The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1857-08-14

'IDAY, AUGUST IL 1857.
ne Gf~snt bs~ts 0~estao~s-Pelicy % arsat
Britain In Csnsecsasn Win SAsA.
Whilst the dangers menscing the sway Of Great
Britain In Hindostan constitute at present the
sll-absorbing features of The news received from
Europe, there are questions pressing upon our at
tension at home which have an indirect bearing
upon British interests IN the Eas, and which will
soon call for decision at our handa II is well
known that the prevailing motive of the tenscity
with which the English chung to the possessions
which they had wrongfully acquired in
Central America, and of the secret aid
and countenance which they afforded to
Gotta Rica In its struggle against Walker,
was the desire to prevent a monopoly of
the Transit routes by the United States, or by
any other government likely to prove hostile to
their interests Great Britain has always looked
upon these routes as the future highways to her
Pacific trade end her territories in the East She
has never forgotten the apprehensons with which
Napoleon's invasion of Egypt once inspired her,
snd Lord Palmerstons frank declaration of the
canalizatioo project afford additional evil
dence of the uncertainty with which
she regards the prospective tenure of her
present route to her Indian possessions
She feels, and has always felt that violent dis
tuybance Of the political relations of the Euro
pesn Powers might at any moment disposses her
Of this route; and, provdent as she generally is,
the seeks to guard against the embarrassment
that such an event might occasion her, by secur-
ing, if not the exclusive possession Of at least
joint control over, the Isthmus communication
between the Atlantic and the Pacific. How hard
she struggled for the former it is unnecessary for
us now to repeat 1t sufices to say that unable
to obtain what she originally coveted, she now
contents herself with the next best thing to it
the joint enjoyment with other governments of
the advantages secured by the Honduras treaty.
In becoming a party to that arrangement,
England virtually acknowledged q principle
which not only settled the most pressing of her
existing difficulties with us, but which, serving as
precedent for her future course in regard to the
other Isthmus routes WILL if she has the wisdom
to act upon it, contribute an important source of
strength to her in the present arduous crisis other
affairs.
Let US Just examine for q moment how
these Isthmus questions stand, and it will become
apparent that the course that we have indicated
is the only wise one for her to pursue
BY the last advices from New Granada, we
learn that the government at Bogota have en-
deavored to evade the difficulties in which they
IA Yr;&o =
the Isthmus route, by the appointment of General
Mosquera as Intendant General of the Province
of Panama, with full powers to protect the
Transit line, irrespective of and free from the
jurisdiction of the local authorities This would
be all very well as feature of comprehensive
and stringent treaty, but standing by itself it
holds out no security for the future. General
Mosquera, o patriotic and high spirited man,
will no doubt do his best to fulfil the objects of
his commission; but after a few months exercise
of his powers he may be called to some higher
Office, or displaced by the caprice Of the su-
preme government. We therefore look upon
this appointment simply as an effort to compro-
nire an issue which viii have to be decided on
broader principles Of expediency than those which
Granada administration
The Nicaragua Transit question stands in q
similar unsatisfactory position. The Costa Rican
government have made grant of the route to
Mesrs. Webster and Harris and this grant has been
ratified by the Nicaraguan dictators, Martinez
and Jerez. Bat as it unfortunately happens that
the present government of Nicaragua is usurp-
ing one, and not recognised BY the great body of
the people, ii follows that the grant is only worth
60 much waste paper. So far as that republic is
concerned.
But admitting, for arguments sake, that these
arrangements are legitimate so far as the Central
American governments are concerned, are they
of sufficiently secure and permanent character
to satisfy the other nations whose interests are in
volved in these questionsY Will the United
States and Great Britain, for instance, be satisfied
TO trust the protection Of their commerce to the
guarantee of governments which cannot count on
their own permanence for a single dayf With
nations possessing stable ideas and whose As6-
buttons are based on fixed principles of policy,
such an arrangement might be possible but it is
not TO be thought Of for moment in connection
with the Spanish-American populations
As an example Of the absurdity Of trusting to
the ability of the South American governments
To fulfil their own contracts, we have only to
point to the case of Peru. General vivanco,
who recently revolted against the authority Of
the supreme government, has taken forcible pos
session of the Chincha islands, and sells guAno to
all who will pay him his price. The government,
unable to perform their contracts with the foreign
shippers, appeal 10 the English and French Mi
listers for aid. A convention is drawn up, by
which it Is stipulated thar the latter shall protect
the rights of the government The treaty Is
sent TO England for approval, but Lord Palmer