The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1895-04-10


secretary Morton Is credited 81 news-
paper dispatches with having expressed
OPINIONS upon the impending difficulty
between England and Nicaragua F'slich
ma r.fly e~eru prudent on the part OF
rn~rpss.r % tire cabinet. No American can
BE expected TO tolerate the forei5ie szsT-
ffaa Of British influence OF AnerI- an
soil bat no good can come OF a qgarrei 10
which We should he wrong az Tire outset
England l. supposed 10 have sent ~
"a. II. :. Royal Arthur 20 Nicaragua 10
enforce rayment Of an indemnity for an
iaAignsty TO her accredited representa-
tive. British patriotism warrants ara in
tarnatsonaI diplomacy sanctions that
course. SO long as England remains mod
crate IN her demand and Traits IL 20 the
avowed purpose there Is no excuse fer
TIE United States interfering. II Would
be better for this nation TO take the les
son 10 heart and as dsterminedly and
promptly resent indignity 10 an American
citizen by any foreign government hets-
or on this or any other continent.
with the original difference between
England and Nicaragua. however. this
country I. very deeply concerned IL mas
been concerned ln the resistance OF Brit
lSh advances ever since the time when
Greytoyn was bornbaried by an Ameri-
can man-of-mar in aid OF NicaraEaa
That incident Was followed by the G ay-
ton-BuIwer treaty. and superficial peace
has since prevailed. British persistence
has never Ceased 10 evade that treaty;
and now that the Nicaragaan canal seems
like a probability Of a not far distant
time. IL ~ vital that a more definite tn-
dsrstandfng should be sought and = more
determined attitude assumed by the Fed
eraI government.
The Mosquito coast was an open eeun-
try long after the Spanish invasion. I'd
vas chiefly notorious as a retreat for he
buccaneers OF the Caribbean sea who in
the latter part OF the seventeenth
and earlier years OF the eighteenth
centuries were the terrors OF the
mercantile marine In self-protec-
ton England asserted her pTerogatiTe as
mistress of the seas and raised the Uaion
Jack on that coast. At thar time ner
presence was a blessing to maritime com
rnerce, but zhe followed 1t up TO her own
advantage By demanding the valuable
timber forests whose yield has made
many fortunes during two hundred years.
The troubles which followed the estab-
I!shment OF the Nicaragua republic led to
that country temporarily placing herself
under the protection of the stars and
stripes. and after the bomhardment peace
was secured upon certain terms. One of
these--that upon which interest centers
now--0as the concession to England of
an equal share with this country in the
protectorate of any inter-oce1nic canal
With this, and her other commercial in
terests. England has see-sawed with Nc
araguaSSn asserting and then withdraw
Ing pretensions To varying forms Of con-
troll over the Mosquito reservation.
At this time England nominally rec
ognizes the sovereignty of Nicaragua end
has not sought openly TO restore chief
Clarence. the Indian who for long time
has been the local reigning dignitary
based upon spurious hereditary claim.
So far as the records are available. Eng
land has limited her demand 10 indemnity
for a seemingly unnecessary harshncss
by the Nicaraguan government In dealing
with the British pro-consui.
English diplomacy Is so patient and In
sidious that she will bear watching but
Il would be folly 10 arouse bellieose
spirit In the American people by Great
ing the false impression that demand
for reasonable compensation is an af-
front to our dag or violation OF the
Monroe doctrine.