Orleans independent standard. [volume] (Irasburgh, Vt.) 1856-1871, 1856-01-11


ain any political rights. Great Britain
does not allege the assent of Spain, a
the origin of her claims on the Mosquit'
5 Coast. She has, on the contrary, by re
: peated and successive treaties renounce'
:, and relinquished all pretensions of he
o own, and recognised the full and sover
c eign rights of Spain in the most une
: quivocaI terms.
: Yet these pretensions, SO without SOLE
0 foundation in the beginning, and thus re
t peatedly abjured, were at a recent peri
S cd revived by Great Britain, against thu
D Central American States, the legitimat,
l successors of all the ancient jurisdiction
: of Spain in that region. They were frs
l applied only to defined part of th'
| coast of Nicaragua, afterwards to the
5 whole of its Atlantic coast, and lastly tt
a part of the coast of Costa RIGA, ant
t they are now re-asserted to this extent
notwithstanding engagements to the Uni
ted States. On the eastern coast of Nj,
caragua, and Costa RIGA, the interference
of Great Britain, though exerted at one
, time in the form of military occupation
of the port of San Juan del Norte, then
in the peaceful possession of the appro-
pirate authorities of the Central Ameri-
can States, is now presented by her, as
the rightful exercise of dominion over
the Mosquito tribe of Indians. But the
establishment at the Belize, now reach
ing far beyond its limits into the si4io Of
honduras, and that u the Bay Islands
appertaining Of right to the same state,
are as distinctly colonial governments as
those Of Jamaica or Canada, and there
fore contrary to the very letter as well
as the spirit of the convention with the
United States, as it was at the time of
the ratification, and now is, understood
by this government. The Interpretation
which the British government thus. in
assertion and act, persists in ascribing to
the convention, entirely changes its char
acter. While it holds us to all our obi
cations, it in a great measure releases
Great Britain from those which censti-
tuted the consideration of this govern
ment for entering into the covenant. 1t
is impossible, in my Judgment, for the
United States, to anquiesce in such a
construction of the respective relations
of the two governments to Central Amer
lea. To renewed call by this govern
ment TO abide by, and carry into effect
the stipulations of the convention &C
cording to its obvious import, by with
drawing from the possession or colonial
ton OF portions of the Central American
states of Honduras, Nicaragua and Costa
Rica, the British government has, at
length, replied, affirming that the opera
ton OF the treaty is prospective only, and
did not require Great Britain to abandon
or contract any possessions held by her in
Central America at the date of its con-
clusion. The reply substitutes partial
issue IN the place of the general one pre-
sented by the United States.
The British government passes over
the question of the rights of Great Brit
am, real or supposed, in Central Ameri-
ca, and assumes that she had rights at
the date Of the treaty, and those rights
comprehended the protectorship of the
Mosquito Indians, the extended jurisdic-
tioh and limits of the Pacific, and the
colony of the Bay Islands; and therein
on proceeds, by implication. to infer that
II the stipulations of the treaty be merely
future IN effect, Great Britain may still
continue to hold the contested portions Of
Central America.
| The United States cannot ADMIT e;tbor
the differences or the premises. We
steadily deny that at the date Of the
treaty Great Britain had any other DOS.
sessions there than the limited and pc
euiiar establishment at the Belize. and
maintain that if she had any, thew wore
surrendered by the convention. This
government having recognised the obli-
cations of the treaty, has, of course. de-
sired to see it executed by both parties
and IN the discussion, therefore. has not
looked to rights which we may assert m
dependently of the treaty, in considera-
tion OF our geographical position, and Of
other circumstances which create for M
relations to the Central American St.,tas
different from those of any Governmen,
OF Europe. The British Government in
its last Communication, although well
knowing the views of the United States
still declares that it sees no reason wbv a
conciliatory spirit may not enable the two
Governments to overcome the obstacles
to a satisfactory adjustment of the sub
ject.
Assured of the correctness of the con-