The national era. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1847-1860, 1856-02-21


on the deep, but thrice oppressive to men whose
| thoughts by day and dreams by night were upon
the glittering sands of the Sacramento. Others,
shrinking from the weary pilgrimage of the
plains, and the Ito them) almost endless passage
OF the stormy cape, bounded across the narrow
isthmus that unites North and South America.
The Central American States fastened to confer
upon American citizens the right of transit across
the isthmus, by the way of Panama, the river
San Juan, and Lake Nicaragua. The right of
transit on all the routes across Central America
were secured by American enterprise, and the
dreams of three centuries, of an inter- oceanic
ship canal, connecting the waters of the Atlantic
and Pacific seas, seemed near their realization.
| The American people and the commercial world
| began TO comprehend the commanding position
these feeble, disunited contentious Central Amer
| lean States are destined to occupy in the future
| of the Western Continent.
But Great Britain, in the name of his Mosquito
Majesty, and in derogation of the sovereign rights
| of Nicaragua, had thrown herself across the in
| ter-oceanic pathway to the Pacific by the river
| San Juan and Lake Nicaragua. British agents
in Central America, mindful of the political
power and commercial interests of England, had
| pressed upon Lord Palmerston and the British
| Ministry the policy of extending the Mosquito
protectorate along the shores ofthe Caribbean sea-
across the mouth of the San Juan to Chagres-
not to protect the rights OF the lingering remains
| of perishing people vanishing under two CEN
| turtles of British protection, but to secure the
| control of so desirable spot in the commercial
| world, and free it from the competition of so adj
| venturesome "A race as the North Americans y
| Anxious to secure the speedy completion of the
| inter-oceanc ship canal across Central America
| comprehending the vastness and grandeur of the
| undertaking; willing that the commercial nations
of the globe should share with the glory of the
Il.
| from its completion, the Administration of Gene
raj Taylor rejected all offers of peculiar priv-
| leges, exclusive rights and "monopolies of
commercial intercourse, from the Central Amer
lean States, and rendered TO England through our
| Minister, Mr.. Lawrence, the generous PROPOSE
ton 10 unite with us in the accomplishment and
protection OF scheme so vast and grand in its
conception. Lord Palmerston, in response to Mr.
Lawrence, promptly declared that Great Britain
dId not intend to occupy, colonize, exercise
dominion, in any portion of Central America-that
Great Britain would unite with the United States
IN protecting the proposed ship canal, railway,
or other communication, TO be open TO the world
and common to all nations
The treaty which thus to secure the coop
Grafton of England and America in uniting the
Atlantic and Pacific by a highway free to the
commercial world across the Isthmus which was
TO leave the feeble Central American States free
from foreign Intervention. was negotiated here in
the National capital by the distinguished diplo-
matists whose names have been given to the
treaty by the popular voice of the country That
treaty received the sanction of four-ffths of the
American Senate, and the approval of President
Taylor-so tenderly referred to the other day
10y the honorable Senator from Vermont Mr.
Foot, in the closing hours of his crowded life
Nearly six years have passed since the CLAYTON
Bulwer treaty was signed-a treaty which the
American people were assured was to give the
joint protection of Great Britain and the United
States TO the interoceanc transit across the con-
tinent by the San Juan river and Lake Nicara-
qua, withdraw British power from that region
OF the continent, and leave the Central American
States free from British or American occupation.
colonization, or dominion. The ship canal, upon
which so many hopes were then conferred exists
only in the words of the treaty. British coonsts,
living under British laws, and acknowledging
allegiance TO the British Crown, still linQer in the
territory between the Siboon and the Sarstoon.
The British flag still waves over Roatan " the
key of the Bay of Honduras, "the Gibraltar of
the Caribbean sea-" His Mosquito Majesty still
reposes IN his board palace at Blueields under
the protecting folds of the meteor flag of Enp-
land" The deniZens of the world under color
of the sovereignty of his Mosquito Majesty, still
continue To maintain an independent municipal
government over the ancient port of San Juan
the key of the Americans" in defiance of the
rightful title of Nicaragua, which is as clear as is
the title of the United States over the grounds
upon which this Capitol stands.
The statesmen and diplomatists of the United
States and Great Britain have spent years in dis
cussing the meaning of the provisions of this
treaty of the 18th of April, 1850; and the sole
fruit OF that discussion ia, an interminabe CORES
pondence, settling no point in dispute, coming
to no definite result; leaving the questions in con-
troversy more complicated than ever, and these
two Christian nations of England and America
bound together by many ties of kindred and
interest, in attitude of antagonism demanding
the exercise of great moderation prudence. and
judgment, TO extricatc them from their embarrass-
ments. While the Hartford Convention was in
session, a distinguished statesman of New Eng
land was asked what the result would be d? He
APPLY replied, " A pamphlet !"
The fruit of the treaty of the 10th of APRIL
1890, is a prolific correspondence! The United
States stand upon the terms of the treaty: Great
britain processes to stand upon the terms of the
treaty. The American Interpretation puts Great
Britain ont of the territory between the Sarstoon
and the Siboon, and the Bay Islands and makes
the Mosquito protectOrate, to quote the language
OF the veteran Senator from Delaware, Mr.. CLAW
ton, "the shadow of namel" The British
Interpretation leaves England in possession of the
vast country in Central America between the Sars-
toon and the Siboon, and the Bay Islands. and
tangible than the shadow of a name !" The
American Government avOws its determination TO
adhere to its position. The British Government
shows no disposition to retreat from its position
These positions are in direct antagonsm. Either
the treaty IL an immature, incomplete and defect
we instrument or one or the other of these Gov
ernments have Inexperienced OF misinterpreted
its provisions. If the American Interpretation be
the true one, then the British Government is
taithless to its plighted obligations and Lords
Palmerston, Clarendon, and their associates
should receive that stern condemnation which
the civilized world never fails to brand upon the
brows OF emperors and kings, ministers and diplo-
matists, who violate the pghted faith of treaties
IL the British Interpretation is the true one then
the American Government has been overreached
in the negotiation, and the treaty of the 10Th of
April, 1850, is treaty % not fit to be nadel"
The honorable Senator from New York mfr.
Seward pronounces the treaty /" sublime in ts
conceptions, generous in its spirit and bene6cent
In its purposes He gives us graphic, eloquent
description of the meeting " of the two rival mem
beers of the British family on that foreign and
narrow isthmus " in the presence of the feeble
and contentious Republics" I" not to contend to-
gether for dominion, but to make it free to each
other, and equally free to all mankind"
The honorable Senator from Delaware as the
negotiator OF the treaty the part of the Amer
| lean Government, entered upon that negotiation
inspired with the sublime conceptions and gener-
Gus purposes, the grandeur and magnitude such
| an occasion was calculated to inspire That he
entered upon the work with the high and patriotic
object of framing treaty which should confer
| lasting benefits upon our country and upon the
world no one can doubt. Twenty years ago in
| the days of Andrew Jackson, the Senate under
| his lead, by unanimous vote, requested " the
| President to consider the expediency of opening
| negotiations with the Governments of Central