Bedford inquirer. [volume] (Bedford, Pa.) 1857-1884, 1858-12-17
BHDF0Rn INQUIRER


lle Nicara6 nan government. on passengers ard
freight
ln August, 1852, lbc Accessory Tronsit
Company made lis FIRST initraeesnic trip over
tue Nicaragua lou;e, and continued in success
ful operation, with great advantage tie public,
until the 18th February, 1896, whtn il was
closed, and the grant 10 tbs company, as we'll
as its charter, were snmnIarlly and arbitrarily
revoked by The governments OF President RI
vas. Previous to this date, however, iD 1854,
serious disputes concerning the settlement of
their accounts bad arisen between the company
aud the government, threatening the inlerrup
! tion OF the rontc at any momeni. These tue
/ United States IN vain ondeavored to compose.
| 1t would be useless TO nariate the various pro-
ceedings which took place between tie parties,
! up TO tile time when the transit was di contn
/ ed. Suffice il to say tha! since February, 1856.
| it has remained closed greatly to tie prejudice
| of citizens Of the United States. Since that
| time. the competition has ceased tctEccn the
1 rival routes Of Panama and Nicaragua, aud, in
! consequence thereof, ~ unjpst aud unreasona-
/ bic amount has been exacted fren our citizens
! for their passage to and from California.
| \ treaty was signed on the 10Th day of No
vonlber, 1897, By lLe Secretary Of State and
Minister or Nicaragua, uudcr tHc ssiI ulAtions
oi which the Use and protection of the transit
/ route wnuld have been secured, hot only 10 the
/ United States, but equally to all other uatons.
How aud on what rctexts this treaty las fail
cd to receive the r4tifi cation of the Ncaragu IN
/ government will appear by the papers herewith
communicated from the State Department.
The prime pal objection seems 20 have been, to
/ The provision authoI izing he United States TO
employ force to keep The route opeu, in case
Nicaragua should fail TO perfJrm her duty 10
this respect.
From the feeJlenrss Of HAT republic, It's fre
( qucut changes OF coreruncnf, aud lis constant
internal dissentious, this bad become most
important stipulation. and one essentially ne
ecssary, not only for be sccuriiy Of the route,
but for the safety Of American citizens passing
aud repaSSing 10 and from cur Pacific posses
sious. Were such stipulation embraced in
! treaty between the United States anl Nicara-
qua, the knowledge of this fact would Of i'self
most probably prevent hostile parties Fl ON
committing aggIessinns ON the route, and rem
dor our actual Interference for rs protcc ion
unnecessary
The executive government of this coru;ry,
in It's intercourse with foreign nations, is imiIed
to the employ mcnt Of diplomacy alone. When
tais fails, it can proceed no further. 1t cannot
iegitniately resort to force, without tie direct
authority If Congress, except in resisting and
repnlIing hostile attacks. 1t would have no
authority to enter he territories of Nicaragaa,
even to prevent the destruction Gt the trau>i,
aud protect the lives and property of our own
citizens on their passage. Ii IS true, ,ltat on
sudden emergency Il this character, he Pres
ident wouit direcf amy urued force ia tie Vi
cinity tc uilreh to their relief; but Ia doing
this he would act upon his own respUnsibi!
iy.
Under these circumstances, earnestly Icc-
ommend to Congress the passage OF an act
thoriziug tue President, rnder such restrictions
as they may deeul proper, to cnipibyf the land
aud naval forces OF the United States ia pre-
venting the transit from being cbsIrucied or
closed by lawless violence, and Ia protecting
the lives and property Of American citizens
travelling therenpon, requiring at the sam
time thdt these f0rces shall bo Withdrawn lhe
Dloment tac dapeer shall have passed away
Without such provision, our citizens VIII be
constantly exposed 20 Interruption i'll their pro-
gress, and to lawless violence.
/ \ similar necessity exists for the passage Of
such an act, for the protection Of the Panama
and Tebuantepec routes.
/ Ia reference to The Panama route, tie Uni
ted States, by their existing treaty with New
/ Granada, expressly guarantee the neutrality Of
the lsthmus, with the view thai the free tram
sit from the to the other sea may not be
! interrupted or embarrassed in any future time
while this treaty exists"
/ {Concluded next week
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