The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1898-12-05
CENTRAL AMERICA
And the Relation of Its Government
to the United States.

The years events in Central America
deserve more than passing mention
A menacing rupture between Costa
Rica and Nicaragua was happily com
posed by the signature of convention
between the parties, with the concur
renee of the Guatamelan representative
as a mediator the act being negotiated
and signed on board the United States
steamer Alert, then lying in Central
American waters. 1t is believed that
the good office of our ENJOYS and the
commander of that vessel contributed
to that gratifying outcome.
In + a. last message the situation was
presented with respect to the dlplo-
matte representation of this government
in Central America, created by the as
ISOLATION of Nicara qua, Honduras and
Salvador under the title of the Greater
Republic of Central America and the
delegation of their international func-
tions to the diet thereof. While the rep
resentative character of the diet was
recognized by my predecessor and had
been confirmed during my administra-
ton by receiving its accredited envoy
and granted eXequatOrs to cOnsuls COM
ing under its authority, that recognl-
ton was qualified by the distinct under
standing that the responsibility of each
of the component sovereign republics
toward the United States remained
wholly unaffected.
This proviso was needful. tnasmuch
as the compact of the three republics
was at the outset an association where
by certain representative functions were
rather than a federation possessing
centralized powers of government of
administration. In the view of their
relation and the relation of the Onlted
States to the several republics a change
in the representation of this country in
Central America was neither recon-
mended by the executive nor initiated
by congress, thus leaving one of our en-
voys accredited as heretofore separate
ly to two states of the Greater Republic,
Nicaragua and Salvador, and to a third
n Taf1 a
party to the compact, while our other
envoy was similarly accredited to the
union stated as Honduras-and non
union stated as Guatemala The result
has been that the one has presented
credentials only to the president of Cos
ia Rica, the other having been received
only by the government OF Guatemala
Subsequently the three associated re-
publics entered into negotiations for
taking the steps forecasted in the org
inal compact.
ed for them a federal constitution under
the name of the United States of Cen
trail America and provided for a central
federal government ana legislature
Upon ratification by the Constituent
states the first of November last, was
fixed for the new system to go into op-
Grafton. Within a few weeks thereafter
the plan was severely tested by revOlu-
tionary movements arising, with con-
seouent demand for unity of action on
the part of the military power of the
federal states to suppress them. Under
this strain the new union seems to have
been weakened through withdrawal of
its more important members. This gov
eminent was officially advised of the
installation of the federation and has
maintained an attitude of friendly ex-
pectancy, while in no wise relinquishing
the position held from the outset that
the responsibilities of the several states
toward us remained unaltered by their
tentative relations among themselves
The Nicaragua canal commission, un-
a. 10 oh shin a Rear Admiral
John G. Walker, appointed July "a, 1897,
under the authority OF a provision in