Edgefield advertiser. [volume] (Edgefield, S.C.) 1836-current, 1856-01-23
BUCHANAN vs.. CLARENDON.

The Central American difficulty is variously re-
garded as to it's probable termination. To the qued'
ton, war or no war one says yes, another no. The
former urges that we must check the presumptuous,
overbearing lone of Great Britain. The latter de.
clares lhs to be no occasion for doing SO, nasmuchas
that power deems her present conduct entirely con-
formabe to the Clay,on.Bulwer treaty. The former
swearsihe Monroe doctrine is in dangeEand demon!
stralion must be made. The latter laughs at any
other course than ono Of friendly, diplomatic ADJUST
ment. The former sees, behind the ambitious spirit
of tho Great European, darkly looming cloudsof war.
The latter views things ina commerciaa and civilized
aspect and behods nothing but ong.stretched fields OF
fruitful peace. ---.--.-....
But we merely designed at present introducing an
article from the Charleston Evening Neas, which
.prinkes information upon the subect.mat'er Of this
international misunderstanding the usual style Of
that able journal: 70
The diplomatic dispute with regard to Central
America between the United States and Great Britain
urns on two questionsone inphiloogy and the other
in geography The first relates TO the word occupy IN
the list arcls of the Clayton. Bulwer treaty. The
United States cuntcnd.ihat the word has retrospee.
t;pe as we'll as prospective meaning. England ihat
has simply prospective import as employed IN iIie
treaty This is nut for tho phologisls to crak Mr.
Buchanan In his correspondence witltI0rd Aberdeen
insists that the engagement Of party not TO occupy
or exercise dominion" over territory OF which thai
rty is in actual possession the date OF the engage
ment is equivalent in all respects 70 an agreemept TO
Withdraw from such territory, the one proposition 10
being necessarily and separately involved IN the
olher they being merely alternative modes OF express
sing the same idea, antilhetically, adding, In such
case to withdraw not 10 occupy, and not to occupy
is necessarily to withdraw. - -,
The geographical point is this, whether the Island
OF Rnatan one Of the Islands in the Bay Of Honduras
which has been occupied by England since lS4l lsor
i, not portion of the State of Honduras. LordEiar'
endon contends that thess islands form an appendage
of the Belize or British Honduras. Mr. Buchanan
asks very pertnenlly how came the appendage to be
SO much larger thanihe principal Of the country to
which it appended, the Belize being mere strip OF
land while one of those Bay of Islands, Bonita, Ia GO
miles in circumference, and Ruatan, Of which Eng
land has taken forciblo possession, large occupies
commanding position as Naval station, and has ex'
celent harbours the whole cluster being much nearel
TO the coast of the State of Honduras than TO the
Belize. England having possessed herself OF lhli
whole cluster Of Islands, six in number, established
and proclaimed them colony in 1851, subsequently
to the formation ofthe treaty. Whatever doubt there
may be therefore as regards other portions OF Cenra
America, as relates to the Bay of Islands there las
been colonization in violation Of the treaty.
But whatever may be the title OF the State Of Hon
duras 10 these Islands from conguity, MIR. Buchanan
in relation to the question Of geography involved
most successfully rebnt,ed the statement Of Lord Car
sndon, that there was map published by Jefiries in
1876, in which Ruatan was colored British set
ement, observing, l. That thers is another map IN
the British Museum, published in the same year, IT
which Rua,an is not coored as British possession
8. That a map published in 1851 by James Wyid
| geographer to the Queen, also to be found in ihs
British Museum, is Of much higher authority in whicl
Ruatan and the other Bay Islands are assigned 10 the
State of Honduras g. Another map published by tit
same author in S49 presents tho same view T. Brooks
General Gazetteer published in London in 1853 dis
snc,ly states the same fact Johnson in his Dclion
ary Of Geography published in 1852 and 1853 attes
the same fact So much for the geographical problem
involved. Mr.. Buchanan cites another British au
support OF his statement, thus adducing fue works
undisputed veraciIy TO solitary map that Lore
Clarendon cites. So much for the geographical ques
lion, s-.. 49, "a .,-.'. at.ai - -.