments have found II possible 70
coud,pse their remarks, and may, by their own
fre,des decide the controversy Tor themselves IL
i. dom. the American Minister and his Govern
neut only Justice to say that they urge their claim
with great mode alton Of tone and temperance OF
language appealing only toreason, and dlScafdhg an
tor7cs 81 an ,xcang and irritating nature. On the
mart of England il l. urged that the treaty was never
intended to apply to exciting nights, bat only 70 such
interests might arise 10y auy future acquisition Vi
Great Britain. The American Minister on the other
hand contends that the words of the treaty are clearly
large enough TO include Ruatan and the Mosquito pro-
.,torae and that the intention Of the treaty Is 10 DE
gathered from its own language, ana not nom any
collateral writings circumstances. We DO not intend
IN offer any opinion the subject but we may remark
that il was most extraordinary omission OF the h.
elsh plenipoteDtiaTy while using words 30 WIDE anl
comprehensive not to have saved by an express pro
yiso the existing interests OF Great Britain, II such
had been Lis intention, and Is not wonderful that the
Americans when renouncing all right OF interference
in Central America, should have expected a sluhat
concession from Great Britain. Without, however,
offt ring an opinion on the Interpretation OF the
tr,aty-in our point OF view q matter oil very
secondary impstance-we may presume 10 oher
few words OF advice TO tue GoVerhmen'
aforementioned 10 the dimensions OF the interests
engaged in it, Here two OF the greatest nations OF
the world between them the greatest share oi
it, maritime commerce, approaching to the very verge
of q uunrrel about matters to ordinary apprehen-
sion of the most extreme insignhcance. What posi-
be vantage England derive from the prOtecto-
OF tie Mosquito Territory or the seizure OF the
Island ku0an, for vi her nights over BdlLe parry as
they are there Is question: IL is no doubt very
glorious thing to carry OF bis Mosquito Majesty to
Jamaica and then after he has recovered toe effects
OF his three fopr days devotion TO the celebrated
rum of that island TO stuff his sable limbs into a gem
erals Uniform, TO crown him with cooked hat, to au-
nont him with palm oil out OF ealabash, to put
sugar scepter in bis hand, ant to send him
back his naked subjects with all the soemnies that
can wait sn protected royalty; but surely this
qualification and that Of occupying the Island OF Rua-
tan, nay be bought too dear. All the advantage
that could hope to obtain from these dubious
and Hide fined rights remote and unhealthy dis
triCts il, that by being first in the field We may
prevent the Americans from anticipating US in OBJ
tanning exclusive possession OF the transit over tho
Irthmus OF Daren. That nothing of the kind will be
attempted we have tie guaranty Of the Clayton
Bulwer treaty the provisions Of which the American
Government hos eyinced no inclination to infringe,
and any future miractlon OF which we possess both
the night aud power To prevent Once secure on this
point we might leave the care of the morals of the
Mosquito Indions to themselves, and restore the
Island Of Ruatan 10 its primitive desoatlon without
any eIceptible dimnutiOn of the power prestige of
tie British Monarchy. In the meantime, by adhenng
ttnacously to these barren aud worthless rights, We
are running some risk of FORGETTING the very object to
secure which retain them. America Is never
wanting in of hardy aud adventurous pirates,
ready undertake any enterprise, however desperate,
and carry It out by any meaDs, however CRIMINAL SUCH
O horde Of civilized barbarans, cooperating with the
American Transit Company, has just taken possession OF
tie State Of Nicaragua, under the leadership OF Col
Walker and while debating about the Nos
quito Protectorate and the Island of RIatan, seems
rot unlikely to accomplish the very mischief, by the
establishment Of on American State the lne Of
transit, against which the CaytoA-Buwer treaty
intended to guard We aPprehsnd It IL the duty OF
the United States to put down by military force these
cisglaceful enterprises, where men Possessed of no
other merit than ferocious courage Disgrace their
country and their race by every species OF cruelty
aid oppression, and continually embroil the rea-
tons If the Union with foreign countries But
while we are at issue with the American Govern
ment part of the treaty, is vain To expect
that they will incur either trouble or unpopua1ty
in Furnishing such Of their citizens as are violating
its provisions on their own account. The sugges-
ton, then, we would offer, is simply this: Let US
take stand TIE literal construction OF the Clay
-Bulwer treaty, which Accompanies for Us all that
reasonably desire in Central America. Let us
frankly give up our questionable right to the Mosquito
pTottctorate and the Island Of Ruaan and by way OF
delivering ourselves Of the whole embarrassment at
once and forever, throw the worthless settlement OF
BaiZe into the bargain. In return, let u call upon
the American Government not Only to observe its pOr
ton OF the treaty in respect Of which We have hitherto
had nothing to complain but ako to root out the gang
Of pirates and murderes who have taken forcIoe pos
seseOn Of the State of Nicaragua and hold Ia deli
aIce Of the will OF both countries. Such an example
would do to carry out the intention Of the treaty
than any amount IF protection to drunken savage
occupation Of worthless Islands.