New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1894-08-30
CENTRAL AMERICAN POLICY.

Secretary Gresham has adopted decisive meas
ures in favor OF supporting NicarnGuis c"'h
to govern the Mosquito Reservation ihis POI.
lev Is wise and necessary. The au'"h"ih! VI
ia, Reservation WAS an anomaly when WIS
irrccnncilablc with the natural development "i
nonish.Amcrlcan Institutions. by historic rights
az discovery by treaties between spain anu
Great Britain and by the logic Of III" Monroe
Docfrinc the Caribbean coast OF Nicaragua Dc
longcd 10 the Republic which had succeeded 10
all the territorial claims Of the Spanish colony.
For "A generation preceding the negotiation oi
tbe CLAYTON. Bulwcr convention the state De
nartmcnt had protested against British attempts
to control that coast through Il protcctoratc eNcr'
cisod over the Mosquito Reservation. Great
Britain renowned In that treaty all jurisdiction
over that territory but from 1880 10 1850 IL
pcrscyarcd In championing the rights OF the IN
dIons and then In The treaty Of Manag'ia So
curcd the concession of autonomy 10 its former
wards II Is the abrogation Of this concession
,v,lch Great Britain will now BE- asked TO sane
tion.
Since 1850 the sovcreIgAty Of Nicaragua over
tho Reservation has been nominal beyond ap
po,nting postmastcrs and health officials the
Government al Mauagua has had prnctlcaiy
nothing TO do with the administration OF the
Nosaulto scaboard. There was native chol
elected from the Indian family which formerly
r,pncd there He VS. the Executive. hut the
Attorncy.C ;encral and few other officials con-
duct,d the Administration The Reservation had
Is own tariff, code If laws. and courts, ana was
nroctically independent Of Nicaragua. Jamaica
negroes and few Of the more Intelligent
African. Indians held the offices and governed
tbe country. This order Of administration was
brourht In under the Treaty OF Managun, Ill
which Nicaraglil's titular sovereignty was recog-
nizod nm n matter Of form and home rule was
| Guaranteed as "A matter Of fact. The whole ar
rancemcnt was contrary TO the spirit or the
Monroe Doctrine and to the letter OF the Clay
ton Bulwer treaty.
| re- Secretary Gresham Is now actively support
inc Nicarag,la's exclusive claim To govern the
Reservation he Is acting In conformity with the
traditions and uniform practice OF the STATE
Department Possibly he has not taken this
stand until he has received assurances OF Great
Rr,toin's willingness TO consent TO the abroga-
zion of IndInn-negrO home rule: but the policy
il the only one which could be adopted con-
sIstently with the preccdents OF the State De-
nartmcnt. That department has always upheld
the right OF the Spanish American Governments
10 exercise full and absolute sovereignty over
their own territories, and has invariably resist
cd attempts on the part OF European countries
10 Interfere I'm the domestic affairs OF those Gov
ernmcnts or to control directly or indirectly the
local administration The autonomy Of the
Reservation marked the survival Of British pre-
tensions based upon usurpation. The depart
ment was under no obligation to aid Great Brit
ain In maintaining an anomalous condition Of
| Government ON that coast
The Imprisonment OF the British consular
agent Is an unfortunate incident which may
complIcate the situation; but otherwise the set
Element of this question cannot long be deferred.
lord Salisbury eight years ago informed Score