New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1896-04-27

YUM and Yuruan valleys He recommended that
the CARDS be prevented from gong to the Dutch
settlement on the Essequbo lest the Indians should
tell the Dutch of the condition OF the country, and
they should attack the Spanish settlements on
those rivers. Here Is certainly no evidence OF
abandonment
again 1t is asserted. that the entire absence OF
any control by the Spaniards the territory in
question is further shown by report OF Don Miguel
Marmion the Spanish Governor OF Guyana. IN
1855 But even the seven lines extract dn transla-
tom adduced fails utterly to support this assertion;
while the certified copy and translation OF the orig
inal report whole. dated August 10. IoS' tel
quite a different story.
'If in 1890 as intimated in the Blue Book. the
Dutch and the Caribs again making raids
upon the Spanish settlements In the interior 1t was
but natural that the Spanish Colonial authorities
should refuse to establish new settlement near
Tumeremo unless the home government would
agree to establish and maintain an additional mill
tary post to prevent robberies by the Indians and
Dutch.
ENGLAND'S TITLE TO GUYANA
England acquired title to what 10 known as
British Guayana in 1914 Her previous military
occupations Of the country lin lisl. 1916 and again
In 1909 conveyed title. as has been many times
shown. Whatever title she may have claimed or
acquired by these military occupations was swept
away by the treaties Of peace which followed. BY
the supplemental treaty OF 1914. Holland coded to
England in full sovereignty and for a monetary
consideration. the three settlements OF Berbice
Demerara and Essequibo' the limits of those
settlements had been recognized by the Munster
Treaty OF lCiS they had been interpreted by the
Treaty of Aranguez OF 1871. and they stood at
the time OF the cession of 1874 There have been no
additional cessons to England since. either by Hol
land Spain or Venezuela: and II has been many
times shown that the native aboriginal tribes had
no authority to make any such cessions.
1T follows then that the alleged marking out OF
boundaries by the British military authorities In
1896 was purely an ex parte arrangement and
amounted to nothing Plainly speaking. 1t was
merely an unjustihable aggression upon Spanish
territory by a military and naval power which Spain
not at that time In a position successfully TO
resist There Is not the slightest evidence that
Spain II cognzan OF this aggression, ever assented
to 1t for moment
.Nor does IT appear anywhere. even from the doc
uments cited in the Blue Book that the Dutch were
at any time from lGis to 1896 IN the uninterrupted
possession Of a foot Of territory west or the fu-
maron River Indeed. there are very grave doubts
whether they ever at any time. held any permanent
or uninterrupted possessions between the fumaroh
and the Essequibo The evidence on this latter
MONT is somewhat conflicting; but the weight OF
testimony IL that the Essequibo was regarded as
the true divisional line between the Dutch ana
Spanish possessions. and that any Dutch intrusons
west and south OF that river were constantly 'ahd
generally
thorl,ies Even the documents and extracts cited
or nroduced I'm the Blue Book fall TO show 10 the
contrary They show merely that while the Dutch
and Caribs had made frequent raids upon the span
ish settlements and missions west OF the ESsedu'oo'
and that even the Orinoco Delta was sometimes III
tested by bands Of allen smuggler- ana pirates
fmostly Dutch) who melted the Indians to insurrec-
ton and plllage. the domain ana JuriSuc"o" Always
remained with Spain
MORE SELECTED "EXTRACTS"
..r,s official report by Don Felipe de Requenn. Of
Iulv % 1872 Is cited in the Blue Book to prove mat
the Dutch held possessions on the Cuyun ana ca
ron rivers The document when reah AS "hoIe
in the original text shows nothing OF 'he KIM.
Even the partial and carefully selected extracts
in the imperfect English translation. as produced
fail 70 establish the British contention on this point
7, s ,bero stated merely that the Dutch and French
had many decades before founded settlements on
the Surnam and Cayana rivers; that the pu''h
had subsequently advanced up the EsseIuipo RIVER
and the apprehension Is expressed that th'y H"s"'
in the course Of time advance stu further. by way
~ the Cuyuni and Caron rivers TO the Orlnoco IL
.lf and take possession OF the lower part OF this
great river-thus clearly asserting. by necessary
implication. that at that very time dsz) the pu'ch
had no possessions settlements or even Temporary
military stations whatever either In the Cuyuni or
Caronl valleys. or at or near inc mouth Vi INC
Ornoco.
"voreover the report OF Major McCreagh OF the
british army made at the time OF the English MILL
tary occupation In 1902. although cited In the biue
Book for a different purpose shows conciusiVeiy
that the estuaries OF the Orinoco. as well az 'he
river Itself and continents, were then under the
effective Jurisdiction of Spain Major McCreagh re-
norted that he found a Spanish military post near
the Boca de Navios: that he found also spanish
pIlo,s there: that some distance further up ne
found another Spanish post. a Spanish settlement
Of eight houses and about six indian families the
sergeant In command being white Spaninrd' mat
little further I'D he found still another military force
In which were about forty-sx Indians supposed 10
he soldiers. with three (whlte) Spaniards. besides
the lieutenant commanding: that yet little iur-
Their up he found another Spanish force composed
las USUAL OF Indians whites and creolcs. but all
were Spanish subjects. and in the Spanish military
colonial service. IT was, he says me RUE TO Stop
ali vessels here Cat place called Barrancasl eN-
cent Spaniards and even those except such as are
specially privileged. Adhering howevsr, ne con- on
tnues to the line OF conduct which had been or
dered to pursue. was. after some delay perh''e'
VI, is contended that the native Indian tribes In
what is now the disputed territory had been FOR
long time under the protection OF the h. Dabc" r. ana
sentatives of Great Britain The re
Of the o, Brsn sre cited to
prove this. They. however. prove only tnat me
times been in alliances with the Dutch. who had
been in the habit OF making them annual presents, ,s
There IL absolutely nothing 10 show tnat any l,utcn
'protectorates' OF the Indians ever really existed
THE DUTCH PROTEcTORATEs.
But even II they had existed (which nowhere
appears) how were they transferred to England by
the cesson OF 1874? Nothing Is therein said either
Of protectorates Of the office OF protector OF
Indians The cession specifically limited to the
three settlements Of Berbice. Demerara and Esse-
auibo' Surinam was beyond the limits OF the three
settlements named; therefore Surinam remained
Dutch possession. Indian protectorAtes or there
were any were beyond the limits OF the three set
Elements specified therefore Indian protectorates
az there were any remained to the Dutch
Tho dee a
terror of Guayana by the Venezuelan revolutionary
forces In 1876 and the executive decree of General
Bolivar OF 1917 both gravely cited In support
OF the English contention. The frst-named proves
nothing: the second proves too much. The Venez-
uelan patriots were then In the midst OF their long
| struggle for Independence. They at with
| nd uvar daa n