The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1884-12-22

A Resume of Previous Attempts to Garry
Cut the Same Scheme.
Washington Special.
The Nicaraguan treaty is by far fine most i'm
portant measure of that character pending be-
fore the national Congress. The treaty
ctuded between Secretary of State Frelinghuy
sen and Special Envoy joaquin Lavala, the re
spective plenipotentiaries of the United States
and the Republic of Nicaragua, is briefly this:
The United States undertakes to construct q ship
canal to begin at the port of San Juan de Mica
ragua, or Greytown, and to intersect the
San Juan river above the Rio Colo
RADIO, and thence by the river San Juan
to Lake Nicaragua and across that
lake to the mouth of the River Del Medic and
thence to the Pacific ocean at the harber of
Brito The details of consideration, land grants,
tolls, ownership and control are already subjects
of general discussion. With the history of this
important treaty the public is not so familiar,
however. Before Great,B1itain had recognized
the Independence Of the United States she had
made attempts to seize and hold a canal route
by the way of the San Juan river and Lake
Nicaragua In l779and 1850 Colonies Hodgson
and Lee, of the British army secretly surveyed
the lake and river and in 1880, Captain after
ward Lord, Nelson attempted, under orders
from Admiral Sir Peter Parker, to seize and
hold the country, but was defeated by the Span
iards and natives The Importance Of inter
oceanic communication by this route was always
borne in mind by British statesmen, and when
the United States added largely to the extent
and Importance of her area by the acquisition Of
California and other territory from Mexico. Eng
land promptly seized San Juan dc Nicaragua, or
Greytown at the mouth of the San Juan river.
This occurred in 1913, after the long disputes
with England about the northwestern boundary,
which was only settled by the treaty of July 10,
1876. There were other fingers in the pie how
over. Louis Napoleon while prisoner at Ham,
became interested in canal scheme. Throughthe
connivance of Louis Philhppes government he
had an interview. in 1874, with NJ. Castellon of
Nicaragua, who had visited France to secure the
aid of the French government in building
canal. The result was a charter granted by
Nicaragua in 1876, to the Canal Napoleon de
Nicaragua. Louis Napoleon soon afterward
escaped from prison, and issued pamphlet in
London containing appeal TO capitalists in
behalf of his Canal de Nicaragua There was
undoubtedly some understanding between the
then English Ministry and Napoleon, and in
IS4S when he returned to France England
seized the port of San Juan and named it Grey
town Her avowed object was to ''obtain con
troll Of SO desirable a spot in the commercial
world and free it from the competition of the
adventurous North Americans
This action of England, which some thought
demanded resentment, only resulted in negotia-
tions, which were ended by treaty known as
the Clayton-B ulwer treaty, taking its name from
the plenipotentiaries. The Clayton Bulwer treaty
was the result Of negotiations between the
United States and Great Britain to adjust con
fiicting views and prevent possible complications
growing out of long-exsting differences between
the two governments in regard to a ship
canal other communication across the
isthmus connecting North and South Amer
lea. At the time Of these negotiations a
concession had been obtained by the American
Atlantic nd Pacific Shiu-oapa1 frOy
Nicaragua. The treaty was undoubtedly in the
interest of this corporation. By the convention
-he two governments set forth that neither the
one nor the other will ever obtain or maintain
for itself any exclusive control over the said ship
canal, agreeing that neither will ever erect or
maintain any Notifications commanding the
same or in the vicinity thereof, or occupy or
fortify, or colonize, or assume, exercise any
dominan over Nicaragua, Costa Rica, the Mos
quito Coast, or any part of Central America.
The cooperation of ali friendly states to be
invi tated 10 participate in the honor and ad-
van &c of the great work. Both governments
declared that they were acting upon a general
principle, which was to secure the undertaking
and completion Of an international work, and
agreed to extend the same provisions to any
other project at any other practicable point.
The treaty was held to be a surrender of the
Monroe doctrine and ten years later Secretary
Of STATE Seward concluded a treaty with the
United states of Colombia, which provided for
q canal RcrOss The Isthmus Of Darien, and which |
in effect disregarded this questionable treaty. |
This was not ratified by Colombia, and the
decision Of tia United States to pay no
hsed to the Clayton Bulwer treaty did
not come up for consideration. In |
1881 Secretary of State Blaine intlmated |
TO Lord Granville, British Minister Of Foreign |
Affairs. that the United States did not consider |
tho canal provision of 1850 as any longer bind |
ing. To Secretary Frelinghuysen Lord Gran
Vile replied that the exigencies it provided for
in 1876 still existed but that if the United States
saw fit she would violate the agreement aud
,rcak her faith. THIS correspondence was led !