The Council Bluffs nonpareil. [volume] (Council Bluffs [Iowa]) 1857-1867, 1857-12-26
COUNCIL SATURDAY, DECEMBER 1851

,ls. a. COUl
] But tAis ] ~, after long and nuch rs6ss
ten; # sxperiencs shall prove il to bs i'm.
possible 20 enjoy ths facilities which we'll,
regulated banks nisht aGord, without ct ths
sans tine saiEsrine the oalanity which th,
excsseee ct ths hanks have hitherto inflicted
= upon IL country, Il .would then bs far ths
lesser eyll to deprive thsn altogether. Of the
a power to issue paper, currency, and u
c0nfne them to the functions Of banks oi
4 deposit, and discount. a,, IS
4 fsreis. R.,.sisas. So @5 II
] Our relations With foreign governments
are, upon the whole, in satisfactory condi-
tion. ~
The diplomatic difficulties which existed
between the government OF the United
States and that Of Great Britain, ct the Cd
journmsnt Of the last Congress, have been
happily terminated BY the appointment Of .
British ministry to this country, who has
/ been cordially received.
] Whilst it % greatly to the interest, a.
am convinced It j. the sincere desire, Of the
governments and the people Of the two coun-
tries to be ON terms Of intimate frisndship
with each other, it has bsen our misfortune
almost always 70 have had some irritating, If
not dangerous, outstanding question With
Great Britain. @84
| THE CLAYTON AND BULwER TRIArY.
Since the origin of .ths Government We
have besn employed in negotiating the trea-
ties with that power, and afterwards in dis
cussing their true intent and meaning. In
this respect, the convention Of April 10, 1850,
commonly called tho Clayton and Bulwsr
treaty, has been the most unfortunate Of
all; because the two governments place di-
rectly opposite and contradictory construc-
tions upon ito first and most important arti-
Gle. Whilst, in the United States, We be-
lieved that this treaty would place both
powers upon IN exact equality by the stipu-
lation that neither will ever "occupy, or
fortify, or colonixe, or assume, or exercise
any dominion" over any part of Central
America, it il contended by the British Gov
ernment that the true construction of this
language has left them in the riehtful pos.
session of oil portions Of Central America
which was in their occupancy at the date of
the treaty; in fact, that the treaty 10 vir-
tual recognition on the part of the United
States Of the right of Great Britain, either
as owner or protector, to the whole exten.
sive coast Of Central America, sweeping
round from the Rio Hondo to tho port and
harbor of San Juan de Nicaragua, together
with the adjacent Bay Isands, except the
comparatively small portion of this between
the Sarstoons and Cape Honduras. a
According to their construction, the treaty
N han H.,
from extending their possessions into Gen.
trail America beyond tho present limits. 1t
is not too much to assert, that if in the Uni
ted States the treaty had been considered
susceptible of such construction, it never
would have been negotiated under the au-
thority Of the president, nor would it have
received the appreciation of the Senate
The universal conviction in the United States
was, that when our government consented
to violate its traditional and time honored
policy, and to stipulate with foreign gov
ernment never to occupy or to acquire ter
rltory IN the Central American portion of
our own continent, the consideration for
this sacrifice was that Great Britain should
in this respect at least be placed in the same
right to doubt the sincerity of the British
SOh0IuuSus III tuolE COuSlIuCtlOu OI tue
treaty, it is at the same time my deliberate
conviction that this construction is in op-
position both to its letter and its spirit.
Under the late administration, negotia-
tions were instituted between the two gov
ernmeuts for the purpose, if possible, Of
removing these difficulties; and treaty
having this laudable object in view was
signed at London on the 18th of October,
1856, and was submitted by the President
to the Senate On the following 10th Decem-
Der.
Whether this treaty, either in its original
or amended form, would have accomplished
the object intended without giving birth to
new and embarrassing complications be-
tween the two governments, may perhaps be
we'll questioned. Certain it is, however, it
was rendered much less Objectionable by
the different amendments made to it by the
Senate. The treaty, 40 amended, was rati-
fed by me on the 18th Of March, 1857, and
was transmitted to London for ratification
by the British government.
That government expressed its willingness
to concur in all the amendments made by the
Senate with the single exception of the
clause relating to Ruatan and the other ISL
ands in the Bay of Honduras. The article
in the original treaty, as Submitted to the
Senate, after reciting that these islands and
their inhabitants shaving been by con-
vention bearing date the 9th day Of August,
1856, between Her Britannia Majesty and
the Republic of Honduras, constituted and
declared a free territory under the sover-
eighty of the said republic of Honduras"
do hereby mutually engage to recognize and
A. svm all Cut khn ind
and right Of the said free territory % part
of the republic Of Hondurss.'
Upon an examination of this convention
between Great Britain and Honduras of the
9th August, 1856, it was found that, while
declaring the Bay Islands to be "fres ter
ritory under the sovereignty of the republic
of Honduras" it deprived that republic of
rights without which its sovereignty over
them would scarcely be said to exist. 1t d.
vided them from the remainder Of Honduras,
and gave to their inhabitants sepsrste gov
ernment of their own, with Legislative, exec
utive and Judicial officers, elected by them
selves. It deprived the government Of Hon
duras Of the taxing power in every form,
and exempted the people of tho islands from
the performance Of military duty except
for their own exclusive defence. It also
pfonlDlteO Inat repuDnc from erectlng 1Ortl-
fcations upon them for their protection
thus leaving them open to invasion from
any quarter; and finally, it provided ssthat
slavery shall not at any time hereafter be
permitted to exist therein"
Had Honduras ratified this convention,
she would have ratified the establishment of
state substantially Independent within her
own limits, and state at all times subject to
British influence and control. Moreover,
had the United States ratified the treaty with |
Great Britain in its original form, We should
have been bound ssto recognize and respect
in all future time'' these stipulations, to the
prejudice of Honduras. Being in direct
to the spirit and meaning of the
Clayton and Bulwer treaty ~ understood in |
the United States, the Senate rejected the
entire clause. and substituted in its stead
simple recognition Of the sovereign right of
Honduras to these islands in the following
language: "The two contracting parties do
hereby mutually engage to recogniso and
respect the islands Of Rustan, Bonaco, Util-j
Ia, Barbarretta, Helena, and Morat, situated
in the Bay Of Honduras, and of the coast of
the republic Of Honduras, - under the SOW
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