Republican vindicator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1849-1857, 1857-12-12

ing round from the Rio IIando TO the port and
harbor of San Juan de Nicaragua, together vii !,
the adj AGENT Bay Islands, except the compara-
lively small port'en Of this between the ~Sais
toon and Cape Honduras. According to their
construction, the treaty does no more than simply
prohibit them from extending their possessions
in Central America beyond the present limits.
1t is not too much to assert, that il ins.csl M
tedStates the treaty had been considered s:<ce =
tible OF such Il construction, it never would have
been negotiated under the authority of the Pres.
ident, nor would 1t have received the agfrci 4
ltien OF the Senate. The universal cenvic. ION ~
fthes UEitedsStates was, tliat when our govern
ment consented to violate its traditional aud
Iime-honored policy, and to stipulate Will. Tor
eign government never to occupy or acquire ter
ritory in the Central American portion Of our
own continent, the consideration for this sacr
fee was that Great Britain shsald, in this res.
pect at least, be placed in the same pesitionwfth
ourselves Whilst we have no right to doubt
the sincerity of the British government in their
construction of the treay,it is ct the -6aiie time
my deliberate conviction that this construction
is in opposition both to its letter and it. spitit
Uude- the late administration negotiations
were instituted between the twc+governu rnts
for the purpose, if possible, of removing tfese
difficulties; and treaty having this laudahlt Oh
ject in view was signed at London on the l7th
ident TO the Senate en- the following 10th OF De-
ceinber Whether this treaty, either III its nrir-
inal or amended ferm would have accomp bed
the object intended without giving birth b 10
and embarrassing complications betwetu the
two governments may perhaps be well qlest On
ed. Certain it is, however, it was rendered a4ueh
less Objectionable by the different amendments
made TO it by the Senate The treaty, as aus I'd
ed, was ratified by me on the 18th OF -M.rcl,
1857, and was transmitted to London for fa,iti-
cation by the British government. That 2rv
eminent expressed its willingness to concur IL
all the amendments made by theeSenhte with he
single exception of the clause relating to Ruatal
and the other islands in tie Bay of Honduras
The article in the original treaty, as submitted
to the Senate, after recitng that these Islands and
their Inhabitants, "having been by Il convention
bearing date the 27th day Of August, 1856, he
tween her Britannia Majesty and the republic al
Honduras, constituted aud declared free ter
ritory under the sovereignty of the said reprb
lie of Honduras, STIMULATING that "the two con
.racting parties do hereby mutually engage Ia
recognise and respect in al future time the Jude
pendence AID rights OF the said free territory n
"a part of the republic of Honduras
I Upon an examination OF this convention he
tween Great Britain and Honduras the 18th Of
August, 1856, it was found that, whilst declar
irg the Bay Islands to be "a free territory under
etle sovereignty of the republic of Honduras, it
deprived that republic ofrights without which it,
sovereignty could scarcely be said TO exist. It d
vided them from the remainder of Hondtras,
and gave to their Inhabitants a separate govern
ment of their own, with legislative, executive,
end judicial officers, elected by themselves II
deprived the governmentof Honduras of the tax
ing power in cvery form, and exempted thesreo-
pie of the islands from the performance al aa,i-
tary duty except for their OWN exolusYedcttuce.
1t also prohibited that republic from erecting
Notifications upon them for their protection
tins leaving them open to invasion from any
quarter, and, finally, it provided "that slavery
shall not any tine hereafter lie permitted 70 1T
exist therein"
Had Honduras ratified this convention. she
woald have ratified the establishment of n Site
substantially Independent within her own liin,'@,
and State at all times subject to British ititu
enee and control. Moreover had the United
States ratified the treaty with Great Britain III
its original form, we should have been tealpd
ITO recognise and respect IL oil future time
these stipulations to the prejudice of Honduras.
Seing in direct opposition to the spirit and mean
ing Of the Clayton and Iaelwer treaty as u0Ar
stood in the nited states, t3o Senate rejected
the entire clause, and substituted in its stead
simple recognition Of the sovereign right of Hon
duras to these islands intheaolloTfing language
j "The two contracting parties do hereby in,llu-
ally engage to recognize and respect the Islands
of Ruatan, Bonaee, ltila, Bartaretta, Helena
and Morat, situate in the Bay Of Honduras, and
oil the coast of the republic of Honduras az ~
der the sovereignty and as part of the sa,d re
public OF Honduras
Great Britain rejected this ,aNendrat, g,
signing Us the only reason, that the raiifr4fien5
Of the convention of the 27th August 1856 ne,
tween her and Honduras, had net been 'zes
chm ns,-i,s tf4 bn-.tc 81 tf,c,
ineat.' Had this been done, it is stated thst
"her Ma5esty's government would have had ii-
tie difficulty in agreeing to the modification rru
posed by the Senate, which then woui lelve
had in effect the same Specification as tho or
gnal wording" Whether this would have bpcn
the effect, whether tie mere circumstance ofihe
exchange OF the ratiaeations Of the British c"n.
vention with Honduras prior in point of tir.e 70
the ratification of onr treaty with Great Britain
would, "n effect" have had "the same .i,nilica
ton as the original wording end thus have
nulliied the amendment of the Senate may wel
be doubted. 1t is, perhaps, fortunate that Die
question has never arisen.
I Tho British government, Immediately IT r 70
.jected the treaty as amended, proposed ter
into a new treaty with the United State, al:ui.
lar in all respects to the treaty which ;hev s.d
just refused to ratify, if the United States would
consent tosadd to the Senate's clear ami aneouat
fed recognition 81 tsle sovereignty or ttph5ttfaS
over the Bay Islands the following conditional
stipulation; ,"NhefeYer and so soon =, the re.
EPsbio of Honduras shall have conclndel and
ratised treaty with Great Britain, l., which
Great Britain shall have ceGed, and the republic
of Honduras shall have accepted, the said slands,
subject to the provision and conditions cuuian-
cd in such treaty
The proposition was, of course, rejected. AZ
ter the Senate had refused to recognise the Bat
ish convention with Honduras et the 27th Au.
gust, 1856, with fall knowledge of its eonteuts,
it was impossible for me, necessarily ignorant OF
1.-The provisions and coalitions" which might he
contained in e fntare convention between the
sane parties, to sanction tAon, in advance
che fact is that when two nations like Great
Britain and the United States, mutually DESTROYS,
as they are, and trust ever may he, OF nantsg-
ing the most friendly relations with each other
have unfortunately concluded 2 treaty which
they understand in senses directly opposite, the
wsest course is to abregate such q treaty by
mutua. consent, and to commence snesY. Had
this been done promptly, ell difficulties in Cen
trail America would lsost probably ere this have
been adjusted to the satisfaction of both parties.
The time spent in discussing tie meaning of the
Clayton and Bulwer treaty would have been dc
voted to this Trustworthy purpose, and the task