The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1859-05-07
Our Relations with New Granada.

for when the war commences 1t will not be easy
to fix the date of its concl usi0n.
Our Relations with New Granada
Our new Minister to Bogota General George
Wallace Jones, sails to-day for Carthagena. His
departure will be hailed with satisfaction, as it
is time that the questions pending between the
two governments should be brought to con-
clusion. New Granada is one Of the few, 10
fact we may say the only one, of tho neighboring
republics which has shown itself uniformly
frank and cordial in its conduct towards this
country, and it is therefore important that our
relations with it should no longer be exposed to
the chances Of misunderstanding.
The selection of General Jones for this mission
will, we believe, 60 far to effect the objects that
we have had in view in our negotiations with the
New Granada government. He is said to be
man of considerable natural ability, of highly
cultivated intellect, and Of long political expe
rience. Although not prominent in Congress as
a speaker, he distinguished himself in the com
mittees by his business habits and readiness
resources. He has served the country in va
rious capacities, having been aide-de camp to
General Henry Dodge in the Blackhawk war;
then successfully Judge of the Superior Court
of Wisconsin, delegate. to Congress from
that Territory, Surveyor General Of Iowa,
and, finally, United States Senator, his term
expiring in March last. In his personal ap-
pearance and manners General Jones is just
the man to make q favorable impression upos
the people Of New Granada. He is of a fine,
commanding presence, with dark complexion,
and almost Spanish cast of features He has
frank, winning way of expressing himsel', indi
catiye Of sincerity and good faith, which cannot
fail to prove eminently useful to him in his mic
sion. With the conviction which prevails
amongst the New Granada statesmen that we
mean to deal fairly by them, the presence of a
of this stamp Is all that seems to
be required to establish the closest friendship be-
tween the two countries.
~ ~" objects covered nv r~~"-~'
.---.~J "S"0A"'
Jones, instructions may be clecr's %nu ss 49,
We will briefly recapitulate them - Wv wv
yent!cn en ecu INTO between Generals Herran
and Cass, on the part of their respective govern.
States citizens against New Granada, it will be
recollected that clause was inserted ceding to
us the right Of purchasing from private owners,
and occupying for term ofyears, apiece of land
for coal depot on the Pacific side of the Pa
mama isthmus. When the treaty was presented
to the Congress of New Granada, the cession of
this coal depot was rejected, and certain verbal
alterations were made respecting the claims that
were to be presented and paid. In this modified
form the treaty passed the New Granada Senate,
and on its return here was accepted by our Sc
nate with one or two verbal alterations in rela-
ton to the claims In this modified shape the
treaty is now being taken out by our Minister,
and will have to be again submitted to the New
Granada Congress.
Besides the points embraced in this conven
ton, which can only be regarded in the light of
a temporary one for the settlement of claims,
there are other questions remaining open be-
tween the two governments which will have to
be made the subject of separate negotiations
We formerly, for instance, had postal treaty
with New Granada, under which our domestic
mails to California and the government mails to
our squadron in the Pacific were, under certain
conditions, transported across the Isthmus Of Pa
mama. This postal convention expired by limi
tation two years ago, and there is a
difference between the two governments
as to the precise terms on which the mail transit
shall be again conceded. The mails are, by the
consent Of the New Granada government pass
ing in closed bags, without the Intervention of
the local Post Offices, until some arrangement
can be eHected-a fact which speaks highly for
the liberal spirit by which 1t is actuated.
There is another question, known as the ton
mage question, pending between the two coun-
tries, and which involves the right of New
Granada to collect tonnage dues on vessels ar
irving at AspinwalL The New Granada govern
ment has, with the same fairness which it ex-
hibited in regard to the mails, allowed our
vessels to enter that port without exacting the
tonnage dues, leaving, of course, the question to
be settled by future convention.
1t will be seen, from what we have stated,
that the negotiations entrusted to Gen. Jones
are not Of so complicated or difficult a character
as to justify doubt Of their favorable termina-
ton. If our new Minister only possessed half
the capacity attributed to him, we should still
be sanguine as to their success.
THE CENTRE OF OUR CIvIIIzATIoN-THE TELE-
GRAPH AND THE DAILY PREss-The enterprise
and energy Of the New York daily press is ra.
pidly tending to make this metropolis the great
point of Capitalization for the enterprise of the
entire continent-the centre from which radiates
most Of what constitutes the prosperity and glory
ofthe country and to which it is directed, as the
threads which comprise the SPIDERS web all