The daily morning Astorian. [volume] (Astoria, Oregon) 1883-1899, 1895-09-04
HEADING STRAIGHT FOR A CRISIS.


secretary Of state for foreign affairs be
asked I'm the house of commons for some
explanation of the subject. 1t says: "As
far as can be seen, we are heading
straight for a crisis, and there will be
either a diplomatic deadlock between
the two countries or the English will
surrender important treaty rights"
Whether or not we are heading
straight for 4 crisis" depends entirely
upon the Intentions of Great Britain to-
ward Nicaragua and the Nlcaraguan
canal project. Great Britain has no
rights under any treaty with this coun-
| try conc Cerning an inter-oceanic canal
| anywhere In Central America. The Gaz-
cite insists that "a guarantee by the
| United States government of the Ameri-
can Canal company's undertakings would
be an infractlon of the Clayton~Bulwer
| treaty" 1.-The cardinal point In the
whole matter" 1t says, 'is, does the
| government msan to enforce the Clayton
Buiwer treaty? If So she will join the
! United State1 guarantee of the capital?
If not, wha: steps have been taken to
secure the neutrality os the canal ana
the equalltie; of rights and opportunities
of British subjects? 1t is conceivable
that events may so shape themselves in
the near future that the United States
will be practical masters of Central
America, but before we consent any abb
rogation of the Clayton-Bulwer treaty
must be made by ourselves"
On the 7th Of July next 1t will be so
years since the government of the United
States took possession of California while
engaged in a war with Mexico. The
treaty of peace with that country in 184S
confirmed the title of the United States
to California and other territory No
nod 10 Gr,o
Britain that this vast acquisition, en-
bracing 700 miles of seacoast on the Pa
cl1c, added to the Oregon territory, would
make the interests of the government
paramount in Central America so far as
free transit both by railroad and canal
were concerned, that she inaugurated a
policy of obstruction to which she has
since doggediy adhered. She had a
short time before kindly relieved US of
that portion of oregon which now con-
stitutes British Columbia as the price for
her forbearance for not taking sides with
Mexico in the war of invasion commenced
against us by that country. Her good will
and the aid of her capitalists were both
deemed desirable by the administration
of Mr.. Fillmore, and accordingly the
Clayton Bulwer treaty was negotiated in
1850. BY this treaty Great Britain and the
United States were to cooperate in the
construction of canal. Both were to
abstain from colonizing or fortifying any
portion of Central America or exercising
sovereignty there in any manner. This
treaty has been dlsregar1ed by Great !
Britain at Will The creation of the So
called British colony of Honduras was
an open and fragrant violation of it. The |
treaty of Great Britain with Nicaragua, |
known as the treaty Of Managua, pro-
,,gI ID tod ,s,t,t 1.trt
Mosquito tribe within certain reserva-
ton on the Mosquito coast, and placed |
Great Britain in the attitude of a guaran-
tor of these concessions, which were eX-
torted by her from Nicaragua in behalf |
of the Indians, who were thus to be |
erected into an Indian colony in law,
but in fact a British colony. This was
also a pain violation OF the treaty. Dur
ing the last year Ambassador Bayard has |
been feebly deprecating the conquest OF
Nicaragua by his British friends, and has
been answered by the occupation of Cor
into in Nicaragua, and the robbery of
that little republic of $4,000 to appease
British wrath, because British subjects
were punished for participating in the
Mosquito rebellion. This also was a
violation of the treaty.
The United States commission has just
completed q survey of the route of the |
proposed Nicaragua canal Its report |
will be transmitted to congress in Decem-
ber. What 1t win be, or what the presi- |
dents recommendation will be, cannot be |
safely predicted. Incidentally 1t may be
remarked that in constructing the COM
mission, consisting of three persons the |
president found 1t necessary to rob the
American legation in London of its mill
tary attache, Colonel Ludlow
v1.t oh. lNlAn Il 1tAer
straight involves the question whether |
Great Britain shall be permitted 10 claim
rights under the Clayton BIlwer treaty, |
despite the fact that she has meyer freat-
ed IL as binding. upon herself. Her in |
vasion of Nicaragua last spring would |
alone Justify this government In refus- /
ing to listen for one moment to lhe pre- |
tensions that she has any existing treaty |
rights under that treaty. Great Britain |
will not participate In the construction |
of a canal in Nicaragua or any other por-
tiu, Os Central america. a canal VIII |
ne constructed ny Americans under the |
protection of the United States govern
ment, and perhaps with its aid The neu-
tra:ity OF that canal win be guaranteed |
by this government, which will be the !
sole Judge of it's own duties with respect |
to that neutrality. This question will be /
passed upon at the presidential election |
of 1896. II Great Britain should be per-
mittei by the president to do anything to |
conflict with American interests In this |
matter It would be lnione by his sue |
cessor, by the command of the American |
people Any services rendered by him |
TO Great Britain or in this direction, or
any admission by him that Great Britain |
now possesses any rights in Contra! |
America. especially in Nicaragua. woulo |
only intensity the American spirit |
throughout this country, which would |
come to the front when he could no |
longer obstruet II, This, and this only, |
is the crisis for which, according to the |
st, James Gazette, we are heading 70
straight,