Lynchburg daily Virginian. [volume] (Lynchburg [Va.]) 1852-1861, 1856-01-17

proceeds
What. then Is the fair construction Of the ar
tieiei ], embraces two objects; j. Ii declares
TINT neither Of the two parties shall ever acquire
any exclusive control over the ship canal Ia be
constructed between the Atlantic and the Pacif.
ic hy the route Of the river San Juan Gel Nicara-
cea and that neither uf them shall ever erect or
/ maintain any Notifications commanding the same
or in the vicinity thereof In regard Ia this slip
ulaton no disagreement is known to exist be-
tween the parties. But the article proceeds fur
ther in Is mutually self denying policy: and in
+ the second place. declares that neither of the
/ parties will occupy ar fortify, or colonIze ar a.
sume exercise any dominion over Nicaragua.
! Costa Riea. the Mosquito coast any part OF
Central America
We now reach the true point. Does this Ian
+ guaee require that Great Britain shall Withdraw
from her existing possessions in Central America
including the Mosquito coastr The language
peculiarly applicable to this coast will end more
+ appropriate place in subsequent portion OF
/ these remarks
If any individual cutters into solemn and
explicit agreement that he will not occupy any
given tract of country then actually occupied
/ by him. can any proposition be clearer than that
/ he i. bound by his agreement to Withdraw from
/ such oeoupnncyl We're this not the case, these
words would have no meaning. and the agree
/ nrni would become mere nudity, Nay. uiore;
/ IN its effect IL would amount to confirmation OF
The party In the possession Of that very terrific
ny which he had bound himself not TO occupy,
and wonld practically he equivalent to agree
ment that he should remain in posscssion-a COB
,rndietion in terms. II is difficult to conment.ou
language which appears plain, or 10 Offer ar
gunents to prove that the meaning OF words !.
not directly opposite to their well Known signlf
/ cation.
= And yet the British Government consider
TINT the convention intcrfefcs with none OF their
,l.tI
is entirely prospective in its nature. and merely
prohibits them from making new acquisitions
T II this be the case, then it amounts to recog-
milton Of their rights on the pnrt of the Aneri
oan Government IA all the possessions which
they already held; whilst the United States have
bound themselves by the very came instrument
never under any circumstances 10 acquire the
possession Of foot of territory in Ceutssl Amer
ioa. The mutualty of the conventiop vs. aid
thus be entirely destroyed and, whilst Great
Britain may continue TO hold nearly the whole
eastern coast Of Central America, tie Epited
States have abandoned iheright, for all tyiorf
time, TO acquire any tcrIitGry or I" rcc"ise INTO
I the America Union any 1T the States ~ TINT
portion If ihet own continent, THIS self imnQs
! ID prohibition was the great objection 10 the
treaty in The United States az the time of it, con
f en-ion. and wns powerfully urged by some oi the
/ best men in the country. Had il then been i'm
ngned ilat, whilst il prnhiiea the Inited
stnies from acquiring territory under any possi
+ bile circumstances in portion ct America through
which their ,horoughfares to Colifor tia aud Or
! cgen must pnss, the convention, ut the ZANE
+ time. permitted Great Britain to remain in the
occupancy % Ill her existing possessions ~ that
+ region. Mr.. Buchanan expresses the c0uLdett
conviction that there would not have been IL
single vote in the American Scnnic in favor 1T
it. ratification. In every Discussion it was Ia
ken for granted TINT the convention required
Al,
sipn-. mud thus plnce the parties upon an exact
equality in Central America. Upon this con
slrucon of the convention there was quite as
great n nnanitnity of opinion a existed IN the
/ llouse al Lords TINT thr convention with Spuip
II i796 required Great Britain To withdraw tro,n
the Mosquito protectoInto.
" There is the strongest reason to believe that
the snrne construction was placed upon the con
venton by the Government of GIeat Britain at
the TIM III lis conclusion. If this were not the
tase why their strenuous efforts before the rati.
taatens exchanged to have the British
settlement of Belize specially excepted f"mii.
operation! Upon the opposite construction al
the convention il ought /" have been thelr desire
II p'nct lint settlement under is pr"tectionand
thus secure Great Britain in its occupancy
" Tie conduct of the Government "i Great
Britain M this occasion can be satisfactorily ac-
counted i''r emily upon til" principle that, per
eei,ns the language of the convention 10 he suf-
hcniilv explicit and comprehensive tn embrace
l'ellze, they must have made these ct'nts Il"
prevent the necessity of their ~llhdrawal from
that y, ttlemrnt; aud no attempt was made to
except any other of their possessions from its
operhion, the rule that erpresSio UniGs est efcta
-, afiefi0S applies To the case, and amounts to
III MIN >lun TINT they were bound to Withdraw
trom Il th"ir other Central American po-s''s-
slun-.
ply II Lord C.s observation that nm nj
teratlon of the internal form of government" in
the Bay Islands was no violation of tie Clayton
and Bawer convention. Mr. b remarks that the
United States expected Great Britain to Withdraw
from the occupation of Ru .ian after the signature
of that treaty, id therefore cannot regard the
annex nlion IL it. under Colonial Government.
of live other Central American island>' in any
other light than positive act in violation of the
letter and spirit of that compact.
Under the head of '',he Mosquito protectorate, :,
Mr.. Buchanan first arg les that before Lord
Clarendon can properly refer to "ihe spirit" of
the Clayton and Buwer treaty iuferable from
the circumstance under which it was initiated,
he should first demonstrate that the language of
the convention is obscure, which Mr.. b.. denies
lie declares that the American Government can.
not recognise the British protectorate of Mosqu-
To as having any foundation in public law, and
asserts that. in consequence of the abject condi.
ton of the Indians and their want of an indepen-
dent naionality.anv protectorate over them must
he substantially a British dominion the submits
sion OF the Indians to the English Government
being in fact absolute" He then says:
This is the substance; al! the rest is mere
form. In this point ot view IL il wh,lly iinma