Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1856-02-09
CENTRAL AMEnIcAN ArrArns.

n
Exuacis from the speech of Hon. VIM III.
Seward, delivered in ihs United States Senate,
Jan. 81, 1876.
Mn PaEsIDESr-I desire to concentrate the
attention Of The Senate and Of he country up
IN the Central American question therefore ]
pass over the controversy about Mr. Crsmpton 8
violation Of our neutrality laws, as / de- The
more general topic Of ME Monroe doctrine,
both Of which subjects have been eluborately
discussed by the Senator irum Michigan.
! The President of the Uoiled States ba.
caused our ease to be fully and ably pfesented,
and Great Britain has explicitly refused 10 com
ply with our demands. Ii belongs now 10
Congress TO determine The course which the
country shall pursue. Ii is necessary, there
fore, 10 review our position. II il is right, We
cannot recede without dishonor, never TO be in
Cured. II il is wrung. We csunt reced- too
soon. II We shall not recede. we NAV involves
our country in 10 common ~ar--an evil To be
avoided If possible, consistently with duty.
shall. therefore, take care not 10 say, conscious
/ ly, anything that might tend to inlane our own
country or TO exasperaie Great Britain.
II is no question Of persons OF Of parties,
nor is il even domestic question. Therefore,
shall refrain now. as did when spake to !,
before, from bringing any personal or psrtisan
or domestic subject into the debate, no matter
who shall invite or who shall provoke to such
a course
Speaking geographically, Central Americs
is situated on the isihmus which unites the Two
continents Of North Americl aud South Amer
ica, and extends from the southern border of
Mexico 10 the northern boundary of New Gra-
NADIA and il spreads from that part Of the At
lanlic ocean which is called the Caribbean Sea,
to the shore Of the Pacific ocean. Speaking
politically, Central America is constituted by
the independent States Of Guaieuals. San Sal
sador, Honduras, Nicaragua and Costa Rica
These States exclude The Baize or British
Honduras, and include the Mosquito Coast
Central America was discovered by Columbus,
IN mon 0i MAI KinpuuH the P0pe having, w
previous concordat, awarded to Portugal all
the regions she should discover in going east
ward from the Azores, and 10 Spain all she
should discover in going westward from that
point, without knowing that the two parties,
pursuing their opposite courses, we're uliimaie-
" to meet aud conflict. This portion Of the
is,hmus was conquered and colnnized and uccf
pied by Spain in 1895, and became, after
,imc, the kingdom or yce-royaliy of Guatemala.
This vico-tosaty, or prpvince, threw off tina
Spanish authority, and became an independent
federal republic in 1873, under the name Of the
Republic of Central America. In 1889, ths
five States which have already named, and
which constituted the republic, dissolved their
political union, and each assumed absolute in
dependence. They have an aggregate popola-
,iun Of about two million-one twelfth whites,
four twelf,hs mixed. aud the residue Indians.
/ The acquisition Of California by the United
States IN is4s, the disclosure of lis immense
mineral wealth. and the consequent political or
eanilaion and social development Of that State,
precipitated upon them and on The world the
solution of that great problem of eommunica-
iou across the lsihmus, between the twu oceans,
which had been studied without practical result
three hundred and fifty years. Such passage,
while il would be beneficial to all naiions, was
indispensable to the Unied Siaes, because
California was practically inaccessible from The
Atlantic States for the purposes Of commerce
and defence.
The United States had sympaihhed with all
the Spanish American States in their revolu-
iions, and had extended 10 them favorable com
meroial treaties, In 1923, the President, MIR
Monroe, after grave consideration, had announc-
ed to the world, as posIulale. that
The American continents, by the free and
independent condition which they have assumed
and maintained, are hencefonh not 10 be con-
sdered subjects for future colonization by any
European Power.
But the United States had, nevertheless, al
ways declined although eflen urgently invited
and invoked. TO interfere in the political affairs
of those States
Three prominent routes for inier-oceanie pas
sages were discussed une by tho way of Te-
husu,epec, in Mexico one by The way Of San
Juan and Lake Nicaragua, understood TO bc
within the State Of Nicaragua and one by Tho
way Of Chagres, in New Granada. The ciii-
zens and government Of the United States ap-
piled themselves to obtain the opening of all
these passages. On the l4ih Of March, ls49,
the Stale Of Nicaragua entered into contract
with citizens of the United States, granting
Them an exclusive right 10 construct a rana or
railway, from ocean 10 ocean, through The Ris-
er San Juan and The Lake Nicaragua. On The
} 2lsi of June, 1919, Nicaragua teudered to The
United States treaty, offering them peculiar
and distinguishing advantages connected with
that undertaking, on condition that they should
guarantee the sovereignty Of that State. On
The l0ih oi September, 1910, The contract be-
tween Nicaragua and American citizens was
, revised aud renewed, and new treaty was Of
; fered by that Stale 10 the United States, by
} which il was proposed that the passage should
{ be opened. on equal terms TO all States and
; naiions who should enter into The necessary
> slipulaions fpr its safety md preservation. The
United States hesiiated. and refraiaed from ac-
ceplne either treaty. The subject was embar-
raised BY the presence and inereniico Of
' Great Britain 10 Cenrral America. Willis
Spain ro,sined her doninion eh thels sensi-