Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1895-05-02

Washington, April 26.-Nicaragua' 5
last hope Of assistance from the
United States to prevent the seizure of
COrinto has vanished. DR.. Guzman.
the Nicaraguan minister, who was
waiting with intense anxiety to see
Secretary Gresham, was finally sue
cessful when the secretary came into
his department from the white house,
where he had been in consultation
with the president presumably on the
same subject. The interview was very
short. In five minutes the minister
emerged from the secretary's office,
looking depressed. He refused to say
word as to what had taken place,
but it can be stated that the secretary
gave him to understand that the
United States would not interfere in
the case as it stands. SO there are
now three courses open to Nicaragua !;
namely, to pay the indemnity, to per-
NIT the occupation of COrinto, or to
fight; and the next twelve hours must
hnd the choice declared, for the Brit
lsh troops are to land at daybreak to
day at COrinto.
AS already stated the position taken
by the president is that the dispute is
one entirely between Great Britain and
Nicaragua in which the United States
has no call to interfere unless there
should be committed acts injurious to
American interests in Nicaragua or
there should be shown a disposition by
Great Britain to acquire Nicaraguan
territory. On each of these points a
favorable assurance has been had
from Great Britain and it is said that
all that can now be done is to watch
the course of events. This decision
vas not hastily reached, for the eutire
subject Of our relations to the cOun-
tries Of Central and South America
was considered and discussed care
fully by the president WITH his consti-
tutiOnal advisers and there has been
made a close scrutiny of precedents
that might suffice for cur guidance.
These have been found in at least
three cases. The first is fully set out
in the message of President Ru-
chanan to congress in 1859 in that por-
ZION relating to Paraguay. In Ibis
case the United States secured $4,000
from Paraguay for the killing Of a
United States seaman. The second
case grew out of difficulties encOun-
tered by Spain, France 81 Great Bri-
tain in their relations with Mexico i'll
1860 These nations asserted that
' h,1J ,Nlo
and yeXatiOuS conduct OF Mexico, utl-
der the necessity of eXacting from the
authorities of that country more etfec-
tive protection for the persons and
properties of other states, as we'll as
the execution of obligations contracted
with them by Mexico, and therefore
they had combined to effect their ends
by force if need be, The United
States which had similar grievances
against Mexico, was invited to join the
European nations. This invitation
was declined by the United States
which was then in the throes of a civil
war, but a significant point in the
case is found in this declaration Ey
Secretary Seward:
AS the undersigned heretofore had
the honor to inform each of the pleni-
,oten1iarie now addressed, the presi-
dent does not feel himself at liberty to
question, and he does not question the
SOvereignS represented have an I'M
doubted right to decide for themselves
the fact that they sustained grievances
and to resort to war against Mexico
FOR the redress thereof and have also
the right to levy war seyerally or
jointly. The United States has a deep
interest which however, they are hap
by to believe is an interest held by
them in common with the high con-
tracing powers and with all the other
civilized states, that neither of the
soyereigns by whom the convention
has been concluded shall seek or OBJ
tain any acquisition of territory or
any advantage peculiar to itself and
not equally left open to the United
States and every other civilized state,
within the territories Of Mexico and
especially that neither one nor all of
the contracting parties shall as a re-
suit or in consequence of hOStilitieS to
be inaugurated under the convention
exercise in the subsequent affairs Of
Mexico an influence calculated to i'm
pair the right of the Mexican people to
choose and freely to constitute the
form OF it's own government"
1t appears the StipulatiOnS acknOWl-
edged by the contracting parties were
to the satisfaction of President Lin
coin, although it was found necessary
after the close of our civil war to eX-
pei Macmillan from Mexico. The
third precedent is found in the case
of the war between Spain and Chill in
1866 when, upon being appealed to in
behalf of Chill in the name of the
Monroe doctrine, to prevent lombard
! ment of Valparaiso, Secretary Seward
wrote United States Minister Kilpat-
rick at Santiago that s'the government
of the United States will maintain
and insist with a decision and energy
| which are compatible with our exist
ing neutrality that any republic which
is accepted by any one of those South
American) states shall not be wantOn-
| " assaulted and that it shall not be
subverted as the end of a lawful war
by European powers, but beyond this
point the United States government
will not go, nor will it consider itself
| hereby bound to take part in wars in
| which South American republics may
enter with European sovereigns, when
the object of the latter is not the es-