The western Democrat. [volume] (Charlotte, N.C.) 1852-1870, 1856-01-08

States of Honduras, Nicaragua, and Costa
RIGA, the British government has at length
replied, affirming that the operation of the
treaty is prospective only, and did not re-
nuirc Great Britain to abandon or contract
any possessions held by her in Central
America at the date of its CONCLUSION
This reply substitutes partial issue, in
the place Of the general one pres' IT by
the United States. The Brit sh government
passes over the question Of the rights OF
! Great Britain, real or supposed, i'll Central
| America, and assumes that she had such
| rights at the date of the treaty, and that
| those rights colnprehcndcd the PROTECTOR
| shin of the Mosquito Indiana, the cAtcnded
| jurisdiction and limits Of the l}aliza, SIt.ttrD
! colony of the Bay Islands, and thereuP0h
proceeds by implication to infer, that. II the
! stipuations of the treaty be merely future
| in effect. Great Britain may still continue
to hold the contested portions II tFitril
| America The United States cGnnot a'tnlt
either the inference or the PREMISES. We
steadily deny, that atthe Late OF the hc->tl'
| Great Britain had any pose ssious .tfcre,
other than the limited and peculiar eStab-
Iishmemt at theBalizc. mrd lnIIinttIn that
if she had any, they ere surrendered 10y
the convention.
This government. recognising the obiiga-
lions of the treaty, has OF course desired to
see it executed i'm good fiIIth by both parties,
and in the discussion, therefore, has not
looked to lign's. which we might assert,
| indcpcnIlptlt of the treaty, IN con>ldcra-
tion az our geographical position and OF
other circumstances, which create tor Us
1 relations to the Central American States
different from those of amy government OF
l Europe,
! Tie British government, in it, last com
| D
views of tue United States, still declares
that it secs 10 reason Why q cOncilI"tory
spirit may not enable" the two governments!
to overcome all obstacles to satisfactory
adjustment of the subject. ::
Assured of tl:e correctness Of the con-
Struction of the treaty constantly adhered
to ~ this government, and resolved to in
sist ON the rights of the United States, yet
actuutrl also by the same desire, which Is
avowcd by the British government, to re-
move all causes of serious MISUNDERSTANDING
between two nations associated by so many
ties of interest and kindred, it has appeared
to me proper not to consider an amlcable
solution of the controg rrSy hopeless.
There is, however, reason 70 apprchend,
that with Great Britain in the actaai Occu-'
patton of the disputed territories and the
treaty therefore practically null, so far as
regards our rights, this international diff
Guilty cannot long remain undetermined,
without involving in serious danger the
friendly relations, which it is the interest as
well as the duty of both countries to cherish
and preserve. 1t will afford me sincere
qualification, if future efforts shall result i'll
the success anticipated heretofore with more
confidence than the aspect of the case per-
nlits me now to entertain. =
One other subject of discussion between
the United States and Great Britain has
grown out of the attempt, which the ext
gcncirS Of the war in which she is engaged
with Russia induced her to make, to draw
re .rllits from lhe United States.
1t is the trti onal and settled policy OF
the United States to maintain impartial
neutrality during the wars which from time
to time occur among the great powers OF
the world. Performing all the duties of
neutrality towards the respective bclligcr-
cmt States. we NAV reasonably expect them
not to interfere with our lawful enjoyment
of its benefits. Notwithstanding the cxis-
tcncc of such hostilitics, our citizens retain
the individual right to continue all their
accustomed pursuits, by land or by sea, at
home or abroad, subject only to such re-
strictions in this relation as the laws of war,
the usage of nations, or special treaties, may
impose; and it is our sovereign right that
our territory and jurisdiction shall not be
invaded by either of the belligNrent parties,
for the transit of their armies, the opera
tons Of their fleets, the levy of troops for
their service, the fitting cut Of cruisers by
or against either, or any other act or INCL
dent OF war.. And these undcnitble rights
of neutrality, individual and national, the
United States will under no circumstances
surrender.
In pursuance of this policy, the laws of
the United States do not forbid their citi
zens to sell to either of the belligcrent
powers, articles contraband of war, or take
munitions of war or soldiers on board their
private ships for transportation and al
though, in so doing, the individual citizen
exposes his property or person to some of
the hazards of war, his acts do not involve
any breach of national neutrality, nor of
themselves implcatc the government. Thus,
during the progress of the present war i'll
| Europe, our citizens have, without national
responsibility therefore, sold gunpowder
and arms to all buyers, regardless of the
destination of those articles. Our mer-
Chantmcn have been, and still continue to
be, largely employed by Great Britain and
by France, i'll transporting troops, pro-
visions, and munitions of war to the prin-
cipal seat of military operations, and in
bringing home their sick and wounded
soldiers; bat such use of our mercantile
marine Is not lntcrdlctcd either by the in
| tcrnatiOnal or by our municipal law, and
therefore does not cOmpromit our neutral
| relations with Russia.
But our municipal law, in accordance
with the law of nations, percmptorily for
bids not only foreigners, but our own cit-
zcns, to fit out within the United States a
vessel to commit hostilitics against any
State with which the United States are at
peace, or to increase the force of any foreign
armed vessel intended for such hostilities
against a friendly State.
Whatever cohccrIr may have been felt bv
either of the belligerent powers lest private
armed cruisers or other vessels in the ser
vice of one might be fitted out in the ports
of this country to dcrredate OH the property
of the other, all such fears have proved to
he utterly gromdless. Our citizens have
been withheld from any such act or pur-
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