The Ashland union. [volume] (Ashland, Ashland County, Ohio) 1854-1868, 1857-12-16

recognition on the part of the United
States of the right of Great Britain, eth.
er as owner or protector, to the whole ex.
tensive coast of Central America, sweep
ing round from the Rio Hondo to the
port and harbor Of San Juan de Nicaragua
together with the adjacent Bay Islands
except the comparatively small portion Of
this between the Sarstoon and Cape Hon.
eduras. according to their construction
the treaty does no mere than simply pro.
hibit them extending their possessions in
Central America beyond the present linn
its. It is not TOO much to assert, that il
in the United States the treaty had been
considered susceptible of such a construc-
tion, it would never have been negotiated
under the authority of the President, nor
would it have received the appreciation oil
the Senate. The universal conviction in
the U. States was, that when our Govern.
mont consented to violate its tradition and
time-honoIe1 policy, and to s~tipulate with
q foreign government never to occupy or
acquire territory in the Central American
portion of own continent, the conside-
ration for this sacrifice was that Great
Britain should, In this respect at least, be
placed In the same position with ourselves.
Whilst we have no right to doubt the sim
cerity Of the British Government in their
construction of the treaty, it is at the
amo time my deliberate conviction that
this construction is 10 opposition both to
its | tier and its spirit.
Under the late Administration nego-
t~iations were instituted between the two
Governments for the purpose, if possible,
of removing these difficulties; and a treaty
having this laudable object in view was
signed at London on the 18th of Octo-
Der, 1856, and was submitted by the Pres
ident to the Senate on the following 10th
of December. Whether this treaty, either
in its original amended form, would have
accomplished the object intended without
giving birth to new and embarrassing
complications between the two Govern
ments, may perhaps be well questioned
Certain it is, however, it was rendered
much less Questionable by the different
amendments made to it by the Senate
The treaty, as amended, was ratified by
me on the 18th March, 1857, and was
transmitted to London for ratification by
the British Government. That Govern
ment expressed It's willingness to concur
IN all the amendments made by the Senate
with the single exception of the clause re.
Iating to Ruatan and the other islands in
the Bay of Honduras. The article in the
original treaty, az submitted to the Sen
ate, after recitiDg that these islands and
their inhabitants "haviDg been bya Con-
vention bearing date the 9th of August.
1856, between her Britanic Majesty and
the Republic of Honduras, constituted
and declared a free territory under the
sovereignty of the said Republic of Hon
duras,' stipulated that "the two contract
lug parties do hereby mutually engage to
recognize and respect In all future time
the Independence and rights of the said
free territory as 2 part of the Republic of
Honduras
Upon an examination of this Conven-
ton between Great Britain and Honduras
of the 9th August, 1856. it was found
that, whilst declaring tho Bay Islands to
be = Stree territory under the sovereignty
of the Republic Of Honduras it deprived
that Republic Of rights without which its
sovereignty over them could scarcely be
said to exist. It divided them from the
remainder of Honduras, and gave to their
inhabitantsa separate government of their
own, legislative, executive and judicial
officers, elected by themselves. It depriv-
ed the Government of Honduras of the
taxing power in every form, aud exempt
ed the people of the islands from the per-
formance of military duty, except for their
own exclu i've defense. It also prohibited
that Republic from erecting Notifications
upon them for their protection: thus leav-
ing them open to invasion from any quar-
ter and, finally, it provided "that Slavery
shall not at any time hereafter be permit
ted to exist therein
Had Honduras ratified this Convention
she would have ratified the establishment
of a State substantially independent with.
in her own limits, and q state at all times
subject TO British influence and CONTROL
Moreover, had-the United States ratified
the treaty with Great Britain in its orig
inal form, We should have been bound Ito
r~ecegnize and respect in all future time"
stipulations to the prejudice of Hon.
duras. Being in direct opposition to the
spirit and meaning of the Clayton and
Bulwer treaey as understood in the Unit
ed States, the Senate rejected the entire
and substituted in it's stead a SIM
pie recognition of the sovereign right of
Honduras to these islands In the following
"The two contracting parties
10 hereby mutually engage to recognize
md respect the islands of Ruatan, Bona
%, Utila, Barbaretta, Helena. and Morat.
Iituate in the Bay of Honduras, and off
he coast of the Republic of Honduras,
Is under the sovereignty and as part of
said Republic of Honduras
Great Britain rejected this amendment,
lssigning as the only reason. that the rati-
ications Of the Convention on the 9th of
1856, between her and Honduras,
lad not been exchanged, owing to the
hesitation of that GogArnmeut." Had
his been done, 1t is stated that "Her
dajesty's Government would have had
difficulty in agreeing to the modi6-
,ation proposed by the Senate which then
would have had in effect the same siguii
alton as the original wording" Wheth-
Il this would have been the effect wheth-
II the mere circumstances of the exchange
f the notifications of the British Con-
with Honduras prior in point of
to the ratification of our treaty with
treat Britain would, Tin effect" have