New-York daily tribune. [volume] (New-York [N.Y.]) 1842-1866, 1860-04-21
CENTRAL AMERICA.


The affairs Of Central America, which have SO
long been bone Of contention between our Gov
eminent and that of Great Britain, seem now at
last to approach settlement, so far at least, as
| diplomatic arrangements can go. The Clayton
Buwer treaty stipulated, as our readers will recol-
| lect that neither the United States nor Great
Britain should colonze or hold any part of the Cen
trail American territory. But as to the true intent
and meaning of that treaty dispute speedily arose
| between the two Governments. The British main
tanned that it looked merely to the future-that it
was not intended to stipuiste the abandonment OF
any rights which they had anciently possessed, but
only to provide against any attemp, 70 occupy ne"
territory According to this view, neither the Brit
ish occupancy of the territory of the Bah2e the
protectOrate which they claimed over the Mos
quito Indians, nor their occupation of the
Bay Islands, all of which were topics OF dis
pute on their part with one or other of the
States Of Central America, were embraced within
the puryiew of the Clayton-Buwer treaty.
We on the other hand insisted that the relinqush-
ment of all territorial claims on the part OF the
British was embraced in the stipulation, and was
the consideration of our consent to it. Though the
British have not conceded the full extent OF this
demand upon our part, they have done so to an
extent with which the Government at Washington
have concluded to be satisfied. They retain their
ancient settlement of the Balize, with boundaries
regulated by recent treaty with Gustemsla,
while BY two other treaties-one with Nicaragua,
and the other with Honduras-they have relin-
pushed the Mosquito protectOrate and their pos
session of the Bay Islands.
Meanwhile, our own treaty with Nicaragua, pro-
yiding for transit route across the Isthmus, is,
according to the last accounts from Washington
likely to be ratified with some amendments to be
suggested by the Republican Senators, which shall
deprive the President of the power, under pretenso
of guarding the transit Ofpungng the country into
war without the consent of Congress.
The inhabitants of Central America seem to be
ENJOYING at this moment an unusual degree of peace
and prosperity Walkers ilibuster invasion of the
country, though attended by great local and indi-
yidual suffering, seems to have taught the inhabit
ants good lesson on the subject of internal jars and
civil wars. The rapid extension of the coffee cult
walton has opened new mine of wealth, to which
the more enterprising of the inhabitants are busily
applying themselves. The fhbuster invasion does
not seem to have left behind it that hatred and dis
trust of Americans which might naturally have been
expected, and citizens Of the United States are
likely to fud as the rewards of legitimate industry
and business much richer and more permanent re-
turns than Walker and his followers were able to
secure by rapine and plumber. 1t remains to be
seen whether the ratification of the Niearaguan
treaty. should it take place. will be followed by the
reopening of the transit route, the closing of which,
and the monopoly thereby put in the hands of the
Panama Railroad, still remains as the chief result,
not so much of Walkers illibuster invasion, as Of
the conspiracy between Walker aud its managers
to take military possession Of Nicaragua.