The star of the north. [volume] (Bloomsburg, Pa.) 1849-1866, 1856-01-03

I 4
eve" occupy, or fdtify, or colonize, or as
sumo or exercise AM dominion over Nicara-
qua, Costa Rica, thj Mosquito Coast, or any
part of Central Am3ica.
II was the undoutted understanding Of the
United States, in mixing this treaty, tha, all
present States of lht former republic Of Gen.
trail America, and tie entire territory of cash,
would thencelorlh pioy comple,e independ-
euce and that boz contracting parties en-
gagged equally, and 10 the same extent, for
the present and for he future that it either
then had any claim 70 right in Central Amer
lea, such claim. and all occupation or au-
4 lhorily under il, we're unreservedly relin.
qui'hed by the slipulaiiops Of the Conven.
tion and that no dominion was thereafter 10
be exercised or assumed in any part Of Cen.
trail America, by Grea, Britain or the United
States.
This Government consented TO restrictions
in regard 10 region of country, wherein we
had specific aud peculiar interests, only upon
The conviction that The like restrictions were
in the same sense obligatory on Great Britain
But for this understanding of the force and
effect Of the Convention, il would never have
been concluded by US.
So clear was the understanding on the
part of the United States, that, in correspond
encs conlemporaneous with the ratification
of The convention, il was distinctly express
ed, thai The mutual covenants Of mont .occupa-
ion were not intended 10 apply to The British
establishment at the Balize. This qua'ifica.
ton is to be ascribed to the fact that, in vir-
tue Of successive treaties with previous SOW
ereigns the country, Great Britain had OBJ.
tanned concession Of the right 10 cut m a.
| uuSany uuySSnUN- -ruo Dusse, s-s --'.9
positive exclusion Of all domain or sovereign
ty; and thus it confirms the natural construc-
tion and understood import of the treaty as
10 all the rest OF the region 10 which the stip.
ulalions applied.
If, however, became apparent, at an early
day after entering upon the discharge Of my
present functions, that Gfeat Britain still con-
tinued in the exercise or assertion of large
authority in all that part of Central America
commonly called the Mosquito Coast, and
covering the entire length of the States of
Nicaragua, and par. of COSTA Rca that she
regarded the BalIze as her absolute domain,
and was gradually extending it's limits al the
expense Of The, State Of Honduras; and that
she had formally eolonized considerable
inmlar group known as the Bay Islands, and
belonging, Of right, 10 that Slate.
All these acts or prs,ensions Of Great Brit
ain, being contrary ,othe rights of The States
of Central America, and to the manifest ten
or Of her stipulations with the United States,
as understood by this government have been
made the subject Of negotiation through the
American Minister in London. | transmit,
herewith the instructions 10 him on the SUBJ
ject, and the correspondence between him
and the British Secretary for Foreign Affairs,
by which you will perceive that the two gov
ernmenls differ widely and irreconcileabIy as
TO the construction Of the convention, and it's
effect on their respective relations TO Central
America.
Greai Britain so construes the convention,
as 10 maintain unchanged all her previous
pretensions over the Mosquito Coast and in
different paris OF Central America. These
pretensions, as to the Mosquito Coast, are
founded on The assumption of political rela.
tons between Great Britain and the remnant
of tribe Of fudfabs Oh that coast, entered
into at sime when tie whole country was
colonial possession Of Spain. l. cannot be
successfully conIroverled that, BY the public
law of Europe and America, no possible act
Of such Indians or their predecessors could
confer on Grea, Britain any political rights.
Great Britain does not allege the assent of
Spain as the origin of her claims on the
Mosquito coast. She has, on the contrary,
by repeated aud successive treaties renounc.
ed and relinquished all pretensions Of her
own, and recognized the full and sovereign
rights ofSpain in the most unequivoacl terms,
Yet these preteniions, so without solid ioun-
da!ion In ihs beginning, and thus repeatedly
eolu5ea, were, ct recent period, revived by
Great Britain against the Central American
States, The legitimate successors 10 all the
ancient jurisdiction Of Spain in that region.
They were fret applied only 10 defined
part Of lhe,cosst Of Nicaragua, aflsrw ards
to the whole Of iss Atlantic coast, and lastly
to part Of the coast of Costa Rica; and
they are now reasserted to this extent, ao,.
wlthsisndiug engagements TO the United
States. sF9
On The Eastern coast Of Nicaragua and
Costa Rica, the interference Of Great Britain,
though exeried at one time In the form of
military occupation of the port of San Juan
del Norte, shen in the peaceful possession
ofthe appropriate authorities Of the Central