New-York daily tribune. [volume] (New-York [N.Y.]) 1842-1866, 1856-01-11
''s:SsS'Gfs:s,plurk DAILY Gribm,Ie
NEW PUBLICATIONS.
soIyTER,s CENTRAL AMERICA.

sQUIER'S CENTRAL AMERICA.
NOTES ON CENTRAL AMERICA PARrIcuLARLy THE
SRoposrp O' HoSDuSts ISTfR.ocr.SHc RSiLwAT. By
Z. @. souIER evo., PIP Ss7. Harper Brothers
We have already had occasion TO bestow some
censure, in another portion of our columns, upon
certain doctrines jealousy maintained in this book.
1t sets out with a physiological argument, of
which the logical effect is to justify the exclusive,
jealous, domineering and despotic policy pursued
by the Spanish during their three hundred years
possession of Central America, but which on the
part of Mr.. Squier has for its more immediate OBJ
ect TO bring forward pseudO-scientifc argumenta
tive basis for the reconquest and reOccupation of
that country by fresh hordes of North American
fllibusters.
This doctrine taints more or less the whole book.
Still there is fair quantity of good sound meat
to be found in il; for beside his theory the author
gives us a quantity of valuable and interesting
facts-Fact, rather than Theory, being his
proper province-and facts in this particular case,
the more valuable since, to minds not prepOs-
sessed and capable of drawing logical infer
ences they must furnish complete answer to his
fllibustering theories.
Mr.. Squier is already well known as the author
of previous work on Nicaragua, including recon-
noissance of the proposed route for an neroceanlc
shp-canal by the River San Juan and the Lake
Nicaragua But that route has proved impractl-
cable, except at most enormous expense; and the
same seems to be the case so far as they have yet
been explored, with all the other suggested routes
for ship-canal.
The proposed Tehuantepec railroad, which at
one time claimed so much of public attention, has
been found onsurvey not to offer the essential ad-
vantage of a good and safe harbor on either oceans
and the same capital deficiency diminishes to
great degree the value and usefulness of the already
completed Panama Railroad.
1t is the chief object of Mr.. Squier's present
work to draw attention to another railroad route,
across Honduras from Omoa on the southern shore
of the Bay of Honduras TO the Gulf of Fonseca on
the Pacific side. This route, according to MIR.
Souier. in point of length over land and of near
ness bv sea TO the Atlantic and Pacific ports pro-
posed 10 be connected by it, compares well with
the Tehuantepec route. 1t runs all the way Ill a
natural valley along the course of two iuterockng
rivers and has the advantage, at both termnations'
of excellent natural harbors-that OF the Gull OF
Fonseca on the Pacific side being unsurpassed, aud
the natural site as Mr.. Squier thinks, OF great
| commercial city.
| The book opens with general account OF Central
America in three chapters. 1t is this part III winch
is preached the Objectionable theory of the right and
indeed of sort of philosophical necessity, Oh the
part of the whites, to occupy the country, ana
either to extermnate its two million OF Indian or
hak.hreed inhabitants TO reduce them to slavery
How completely deuded Mr.. Squier Is on TINS
topic is evident from his attempt TO bolster up ms
theory by the result of emancipation in Jamaica, as
TO which he states the following pretended facts
with all the customary positiveness OF those VINO
substitute in the place of observation their Pr'0''
conclusions as to what ought TO be. We quote
from page 81;
In Jamaica savage Nature is just resumng her DO
mipon over deserted plantations, and me cooGS otg'
10 sarm rffh hdlt-nqked negroes hctTg upon me t7-
d;geROas fruits Of the so and already scarcely one de-
gree removed from their original barbarsm III Africa
Now we beg leave to assure Mr.. Squier from
the best of evidence that the two most striking
points of difference between black men IN the
| English Colonies as slaves and those sam
black men as freemen, are-that whereas, ex-
| cept on Sundays, they used 10 60 almost naked
| now they are decently clOthcu Nv OIL 'i'iN
Except that occasionally for the sake Of con-
yenience they may partially follow Nirglls advice
to pillow and SOW naked) and that instead OF living
almost exclusively on native provisions eked out by
quantity of imported Indian meal and black peas
they arc now large consumers OF American -four
OF these facts, both as 10 clothing and food Mr..
Souier NAV find abundant evidence by examining the
custom.house entries of imports for the last thirty
or forty years of the Island OF Jamaica ITSELF IL
these facts can be made the proofs OF barbarian ana
deceneracy on the part of the blacks, Mr.. squ'er
will take occasion, we hope, in his next BOOK 10
show how
After this general Introduction follows IN zen
chapters, particular description OF the hepuoiic
OF Honduras The Sambos, or Mosquitoes de-
4 scrbed in the twelfth chapter, who are cross o'
the Indian and negro, with aFconsidersbe inter
mixture of English blood seem by their wees ae.
geueracy and diminuton Of numbers, 10 anoro
some color 10 Mr. Squiers fayorite doctrine o.
the special depgayity Of mixed races, and their ID