The Ashland union. [volume] (Ashland, Ashland County, Ohio) 1854-1868, 1856-05-28
Dolitital, =.
MESSAGE OF THE PRESIDENT ON
EICARAGUAN AFFAIRS.
TO TIE Senate and

IL tS[C oCNtLtG d1Nd
House Of Representatives.:
I transmit herewith Reports of the
Secretary of State, the Secretary of the
Navy, and the Attorney General, in re-
ply to the resolution of the Senate of the
24th of March last, and also to a reso-
luton of the House of Representatives
Of May inst, both having reference to
the routes of transit between the Allan
tic and Pacific Oceans through the Re-
public of New Granada and Nicaragua,
and to the condition of affairs in Cen
trail America. These documents relate
to the questions of the highest impor-
lance and interest to the people of the
United States.
The narrow Isthmus which connects
the continent Of North and South Amer
lea by the facilities it affords for easy
transit between the Atlantic and Pacif
ic Oceans, rendered the countries of
Central America objects of special con-
sideration to all maritime nations, which
has been greatly augmented in modern
times by the operation of changes in
commercial relations, especially those
produced By the general use of steam as
a motive power by land and sea. To
as, on account of its geographical posi-
tion and of our political interests as an
American State of primary magnitude,
that Isthmus is Of peculiar Importance,
just as the Isthmus of Suez is for cor
responding reasons to the maritime Pow
ers of Europe. But, above all, the i'm
portance to the United States of seeu-
ring free transit across the American
Isthmus, has rendered it of paramount
interest to US, since the settlement of
the Territories of Oregon and Wash
ington, and the accession of California
to the Union.
Impelled by these considerations, the
United States took measures at an ear
~ day to secure suitable means of COM
mercial transit By canal, railway, or
otherwise, across the Isthmus. We con-
cluded in the first place a treaty of peace,
amity, navigation and with
the Republic of New Grenada-among
the conditions of which, was a s~tipula-
ton on the part of New Granada guar
antying to the United States the right
of way to transit across that part of the
Isthmus which lies in the Territory of
New Granada, in consideration of which
the United States guaranteed in respect
of the Same Territory the rights of SOW
reignty and property of New Granada.
The effect of this treaty was to afford
to the people eff the Uuited States ia
cilities for at once opening a common
road from Chagres to Panama, and
for at length constructing a railway in
the same direction to connect regularly
with steamships for the transportation
of mails, specie and passengers to and
fro between the Atlantic and Pacific
States and Territories of the United
States.
The United States also, endeavored,
but unsuccessfully, to obtain from the
Mexican Republic the cession of the
right of way at the northern extremity
of the Isthmus, which had come to be
an object of .solicitude to the people of
this Republic.
In the meantime intervening between
the Republic Of New Granada and the
Mexican Republic lie the States of
Guatemala, Salvador, Honduras, Near
aqua and Costa Rica,-the severed mem