The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1897-02-15
The CIayton-Bulwer ENHANCEMENT.

The Clayton-Bulwer Entanglement.
The joint resolution which Mr.. MORGAN
introduced into the Senate last Friday. de-
claring the Clayton-Bulwer treaty alb
rogated, was perhaps intended to protect
the Nicaragua Canal beyond ~peradventure,
In case the general arbitration plan should
be carried out.
The treaty In question was signed on April
10, 1850, under President TAYLoR's Ad-
ministration, and one important part of 1t
related to the canal, for which ut that time
Nicaragua had already granted II charter to
an American company. Why Senator NOR
A desires the ~abrogation OF this most
unfortunate agreement will be readily seen
IN examining its first section. which pro-
vided that neither Great Britain nor the
United States should ever obtain or main
tain any exclusive control over the canal
nor build Notifications along its route.
The skilful diplomacy Of Sir HENRY Bull
WEIR, rs supervised by Lord P~ALMERsroS,
had thus resulted in placing an American
project under the joint guarantees and
mutual restrictions OF Great Britain and
the United States; and, as il violence enough
were not thereby done to the principle OF
the Monroe doctrine, Article 8 OF the treaty
declared that the two Governments had
sought mot only to accomplish a partic-
ular object, but also to establish a general
principle" ana made the charges and con-
ditions Of traffic on all canals or railways
across the Isthmus subject to the concur
rent approval OF Great Britain and the
United States.
The treaty was ratified July 8, 1850, APP
p~arently under the impression that Great
Britain had abandoned her attempts to en-
croach on this continent. 1t turned out. how
ever, hat the clever British diplomacy was
almost too grasping for its own interests.
Sir HENRY BULwER supplemented the treaty
by a note to Secretary CLAYTON, declaring
that Great Britain did not regard Hon
duras or its dependencies" these latter be-
ing presumably the Bay islands and
the Mosquito coast, as included In the
treaty. Mr.. CLAYTON assented In regard to
British Honduras. his declaration not going
before the Senate for its approval, although
Mr.. KING, Chairman Of the Senate's Foreign
Relations Committee, had been informed of
It. But 1t became OF great consequence not
long afterward, when troubles both on the
Mosquito coast and in the Bay islands
arose. Senator after Senator then denounc-
ing the Clayton-Bulwer treaty as lacking in
the element OF a mutual understanding.
The course, however, actually taken was
that OF declaring that British claims to the
Bay islands and to the Mosquito shore had
violated the Clayton-Bulwer treaty. As It
has turned out, 1t might have been wise
at that time to 20 further aud declare the
treaty abrogated by England's own conduct.
Had this been done, Senator MORGAN would
have had no occasion for his resolution.
Indeed, President BUCHANAN afterward
advised Congress to take steps for abroQat-
lug the treaty, on the ground, as his mos
sage said, that the two parties to 1t under
stood 1t in senses directly opposite" Great
Britain, however. was eager to avoid this
a~brogation, and by another skilful exercise
OF diplomacy made q series of treaties with
Central American powers which seemed to
President BUCHANAN to be " entirely salts
factory TO this Government although sub
scquent facts showed his mistake.
In 1880 Congress passed a Joint resolution
requesting the President to take steps for
the abrogation OF the Clayton Bulwer
treaty. The result was "A diplomatic CORE
spondence, in which Secretary BLAINE set
'"''" MS Lo"ELL' ior England y IN
formation, in decisive terms, the demands OF
the Monroe doctrine and the various reasons
why the treaty of 8 8 interfered with it
and with our policy on this continent. The
discussion was continued by Secretary FRI.
LNGHuysEN in the same spirit and with
equal emphasis. But the result was that
England, well aware OF the advantage which
the treaty gave her, declined to join in steps
for abrogating or amending it, and so the
situation remains to-day.
Tit reasons why the treaty of 1850 be-
came obnoxious to the United States are
contained in those of its provisions which
have already been mentioned. But it may
be we'll to note what Mr.. BLAINE had to say
upon the subject. He declared that the