St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1895-04-26
NO HELP FOR MIC.
Guzman Fails to Involve the
United States in Difficulty With
England.

WASHINGTON, April 25.-Nica-
the United States in her controversy
with Great Britain to prevent the
seizure of Corinto vanished this aft
ernoon. DR.. Guzman, the Nicaragua
minister, who had been waiting with
Intense anxiety to see Secretary
Gresham, was finally successful
about 8 o'clock when the secretary
came into the department from the
White house, where he had been in
consultation with President Cleve-
land, presumably ON the same sub
ject. -
The interview was very short In
five minutes the minister emerged
from the secretary's office, looking
very depressed. He refused to say
word as to what had taken place,
but it can be stated that the secre-
tary gave him to understand very
clearly 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 permit the occupation
OF Corinto, or to fight, and the next
twelve hours must find the choice
declared, for the British troops are to
LAND AT DAYBREAK
tomorrow at Corinto. AS already
stated in the Associated Press dis
patches, the position taken by the
president in this matter is that the
dispute is one entirely between Great
Britain and Nicaragua in which the
United States has no call to inter-
;fere unless there should be commit
ted some acts injurious to American
interests in Nicaragua, or there
should be. shown a disposition bv
Great Britain. to acquire Nicaraguan
territory. On each of these points a
favorable; assurance has been had
from Great Britain, and it is said
all that can be done is to watch the
course of events. This decision was
not hastily reached, for the entire
subject of our relations to the coun-
tries of Central and South Amer
lea was considered and discussed
carefully by the president with his
constitutional advisers, and there tas
been made a close
SCRUTINY OF PRECEDENTS
that might suffice for our guidance.
These have been found in at least
three cases. The first was fully set
out in the message of President Bu-
chanan to- congress in 1859 in that
portion relating to Paraguay. For
several years preceding this message
the United States had had great diff
Guilty in maintaining friendly resa-
tions with Paraguay,the latter coun-
try then being under the dictatorship
of DR.. Lopez, who was carrying out
a policy of excluding the rest of the
world from, his country by the most
drastic measures. He had, as Presi-
dent Buchanan stated, upon the most
frivolous and even insulting preteXts.
refused to ratify the treaty of friend
ship and commerce concluded with
Paraguay; had seized and appro
priated the property of American
citizens residing in the country in
a violent and arbitrary manner, and
finally the Paraguayans had fred up.
on the United States steamer Water
Witch in 1856 and killed the helms
man while the vessel was making a
peaceful survey of the Parana river
to determine its fitness for steam
navigation. The honor as well as
the interests of the United States de-
manded satisfaction, and the presi-
dent, being clothed by congress with
necessary power, sent a naval expe-
dition UP the Parana river to the cap
ital of Paraguay and compelled am
pie apologies from the president, the
payment of an indemnity of $4,000
to the family of the seaman who was
killed, and finally secured the ratifi-
cation of the treaty.
THE APPLICATION
of this case to the Nicaraguan situa-
ton is not exact, but it is regarded as
committing the United States to the
recognition of the principle of the right
to demand an indemnity for the allure
of United States officers, and therefore
We could not consistently deny the
same right to Great Britain. 6,
. The second case relied upon as
a precedent grew out of the difficulties
encountered by Spain, France and