Columbia Democrat and Bloomsburg general advertiser. [volume] (Bloomsburg, Pa.) 1850-1866, 1857-12-19

i Wcll TcBulalcu DtHhs ulSHt ulloIu, WlJHuu1
at the same time suffering the c,lamities
which the excpsses Of the banks have hth-
erto inflicted upon the country, i, would
then be far the lesser evil to deprive them
altogether of the power 10 issue a paper
currency and con6ne them to the functions
of banks of disposite and discount.
Our relations with foreign governments
are, upon the whole, in satisfactory con-
dition.
The diplomatic difficulties which existed
between the government of the United
States and that of Great Britain at the
adjournment of the last Congress have been !
happily terminated by the appointment of |
British Minister to this country, who has
been cordially received
Whilst it is greatly to the interest, as
am convinced it is the sincere desire, of the =,
governments and people ofthe two countries
to be on terms of intimate friendship with
each other, it has been our misfortune al
most always to have had some irritating, if
not dangerous, outstanding question with
Great Britain.
Since tie origin of the government, we
have been employed in negotiating trea-
ties with that power, and afterwards in
discussing their true intent and meaning.
In this respect, the convention of April 10,
1850, commonly called the Clayton and
Bulver treaty, has been the most unfor-
tunate of all because the two government
place directly opposite and contradictory
constructions upon its first and most impor-
, tant article. Whilst, in the United States,
We believed that the treaty would place
{ both powers upon an exact equality by the
stipulation that neither will ever occupy,
or ooloDiZe, or assume OF exercise any
| dominion" over, any part of Central
. America, it is contended by tho British
. government that the true construction of
D this language has left them in the righful
possession of all that pprtion of Central
0 America which was in their occupancy at
f the date of the treaty; in fact, that the
C treaty is a virtual recognition on the part
It of the United States of the right Of Great
:, Britain, either as owner or protector, to
e the whole extensive coast of Central Amer
# ica, sweeping round from the Rio Hondo
C to the port and harbor OF San Juan dc
d Nicaragua together with the adjacent Bay
d Islands, except the comparatively small
n portion of this between the SarStoon and
IS Cape Honduras According to their con.
V structon, the treaty does no more than
&c simply prohibit them from extending their
Is possessions in Central America beyond
n their present limits. 1t is not too much
d to assert, that if in the United States the
IS treaty had been considered susceptible o!
- such construction, it never would have
to been negotiated under the authority of the
III Prcsiden', nor would it have received the
g. appreciation of the Senate. ,
of he universal conviction in the United
Iy States was, that when our governmen
Is consented to violate its traditional and
le time nonored policy, and to stipulatc witt
= foreign government never to occupy o.
x acquire territory i'll the Central American
n portion OF our own continent, the considera
of ton for this sacrifice was that Great Brit
a ain should in this respect at least b.
c. pltced in the same position with ourselves
t. Whilst we have no right to doubt tn
as sincerity of the British government in thci
he construction of the treaty, it is at the sam
time my deliberate conviction that thi
Id construction is in opposition both to it
ms letter and its spirit
u Under the late administration negotia
ct tions were instituted between the two gov
is ernments for the purpose, if possible, o
to removing these difficulties, and treat
is having this laudablc object in view wa
o. signed at London on the 18th October
he 1856, and was submitted by the Presiden
st to the Senate on the following 10th o
rs December. Whether this treaty, either i
y, its original or amended form, would hav
DIS accomplished the object intended withou
i Ill, nd sod
to complications between the two governments
may perhaps be well questioned. Certai
he it is, however, it was rendered much los
or Objectionable by the different amendment
If made to it by the Senate. The treaty, a
or amended, was ratified by mo on the l2t
he March, 1857, and was transmitted
ty, London for ratification by the BIRTHS
cy government. That government expresse
les its willingness to concur in all the amend
nd ments made by the Senate with the singl
ir- exception of the clause relating to Ruata
'ill and the other islands in the Bay of Hon
mt, duras. The article in the original treaty
ent as submitted to the Senate, after recitin
on, that these islands and their inhabitant
Ire shaving been by convention bearing dat
the 9th day of August, S5G, between h(
he Britannia Majesty and the Republic {
an. Honduras, constituted and declared fre
II. territory under the sovereignty of the sal
1ly Republic of Honduras" stipulated tn;
ald "the two contracting parties do hereb
of mutually engage to recognize and respec
of in all future time, the independence an
vii rights of the said free territory as part
ion the Republic Of Honduras"
les Upon an examination of this conventc
lty between Great Britain and Honduras
the eth August, 1856, it was found tha
la. whilst declaring the Bay Islands to be
ith free territory under the sovereignty of Il
not republic of Honduras it deprived tn
out republic of rights without which its sovd
If eighty over them could scarcely be said
ate exist, 1t divided them from the remainn
~. of Honduras and paYe 10 their inhahitae