M'arthur Democrat. (McArthur, Vinton County, Ohio) 1853-1865, 1858-12-23

lHlo pTOleCllOu may De WlLllufaWQ as
soon as local governments shall be es-
, tablished in those Mexican States, re-
straining the lawIess, and preserving
peace along the border.
| do not doubt that this measure
will be viewed in a friendly spirit by
the governments and people OF Chi
huahua and Sonora, as it will prove
, equally efectual for the protection OF
their citizens on that remote ard law
, less frontier, as for citizens Of the u
nited States.
And, in this connection, permit me
to recall your attention to the condi-
tiOn Of Arizona. The population OF
that Territory, numbering, as is al
legged, more than ten thousand souls,
are practically without a government,
without laws, and without any regu,
lar administration of justice. Murd,
Grand other crimes are committed with
impunity. This state of things calls
loudly for redress, and therefore re-
peat my recommendation for the es-
tablishment Of a territorial govern
ment over Arizona.
The political condition Of the mar
row isthmus of Central America thro'
which transit routes pass, between the
Atlantic and Pacific oceans, presents
a subject of deep interest to all com
mercial nations. 1t is over these tran
sits that a large proportion of the
trade and travel between the Europe
an and Asiatic continent, is destined
to pass. To the United States these
routes are Of incalculable Importance
as means of communication between
their Atlantic and Pacific possessions.
The latter now extend throughout sew
enteen degrees Of latitude on the Pa
cifc coast, embracing the important
State Of California and the flourish
ing Territories of Oregon and Wash
ington. All commercial nations,
therefore, have deep and direct in
teIest that these communications shall
be rendered secure from interruption.
If an arm Of the sea, connecting the
two oceans, penetrated through Mica
ragua and Costa Rica, it could not be
pretended that these States would
have the right to arrest or retard is
navigation, to the injury Of other na-
tions. The transit by land over this
narrow isthmus occupies nearly the
same position. 1t is a highway in
which they themselves have little in
terest, when compared with the vast
interest OF the rest of the world
Whilst their rights of sovereignty
ought to be respected, it is the duty of
other nations to require that this i'm
portant passage shall not be Interrupt
ted by the civil wars and revolutiona.
ry outbreaks which have so frequent.
! ly occurred in that region. The stake
is too important to be left at tue mer-
cy Of rival companies claiming to hold
conflicting contracts with Nicaragua.
The commerce Of other nations is not
to stand still and await the adjust
ment Of such petty controversies. The
Government of the United States ex.
pect no more than this, and they will
not be satisfied with less. They would
not, if they could, derive any advan.
tage from the Nicaragua transit not
common to the rest of the world. Its
neutrality and protection, for the com,
mon use Of all nations, il their only
object. They have no objection that
Nicaragua shall demand and receive
a fair compensation from the compa-
nies and individuals who may traverse
the route; but they insist that it shall
never hereafter be closed by an arbi-
trary decree of that Government. If
disputes arise between it and those
with whom they may have entered in
to contracts, these must be adjusted
by some fair tribunal provided for the
purpose, and the route must not be
closed pending tho controversy This
is our whole policy, and it cannot
fail to be acceptable to other nations.
All these difficulties might be avoid
cd, if, consistently with the good faith
of Nicaragua, the use of this transit
could be thrown open to general COM
petition; providing, at the same time,
for the payment OF reasonable rate
to the Nicaraguan Government on
passengers and freight.
In August, 1852, the Accessory
Transit Company made its first inter-
oceanic trip over the Nicaraguan
route, and continued in successful
operation, with great advantage to
the public, until the 18th February,
1855, when it was closed, and the
grant to this company, as well as its
charter, were summarily and srbitra,
rily revoked by the Government OF
President Rivas. Previous to this
date, however, in 1854, serious dis
putes concerning the settlement OF
their accounts had arisen between the
company and the government, threat
ening their interruption of the route
at any moment. These the United
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