Preble County Democrat. [volume] (Eaton, Ohio) 1857-1859, 1857-12-17

anu lHe republic OF honduras, cOnStltu
ted and declared free Territory, unde
: the sovereignty of the said republic q
} Honduras, stipulated that ''the tw
contracting powers do hereby mutual
engage to recognize and respect. in a
future time, the independence and right
Of the said free Territory as a part O
the republic of Honduras
Upon an examination of this convcn
ton between Great Britain and Hondu
ras Of the 9th August, 1856, it wa
found that while declaring the Ray Is
lands to be "a free Territory under tn,
sovereignty ofthe republic of Honduras,
it deprived that republic of rights with
out which its sovereignty over then
could scarcely be said to exist. It di
vided them from the remainder of Hon
duras, and gave to their inhabitants ,
separate government of their own, will
legislative, executive, and judicial officer:
elected by themselves.
It deprived the Government of Hon.
duras of the taxing power in every form
and exempted the people of the island
from the performance of military duty
except for their own exclusive defense
1t also prohibited that republic from
erecting Notifications upon them for
their protection, thus leaving them open
to invasion from any quarter; and, final
ly, it provided "that slavery shall not at
any time hereafter be permitted to exist
therein"
Had Honduras ratified this conven-
ton, she would have ratified the estab-
lishment of State substantially inde-
pendent within her own limits, and a
State at all times subject to British in
United States ratified the treaty with
Great Britain in its original form, we
should have been bound ''to recognize
and respect in all future time" these
stipulation to the prejudice of Hondu-
ras. Being in direct opposition to the
spirit and meaning of the Clayton and
Bulwer Treaty as understood in the
United States, the Senate rejected the
entire clause, and substituted in its stead
a simple recognition of the sovereign
right of Honduras in these islands in
the following language: "The two con-
tracting parties do hereby mutually en-
gage to recognize and respect the is
lands of Ruatan, Bonaeo, Utila, Barba-
retta, Helena and Morat, situate in the
bay of Honduras, and off the coast of
the republic of Honduras, as under the
sovereignty as part of the said Repub-
lie of Honduras.
Great Britain rejected the amend
ment, assigning as the only reason, that
the ratifcations of the convention of
the 9th August, 1856, between her
and Honduras, had not been exchanged
owing to the hesitation of that govern
ment Had this been done, it is stated
that Her Majesty's Government would
have had little difficulty in agreeing to
the modification proposed by the Sen
ate, which then would have had in eff
feet the same Specification as the ori gi-
nal wording" Whether this would
have been the cffect-whether the mere
of the exchange of the
of the British Convention
with Honduras prior, in point of time,
to the ratification Of our treaty with
Great Britain would Sin effect" have
had "the same Specification as the origi
nal wording" and thus nuliifed the
amendment of the Senate, may well be
doubted. 1t is, perhaps, fortunate that
he question has never arisen.
The British government, Immediate
y after rejecting the treaty as amend
I'd, proposed to enter into a new treaty |
With the United States, similar in all
to the treaty which they had
ust refused to ratify. if the United
States would consent to add to the Sen
ties clear and unqualified recognition
If the sovereignty of Honduras over
he Bay Islands the following condi-
ion: "Whencver and so soon as the |,
epublic of Honduras shall have con-
ludcd and ratified treaty with Great
Britain, by which Great Britain shall
lave ceded, and the republic of Hon
luras shall have accepted, the said is
ands, subject to the provisions and con-
litions contained in such treaty."
This proposition was, of course. re-
ected. After the Senate had refused
o recognize the British Convention
With Honduras of the 9th August,
$50, with full knowledge of its CON
ents, it was impossible for me, neces-
arily ignorant of ''the provisions and
ouditions which might be contained in
future convention between the same
PARTIES to sanction them in advance.
The fact is, that when two nations
ike Great Britain and the United States,
mutually desirous as they are, and 1
rust ever may be, of maintaining the
most friendly relations with each other,
lave unfortunately concluded treaty
which they understand in senses direct
y opposite, the wiscst course is to alb
ogate such treaty by mutual consent,
nd to commence anew. Had this been
lone promptly, all difficulties in Cen
raj America would most probably, ere
his, have been adjusted to the satisfac-
ion of both parties. The time spent
II discussing the meaning of the Clay
on and Bulwer treaty. would have been
devoted to this praiseworthy purpose,
md the task would have been the more
EASILY accomplished because the inter
.st of the two countries in Central
America is identical, being confined to
occurring safe transits over all the routes
lcross the Isthmus.
Whilst en- tertaining these sentiments,
shall nevertheless not refuse to con-
ributc to any reasonable adjustment OF
he Central America questions which is!