The Washington union. [volume] (City of Washington [D.C.]) 1857-1859, 1859-01-08
OPINIONS OF TIRE FRENCH AND ENGLISH
PRESS.
From the Courier de Paris, Dec. I4l


The latest from the United States announcing that
the government ut Washington had taken into serious
consideration the energetic representations of France and
England and had decided to put stop to the expedition
Of Walker gives only incomplete security to the
fate of Nicaragua That bold adventurer (Waker) has
shown that of need he is able to deceive the
PLEASANT watch (surveilance of the American police
and should not be surprised to learn by subsequent
dispatches that he has succeeded in leaving Mobile Mr.
Buchanans administration Will not be embarrassed in
proving that it has this occasion used all the al
lowed it by the constitution to prevent the guilty enter
prise, and would thus shelter its responsibility towards
the two great European powers. A tt fe4
But admitting that the government of the Union
sincerely wishes to keep its engagements and that it
ceeds in preventing the sailing of the bustes the fears
conceived about Nicaragua and the other small States Of
Central America will remain the One caunot deny
that the schemes of Walker inspire lively and almost
unanimous sympathy beyond the Atlantic where they do
not much about what constitutes old international
laws The federal government ITSELF by Its neglect to
punish the ibuse rather by its evident connivance
with them, has fully shown how 1t looks upon them II
now II resolves oppose them it Isl believe because
# the firm attitude of the Paris and London cabinets lit
ocs not consider it prudent to do otherwise But
would be wrong to expect from the former President Of
the Ostend Congress greater zeal than he has hitherto
shown this question.
Besides there, than any other point of the
American continent the policy of annexation s
sity for the United States The discovery Of gold in Cal
ifonia renders deJuchf for them the Pacific coast
Indispensable 1t is longer sufficient for them to OBJ
tain it, they have done hitherto with the lands in the
West simply by improving them. They ought, at every
sacrifice and with little delay, to establish and easy
communications between the State and the rest Of
the Union Thus, they should relinquish the pick
axe of the pioneer and the Ratchet of the woodsman
their ordinary instruments of conquest to take in their
stead the dangerous perhaps but expeditions mode OF
coup de aG w sarst a lit 4tat.
Europe meanwhile cannot tolerate the scmbance of
such enterprise The considerations which led them
to undertake the war in the East exist here with equal
force and they sustained by motives of general inter
est which there would be danger in forgetting. BY her
situation Central America is destined to become the point
of the concentration Of the OF the world and
to let the United Stcs take possession of it would be to
yield to them the monopoly of the future transactions be
tween Europe and the entire Orient
On the other hand ought France and England TO de-
termne upon keeping themselves in those laudcs forces
sufficient to oppose every act of piracy That step would
create ncessant of conflict and thus render the
maintenance OF peace always prccarious. What 1t II
necessary to do then to strengthen the little States,
to show them how to protect themselves by themselves
1t has been said for days past there Is project for
mixed monarchy for the Island of Cuba and that OF
Porto Rico which would give to those possessions an IN
dependent existence, nationality of which they have
always been deprived 1t Is possible also, that in the
near future Mexico alas for her internal commissions
will become calm she can then follow their exam
Pile and intimate alliance between the three Kingdoms
would suffice to protect them against the aggressons of
their powerful neighbors This plants said to be rrcsst
ibe and Spain, the first who has taken the Initiative
would not hesitate moment 10 put III IN
haps for herself it is not TO be regretted for she does not
at present succeed in maintaining her dominion over
Cuba by example, but has to aid it by display of force
which renders that rich colony burdensome charge upon
the mother country.
There has been question, likewise, bun with more
foundation 1t appears confederation between the
diverse States of Central America and it is also added
that the Presidents oil those five republics ought to
sembc in Congress at Guatemala, at the end OF this
month"; for the purpose of laying the bases OF that union
France boldly encourages that combination, and will
even name delegate to assist at the conference.
We make these observations since obstacle appears
to hinder the realization of this idea Those States ought
cast aside all rivalry, and remember that their sa
ton only makes them feeble and leaves them without
defence against the attempts OF invasion by the United
St,tes 1t is only by contracting among themselves
confederation upon liberal and sincere bases that they
will preserve their Independence and arrive to the degree
of prosperity which the future promises them.
Under the influence Of grand international move
ment which plans tor itself each day, important roe
Il reserved in reality Central America The centre Of
the world from the point of geographical view it seems
that ought be day the centre of the
OF the Orient and Occident The space which she
pics compared to the vast continents which she
neos is relatively exceedingly small being only $4,000
miles square, t75,00o kilometres. Her population
does not exceed altogether two millions of inhabitants
who divided between The States follows Guate-
mala 1856 900 San salvador 3ai 900 Honduras $50,
600 Nicaragua, 800, 900; Costa Rca, 125, 900.
That is only average of thirteen inhabitants for four
square Kilometres and IL ii is remembered that France
which far from being the country least populous IN
Europe in IL sixty eight, will he struck with
the smancss OF that proportion But the vicious and
acnoralaing syste of Spanish colonization and the
arcy which has regncd there for long time since their