The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1861-01-12

4 rne ,-snd OF !" the CcntraI American I'm
/ rrc~, so"-San Juan dc Nicaragua .
I Free R' rt.
| Enarosa.l with exciting and absorbing
| eveuts at no ne, the press and people of the
| Un;,ad States M We lost sight of most Of those
ouestiops of fore< On policy in which they have
b;tbar,o ta,,~n an active interest. For ten
veara tho afsas Of Central America British
aypreasions. SIM Juass seizures, Mosquito pro-
tectorates, transit sanabfA . and hibuster raids,
not only occupied slargs share OF public at
| tention. leading articles n newspapers ana
diplomatic correspondence, but actually seve-
raj times brought us to lie vn J verge OF war
with Great Britain. Probably ) ONE Of US re-
member how nearly we same / o COLLISION
OR the island of Tigre; how Bit 'sn cruisers
c~hpelled the Prometheus to pay b rbor dues
to the King of Mosquito, ard hos Captain
jolly, of her Majestys steamer Benn ida, in
formed Captain Hollins, Of the United States
frigate Cyane, that he regretted yhe snsA 'lnesa
of his force did not enable him TO- blos the
impudent Yankee out of water for PERFORM ug
the heroic feat of burning GreysOwn. We
may venture to say that there are iHA
living who once heard of the Clayton.B,ig-
wer treaty; and it is reported that several
cords of official correspondence as to tie true
construction of that instrument are stored
away in the Department of State, where, we
fear, they run imminent risk of being burned
or otherwise destroyed by the Visigoths of Ac-
comac, under the lead of Alaric Wise, when
they make their descent on the capital. Where
now are Chatfeld and Squier, those doughty
champions of their respective nationalities, who
first made Central America famous and ia
miliarized the world with the name of Mica
| caraguas And where Borland, whose i'm
maculatc nose, brought in violent contact with
a flying junk bottle, led to the bombardment Of
San Juans Where the bibulous array of re-
representatives. who followed these pioneers of
diplomacy in Isthmian wildss Even Sir Will
liam Gore Ouseley is forgotten, and there il
doubt if even Dimtry is not historical myth.
But, seriously, SO rapid is the march Of
events, the human kaleidoscope changes SO
often and quickly, that the most important re-
suits, in their attainment, are frequently over
looked or unappreciated. When Great Britain
took possession of San Juan and the Island Of
Tigre, colonized Ruatan and set up the Mos
quito Protectorate, she no doubt intended
hold the toll-gate between the two oceans. Her
policy in this respect was traditional, for the
measure had been contemplated for more than
century Its Development was precipitated by
the acquisition Of California on the part of the
United States, which first made the question Of
interoceanic communication practical one to
the American people. Up to l849 the United
States had taken no interest whatever in that
portion of our continent. It's resources were
unknown and its trade was in other hands.
So profound was our. apathy, that the protests
Of Nicaragua against the seizure of San Juan,
in 1S4S, and the earnest appeal of the govern
ment of that country to our own for moral
aid in support Of its rights, were allowed to
pass without the poor courtesy of an acknow-
ledgment. But, as we have said, as soon as the
question of easy oommuAication with CalifOr-
mia was forced on pubic attention and became
one of practical interest, then tho United
States woke up to the nature of British aggres-
sions on Nicaragsa. 1t was at once seen that
our interests in the Pacific, multiplied beyond
all anticipation by the discovery of gold.
route of communication between the oceans
should be open and free And we aroused to
the fact to find their portals held by powerful
and not over scrupulous rival.
To reopen these routes and break down the
pretensions under which they had been seized
and obstructed obviously became leading,
not to Say vital, measure Of American policy.
General Taylor comprehended the necessities
Of the case, and the very first diplo-
matte appointment which he made was that
of Mr.. Squier to Nicaragua, with strin-
gent instructions to thwart British designs and
secure American interests. How well the bat
tie was opened every one at all acquainted
with Central American affairs must remember.
Mr. Squier found the port of San Juan held by
British force, and measures on foot to occupy
the commanding Bay Of Fonseca on the Pacific
side, thus securing the absolute control Of the
Is hmus in English hands The Mosquito king
dom and the Mosquito Protectorate were only
the stalking horses of this deep design. The
attempt on the Bay Of Fonseca was fortunately
forestalled by the cession of the island Of tt
gre, commanding it, to the United States. And
then came the analysis of British pretensions
on the Mosquito shore, in which the United
States and its representatives planted them
selves firmly by the side of the Central Ameri-
can States in support of their territorial rights
1t is not our purpose, however, to trace the
history of the diplomatic contest which ensued.
1t was the most protracted of any in which
the country was ever engaged, and was carried
on up to 1856 with extraordinary zeal on both
sides. 1t then came to q dead lock, both Eng
land and the United States having committed
themselves to perfectly irrcconcileable decla-
rations, from which neither could with honor
recedc The only mode Of resolving the issue
seemed TO be through the ultimate one OF
force. And here there was pause, alike