New-York tribune., 1885-02-07
Democracy or by the new Radicalism' pacinc
diplomacy will be out of fashion.
nrcAn4cnA DIPLOMACY LGAIM

NICARAGUA DiFLOndN1 AUhAN'
A Few days since we stated that Mr. frenng-
huysen had agree to give to Nicaragua tour
millions of dollars for the right to begin the
construction -of an interoceanic canalj ana
then to give to the same Government for all
time. 33 per cent of the net revenue OF the
same. We further stated that in order to
make this contract Mr. Frelinghuysen had
broken down the franchise of an American
canal company which had obtained the same
privileges from Nicaragua without advancing
dollar of money and with the agreement to pay
only 10 per cent of the net revenue ."
Nicaragua.
Our statement thus made was not quite cor
rect, and we beg to make the proper correction.
We find that the American Company did not
agree to nav 0 per cent of the net revenue, but
only agreed to pay per cent. copy OF the
concessions guaranteed to the American Com
nanv is now before us, and the forty ninth
article reads thus;
In view of the valuable concessions. privileges ana
free grants which the Republic of Nicaragua makes In
this contract It shall receive In fully paid up ana nom
shares OF the capital stock per cent OF the
total amount thereof which per cent shall, In any
svent no not less than three Millions the shares being
taken at par, that is 10000 shares at 800 each
At the end of one hundred years after the
contract with the American Company, the Gov
ernment of Nicaragua is to receive % per cent
of the net revenue of the canal, and at the emu
of two hundred years the canal shall belong tothe
Nlcaraguan Government, with general guar
antee of its freedom to all maritime nations.
We call, therefore, again for an explanation
of the reason for this Governments agreeing
: TO nav 33 per cent of the canal revenue to
Nicaragua when only per cent was asked from
the American Company In other words. where
the American Company engaged to pay $lo'
Mr. Frclnghuyscn contracts to pay SlOO 10
Nicaragua. The difference, $50, would lay the
foundation for sinking fund which would
perhaps nav tho entire cost of the canal (eco-
nomically c0nstructcd) in less than fifty years.
In addition to all this Mr.. Frelinghuysen offers
them a bounty of four millions of dollars, which
would of itself, as n per cent sinking fund,
pay the cost of the canal before the close Oi a
century.
The information which we seek is therefore
rather financial than diplomatic, and any MEM
Der of the Government may vouchsate an
answer. Mr. McCulloch, in his former admins
tration of the Treasury Department, was close
and economical with the public money. Has
he so changed that he is ready to pay fonr
millions of gold for a privilege which others
can get for the asking? And is he willing,
moreover, to pay 800 for that which Others
readily get for So! We think it is the clear
duty Of Congress to address some pointed in
tcrrogations to the Administration as to this cx-
travagant fnanricring, and this unaccountablc
diplomacy. One would think that Nicaragua
would offer far better terms to the American
Government than 10 an American company.
The strange discrepancy of ordinary facts, the
singular contradiction of clear logic, might well
employ Mr.. Frelinghuyscn's pen, in order that
tie plain people may be made to understand
that which now seems incomprchcnsblc.