Washington telegraph., 1856-06-25
The London Times on the Central
American Question.

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To clear up. as it says. misapprehension
regarding the cause of the Central American
difficulty, the Times gives brief history of
events connected Herewith
The project of a canal or other means of
transit across Nicaragua was first taken hold
of by New York company. Meanwhile,
the vigilance of the government of tie u
States and Great Britain had been respec-
lively aroused, until treaty was proposed
with the view of preventing the route falling
under the political control of either country.
This treaty was entered into on the 10Th of
April following, and stipulated the entire
neutrality Of the proposed route, and also
that neither the United States nor Great
Britain should ever occupy, or colonise or
assume or exercise any dominion over Nicar-
aqua, Costa Rica, the Mosquito coast or any
part of Central America'
+ Sir Henry Bulwer, while negotiating the
treaty obtained from the parties composing
the New York company pledge that they
would offer one half of their rights to the
capitalists of England, which offer was car
ried out in good faith. but it was refused in
England
The privileges of the company. included
not only the right to make a canal. but also
to make a railway or other road in case
canal should be too difficult, exclusive per-
mission to navigate the waters of Nicaragua
by steam, and immense grants of land in
alternate sections along the route. They
had already established steamers on the
river ana lake. as well as road over the
fourteen miles which constituted the only
intervening land between the two oceans.
When the company found, says the Times
that Great Britain would have nothing to do
with them, it evidently became their object
gradually to use their powers so as to estab-
lish permanent sway and Americanize the
entire country. The project for canal,
which by attracting the attention of Europe,
would have mitigated against this, was ac-
cordingly dropped Every effor. was made
to improve the ordinary passenger route and
the internal steam navigation as well as the
line of vessels belonging to the company
between New York and San Francisco
Large funds in this way became available,
which are alleged to have been employed
towards the great political aim just achieved.
Certain it is that the boats of the company
have facilitated all the movements of Gen.
Walkers band, and also that one of his first
acts. when he virtually assumed the dictator
ship of Nicaragua, was to confirm the whole
of thei: privileges.
The country being now occupied. the
only prospective difficulty in the way of its
annexation to the United States consists in
the treaty guaranteeing the neutrality Of the
transit route and prohibiting England or the
United States from taking possession of any
part of Central America, although. there
fore, when i. was expected tina! England
would be willing to cooperate with and aid
the Nicaragua company, the Americans
were no less eager than ourselves for the
conclusion of the treaty. it is now obviously
their wish to get rid Of it, and proposals 10
that effect have now become popular at
Washington. A knowledge of these cir
cumstances will enable the public to under
stand many things in the probable course
of events which might otherwise appear
inexplicabIe 1t will also teach them that
such perplexities as have grown out of the
Central American question were plainly
foreseen. The Nicaragua company acted
with entire good faith to this country up to
the time when their proposals were rejected
They have since pursued their own ends.
with the unceasing connivance, according to
the opinion of some well informed Ameci-
cans, of their own government. As our
people refused to 60 hand in hand with them
in carrying out their privileges for the good
of both countries, and fo- the advancement
of Nicaragua by honorable means. there is
little room for surprise that they have taken
an independent course and that their course
is less satisfactory than one We might other
wise have hoped for