The Winchester weekly appeal. [volume] (Winchester, Tenn.) 1856-1856, 1856-12-17
THE: WINCHEST

IL
public of rights without which its sovereignty owe
them could scarcely be said to exist 1t dividet
them from the remainder OF Honduras, and gave t,
Its inhabitants separate government of their own
with legislative, executive and judicial officers elect
ed by themselves.
ltdeprived the government of Honduras of tn,
taxing power in every form and exempted the peo
pie of the island from the performance of militar,
duty except tor their own exclusive defence. 1t ast
prohibited that republic from erecting fortfcation
upon them for their protection-thus leaving then
open to invasion from any quarter; AMI, finally, i
provided that slavery shall not at any time hereaf
ter be permitted to exist therein"
Had Honduras ratified the convention, she woulc
have ratified the establishment of a state substan
italy independent within her own limits and STATE
at all times subject 10 British influence and control
Moreover, had the United States ratified the treat,
with Great Britain in its original FORM we should
have been bound "to recognise and respect in al
future time" these stipulatons to the prejudice o.
Honduras. Being in direct opposition to the spir
and meaning of the Clayton and Bulwer treaty, a:
understood in the United States the Senate rejected
the entire clause and subftituted in its stead sim
pie recognition of the sovereign right of Honduras
to these islands in the following language: The two
contracting parties do hereby engage to recognise
and respect the islands of Ruatan, Bonaco, Utila
Barbaretta Helena and Morat, situate in the Bay Of
Honduras, and off the coast Of the Republic of Hon
ouras as under the sovereignty aEd as part of the
said republic OF Honduras.
Great Britain rejected this amendment assigning
as the only reason, that the ratfcations OF the
ventlon OF the 9th August, 1856, between her and
Honduras, had not been exchanged, owing to the
hesitation ofthat government" Had this been done
it is stated that ''her Majestys government would
have had little difficulty in agreeing to the modifica
uon proposed by the Senate, which then would have
mad III effect the same Specification as the original
wording" Whether this would have been the eff
iect; whether the mere circumstance of the e1
change of the ratcatons of the British convention
with Honduras prior in point of time the ratifica
ton OF our treaty with Great Britain would, n eff
fect, have had 'the same Specification the ori
glnal wording, and thus nullfed the amendment
OF the Senate, may well be doubted. 1t is perhaps
fortunate that the question has never arisen.
The British government, Immediately after re-
Jectng the treaty amended, proposed to enter in
to new treaty with the United States similar in all
respects to the treaty which they had just refused
raty, if the United States would consent to add to
the Senates clear and unqualified recognition of the
sovereignty of Honduras over the Bay Islands, the
following conditional stipulation. "Whenever and
so soon as the republic of Honduras shall have con-
cuded and ratified a treaty with Grea- Britain, by
which Great Britaiu shall have ceded, and the re.
public of Honduras shall have accepted the said is
lands, subject TO the provisions and conditions con-
tanned in such treaty"
The proposition was, of course, rejected. After
the Senate had refused to recognize the British COLI
vention with Honduras of the 9th August, 1856
with full knowledge of its contents it was impossi
BILE for me, necessarily ignorant of the provisions
and conditions" which might be contained in a flu.
ture convention between the same pal ties to sane
ton them in advance.
The fact is, that when two nations, like Great
Britain and the United States mutually desirous
as they are, and trust ever may be, of maintaining
the most friendly relations with each other have
unfortunately concluded a treaty which they un
derstand IN senses directly opposite, the wisest
course is to abrogate such treaty by mutual con.
sent, and to commence anew. Had this been done
promptly, all difficulties in Central America would
most probably, ere this, have been adjusted to the
satisfaction of both parties The time spent in dis
cussing the meaning of the Clayton and Bulwer
treaty would have been devoted to this prasewor.
thy purpose, and the task would have been the
more easily accomplished because the interest oil
the two countries in Central America is Identical
being confined to securing safe transts all the
routes across the Isthmus.
While entertaining these sentiments I shall
nevertheless not refuse to contribute to any
able adjustment of the Central American questions
which is not practically inconsistent with the Ameri
Interpretation of the treaty Overtures for this
purpose have been recently made by the British
Government In friendly spirit, which l cordially
reciprocate: but whether this renewed effort will
result in success, am not yet prepared to express
an opinion. brief period will determine.
With France our ancient relations of friendship
still continue TO exist. The French government
have in several recent instances which need not be
enumerated, evinced spirit of good will and kind
ness towards country which 1 heartily recipro.
cate. 1t is, Notwithstanding much to be regretted
that two nations whose productions are of such a
character to invite the most extensive exchanges
and freest commercial intercourse should continue
to enforce ancient and obsolete restrictions of trade
against each other. Our commercial treaty with
France is in this respect an exception from our
treaties with all other commercial nations. 1t eal-
ously levies discriminating duties both on tonnage
and on articles, the growth, produce, manufac-
ture OF the one country, when arriving in vessels
belonging to the other.
More than forty years ago, on the Sd of March
1915, Congress passed an act offering to all nations
to admit their vessels laden with their national pro-
ductons into the ports of the United States upon
the same terms with our own vessels, provided they
would reciprOcate to us similar advantages. This
act confined the reciprocity to the productions OF
the respective foreign nations who might enter into
their proposed arrangement with the United States.
The act of May "a, 1928, removed this restriction,
und offered similar reciprocity to all such vessels
without reference to the origin of their cargoes.
Upon these principles our commercial treaties and
arrangements have been founded, except with
France and let US hope that this exception may
long exist.
Our relations with Russia remain as they have
ever been-on the most friendly footing The
present Emperor, we'll as his predecessors, have
never failed, when the occasion offered, to mani
fest their good will to country; and their friend
ship has always been highly appreciated by the
Government and people OF the United States.
With all other European Governments. except
Spain our relations are as peaceful as We could de-
sire. regret to say that no progress whatever has
been made, since the adjournment of Congress, to-
wards the settlement OF any of the numerous claims
of our citizens against the Spanish Government
Besides the outrage committed on our flag by the
Spanish warfrigate Frenola the high seas, off the
coast of Cuba, in March, 1856, by firing into the
American mail steamer Ell Dorado, and OBTAINING
and searching her, remains unacknowledged and un
redressed. The general tone and temper of the
Spanish government towards that of the United
States are much to be regretted. Our present en-.
voy extraordinary and minister PlenipOtentiary to
Madrid has asked to be recalled; and it is my pur-
pose to send out new minister to Spain, with spe-
cia instructions on all questions pending between
the two governments and with determination to
have them speedily and amicably adjusted, if this
be possible. In the meantime, whenever our min
lister urges the just claims of our citizens the
tce OF the Spanish government, he is met with the
objection that Congress has never made the appro
praton recommended by President Polk in his
annual message of December, lS47, "to be paid tc
the Spanish government for the purpose of distrib
uton among the claimants in the Armistad case.
A similar recommendation made by his imme
date predecessor in his messagel of December
1858, and entirely concurring with 10th in the
opinion that this indemnity is justly due under the
treaty with Spain on the 9th of October, 1895,
earnestly recommend an appropriation to the favor.
able consideration of Congress.
A treaty of friendship and commerce was conclu
ded at Consantinople on the 18th December, 1856
between the United States and Persia, the rati6ca
tons of which were exchanged at Constantinople or
the 10th Of June, 1857, and the treaty was pro-
claimed by the President on the 18th of August
1857. This treaty, it is believed, will prove bene
hcial to American commerce. The Shah has man
iested an earnest disposition to cultivate friendly
relations with our country, and has expressed {
strong wish that we should be represented at Tehe
ran by Minister Plenipotentiary, and recommend
that an appropriation be made for this purpose.
Recent occurrences in China have been unfavor
able to revision of the treaty with that Empire
OF the Sd of July, 1914, with view to the security
and extension of our commerce. The oath article
of this treaty stipulated for revision of it, in cast
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