Lewisburg chronicle. [volume] (Lewisburg, Pa.) 1850-1859, 1856-01-04
PRESIDENTS MESSAGE.
FeHop citizens Of the Senate

and ii has been usual for the President to
make no communication ot public charac
ter to the Senate and House Of Represen-
tatiyes until advised Of their READINGS, to
receive H. have deferred To this usage
uutil the close of the first month Of the
session, but my convictions of duty will
not permit me longer to postpone the dis
charge OF the obligation enjolned by the
constitution upon the President Ito give
u the Congress information of the state OF
the Union and recommend to their con
sidcration such measures as he shall Judge
necessary and cxpedient. y
Ii is matter of congratulatIon that the
Republic is TRANQUILITY advancing in a ca
reer of prosperity and peace.
FOREIGN RELATIONS CENTRAL AMERICA.
Whilst relations Of amity continue to
exist between the United States and all
foreign powers, with sonic of them grave
questions are depending. which NAV re-
Quire the consideration Of Congress.
OF such questions. the most important is
that. which has arisen cut of the negotia-
lions with Great Britain in reference 10
Central America.
By the convention concluded between
the two governments on the 18th of Aprll
1850. both parties coyenantcd, that ''neith-
er viii ever occupy or tortity, or colonlze,
or assume or exercise any dominion over,
Nicaragua, Costa Rica, the Mosquito coast,
or any part Of Central America"
Il. I.,,l.,I
OF the United States, in making this
treaty. that aM th" present States of the
former republic of Central nuicriU", -..i
the entire territory of each. would thence
forth enjoy complete independence !; and
that both contracting parties engaged
equally, and L. the same extent, Tor the
present and for the future; and if either
then had any claim OF right in Central
America, such CAIN, and all occupation
Or authority under ii, We're unreservcdly
relinquished by the Stiupations of the
convention and that no dominion was
thereafter to be exercised or assumed in
any part of Central America, by Great
Britain or the United States
This government consented to restric-
tons in regard to 4 region of country,
wherein W. had specific and peculiar inter
est>, only upon the conviction that the
like restrictions We're In the same sense.
obligatory ON Great Britain. But for th,
understanding of the force and effect of
the convention. it would never have been
concluded 10y us.
So cleaI was this understanding on the
part Of the United States, that, in CORES
pondencc contempOraneous with the ratifi-
cation of the convention, 1t was distinctly
expressed, that the mutual covenants of
non-occupation were not intended TO apply
TO the British establishment at the Balizc
This qualification is to be ascribed to the
fact, that, in virtue of successive treaties
with previous sovereigns of the country,
Great Britain has obtained 4 concession of
the right to cut mahogany or dye-woods at
the Balize, but with positive exclusion of
all domain or Sovereignty; and thus it con-
firms the natural construction and under
stood import of the treaty as TO all the rest
Of the region to which the .tipulations ap-
piled.
it, however, became apparent, at an
early dav alter entering upon the diScharg,.
Of NY present functions, that Great Brit
ain still continued in the exercise or a.ser-
ton of large authority in all that part of
Central America commonly called the
Mosquito coast, and covering the entire
length OF the State of Nicaragua, and a
part of Costa Rica; that she regarded the
Balize as her absolute domain, and was
gradually extending its limits at the ex-
pense of the State of Honduras and that
she had formally colonized Il considerable
insular group known As the Bay islands.
and belonging, Of right, to that State.
All these acts or prctensinns of Great
Britain, being contrary 10 the right of the
States of Central America, and to the man
itest tenor Of her stipulations with the
United States, as understood by this gov
ernment, have been made the subject of
negotiation through the American Minis
ter in London. j transmit herewith the
instructions to linn on the subject. and
the correspondence between him and the
British Secretary for Foreign Affairs, by
which you will perceive that the two gov
ernments differ widely and irreconcileahlv
as to the construction of the convention,
and its effect on their respective relations
80 Central America.
Treat Britain so consirues the conven-
ton, as to maintain unchanged all her pre-
vious pre,ensions over the Mosquito coast,
I'D IN different parts OF Central America
eSe pretensions, as TO the Mosouito
t, are founded on the assumption of DO
relation between Great Britain and
oGnant of a tribe of Indians on that
S"H'?terei into at time when the
Span,try was colonial possession Of
., et,Iea'ranuot be successfully contro-
S; Sau -Ainby the public law Of Europe
c Eiahs or tho possible act Of such In
"reat brIta'edecessors could confer on
treat Urea Brita political rights
3, 81 opain as the,s not allege the assent
mosquito coast. of her claims on the
~ by repeated andhas, on the contra
noaneed and relinqcessivc treaties, re,
s o. ner own, and recol all pretensions
sovereign rights of Spaid the full and
qalvocal terms Yet ,beshe most une.
WI, without % solid foundation in tensions, so
ana thus repeafadlv .,-;,,,;.