The daily exchange. [volume] (Baltimore, Md.) 1858-1861, 1858-05-10

which all Spanish American Republics are afflicted
Under these circumstances, public attention was
called to the revival of project not new, indeed
but as old almost as the days of Columbus, and of
that bold Spaniard, who first
with eagle eyes
stared at the Pacific
Silent upon peak in Darien.
We refer to the project of an inter-oceanic canal
which should unite the waters of the Atlantic and
Pacific Oceans and open an easy thoroughfare for
trade and travel between our Atlantic and Pacific
States. An American company was formed for
the purpose of constructing such a canal, and
charter was obtained from the Republic of Ncara-
qua, and perhaps had no new obstacle been inter-
posed, by this time, the great work would have
been accomplished, at all events its feasibility
would have been put to the test of actual expert
ment An obstacle, however, was interposed by
England who denied the claim of Nicaragua to
an unbroken sovereignty over the whole route of
the proposed canal and set up in opposition the
rival preensions of the Mosquito Kingdom, over
whose interests she claimed TO have exercised q
protectorate, for nearly two hundred years.
A few words will suffice to explain the char
acter of the pseudo-royalty of the Mosquito
King and of the English protectorate over the
ago. a ship freighted with a cargo of African
slaves, and bound for Jamaica, we believe driven
out of its course by stress of weather. was wrecked
upon what is now called the Mosquito coast then
peopled only by few Caribs who had fed thither
from the islands of the Gulf, to escape from the
crueties of the Spaniards. The ship went to pie
ces but her human freight was saved, and from
the admixture of Carb with African blood has
sprung the present race of Mosco Indians, the most
degraded, perhaps of the inhabitants of the CONT
nent. The keys which line the Mosco coast subse-
quenty became a favorite resort for English Buc-
cancers, and hence originated an intimacy between
the English and the Mosco Indians which has
subsisted to the present day. During the frequent
wars between England and Spain, the former from
motives of policy thought proper to treat the Mosco
Indians as an Independent people, and by way of
giving color to the idea, at different times,
crowned in Jamaica, with great solemnity
sundry miserable savages, by the title of King
of the Mosquitoes. During the intervals of peace
however, and whenever treaties came to be
negotiated between England and Spain, the former
POS-
session of any sovereignty over the Mosquito coast
exclusive jurisdiction over which was claimed by
Span by right of discovery and of conquest
After the revolution, the rights of Spain of course
descended to the colonies, now independent
Republics, of Central America According to
American, and even English doctrines as uniform
y acted upon in this country, the idea of any right
of eminent domain remaining in the native Indians
after the discovery and appropriation of their
country by the Spaniards is wholly untenable
Still more unfounded, if possible, is the claim of
sovereignty set up on behalf of parcel of wretched
savages, of Carib or African origin, thrown by
accident upon the Mosquito coast, subsequent to
its actual appropriation when in desert and I'M
inhabited state, by the Spanish discoveries The
Mosquito Kingdom is therefore mere fiction, and
equally so is the English protectorate The only
title to the Mosquito coast, which we can recognize
OR from which any subsequent title can be lawfully
derived, is the old Spanish title now surviving
in the Republic of Nicaragua. Costa Rica, it is
true, puts forward claims adverse to those of Mica
ragua, but as it is a mere dispute about colonial
boundaries, this fact does not affect the question as
between England and ourselves. Thus stands the
however, it was deemed best to endeavor to recon-
cle the differences growing out of the rival preten-
sons of England and the United States, by treaty.
With this view, the Clayton-Bulwer treaty was
negotiated and ratified the two great Powers agree
ing to guarantee against all the world the neutra-
ty of the lnter-oceanic Canal and proposing that its
two termini, San Juan del Norte and San Juan del
Sur should be made Free Cities like those of the an
Gent Hanseatic League. The objects sought to be
attained by this treaty were noble and exalted, and
the whole instrument was conceived in spirit of
generous concession and compromise. Without
discussing how far some of its Objects particularly
as relates to the creation of free Hanse-Towns at
San Juan del Norte and San Juan del Sur are
either practicable desirable it is enough for us
that it is treaty, solemnly and formally entered
into on both sides, and that the only question
which remains is whether its stpulations have been
kept in good faith Mr.. Clingman charges that
they have not, and cites the continued possession
of Ruatan and the Bay Islands by Great Britain,
as a fragrant violation of her agreement to
abandon the Mosquito Coast. Apart from
the fact that the immediate recall of Mr. CHATFIELD
from Central America where he had been British
munster lor eighteen years. and had proved sore
morn IN the side of American diplomacy and the
removal OF the Mosquito King from San Juan del
Norte called by the English Greytown, constitute
strong presumption in favor of English good
faith, 1t has probably escaped the attention of Mr.
CLINGMAN, that Ruatan and the Bay Islands are no
part OF the Mosquito coast but are dependencies of
Belize, and with Belize properly and geographical
ly belong to Honduras. Neither is the ENGLISH fl
tie to them derived from the Mosquito King nor 10
ii in the nature of protectorate. England acquired
these islands by the title by which she holds Ja
maica and the hundred otherisands and slets which
are marked red upon map of the West Indies and
the Caribbean Sea. She won them by the sword.
More than a hundred years ago, Admiral Vernon
captured Ruatan for her. from the Spaniard, and it