The times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1897-1901, 1900-12-06

its provisions; fer she has occupied. forth
fed. and colonizcd large part of Central
Ame erica, and has exercised dominion
therein. and exercises it today The
story of this treachery. as repeatedly
told in these columns in the past. is again
narrated by the Sun in language which,
we should think. would make the faces
of Messrs. Hanna. Mckinley, and Hay
burn with shame. In 1862 when the Uni
ted States was in the thrces of a section
al war, England seized the opportunity to
erect that part of Central America. de-
scribed By Sir Henry Bulwer as Her Maj
estys settlement at Honduras" into a
British Crown Colony. Great Britain.
since then. has steadily extended the
frontiers of a Central American territory
to which her title at the time of the
Clayton Bulwcr Treaty was a sleazy claim
to certain rights of wood chopping, deriv-
ed from SPAIN Engiand's violation of
her obligations under an instrument
which Mr.. lay seeks to revive nov. as
against ourselves only" is pointedly de-
scribed in the report of the Senate Com
mittee On Foreign Relations in the Fifty
first Congress:
Zone OF the provisions of the convention of
$50 most important 10 the United States and 10
The preservation of the republican governments
on this continent thai which declared that
neither party TO the convention should 'oceups or
foftify or COLOMBO or assume to exercise av
Dominion over Nicaragua, Costa Rica. the Nos
quito Coast. any part of Central america
AT that time the settlement OF British Sub
jects. it called. at the Belize on the
coast of Central America, was of the smallest
dimensions and had substance or form of terri
toiial dominion. British wcodcutters there
under an ancient Spanish license of timber cut
ting. and nothing more. These settlers. in a
country not belonging 10 the British Crown had
of and attempted to form kind Of local
government for preserving order among them
selves, and. after going through various phases,
had reached the point in 1850 of some local mag
istratcs and imperial superintendent. merely
and clearly for the purpose of preserving internal
order among the English Adventures engaged in
the lumber trade in that foreign country. This
was substantially the condition of things when
the convention of 1850 (the Clay B;ilwcr
Treaty. was entered into.
The next step after the convention of 1850
was in 1883. when legislative association was
constituted to manage the affairs of the settle
nent. This followed nv convention be-
tween Great Britain and Guatcmala in 1859. for
the establishment of the boundaries between what
the treaty chose 10 call Her Britannia Maiesty's
drras' and the territories of Guatemala. The
country. the largest part of IL. belonged IN
Guatemala the successor to all the sovereign
territorial rights OF Spain in that region: but by
this treaty THAI which before licensed ill.,
dustrisl establishment became instantly a colony
OF the British Crown, and regular colonial
Enlistment WAS set on loot lin 1921; and 20
from that time TO this the form and substance
of regular colonial government part of
Her Najcsty's dominions continued II is
understood that its geographical dominion has
been vastly enlarged from the licensed wcoi-cut-
ting limitations and boundaries that existed in
$50
'.All this has taken place Systematically and
pcrsistcnty. notwithstanding the declarations OF
Her Naicstys Government that it should not
,colonze 10 exercise any dominion
any part OF Central america. y
No demonstration of the utter in
sincerity or Indifference to treaty obi
cations on the part of our present Admin
istration ally could be stronger. The
Sun adds: Now observe the conclu-
sions reported by the Senate Committee
on Foreign Relations as recently as the
year 1891:
III these proceedings the part OF Her Maj
csiys Government. in respect OF one of the most
important subjects OF the convention and in alb
solute opposition 10 it. do not discharge the
United States from all and every of their deelar
ef..agrnfcnrS stated IN mat
il is impossible TO conceive what could.
In view of all these considerations the COM
initicc is Of opinion that the United States is
present under obligation. measured either 10y
the Terms of the convention the principles Of pub
lie law good Morals to refrain from promoting.
in any way that ii may deem best for its Just
Interests the construction Of this canal without
regard TO any thing contained in the convention
of lsJ0''
The report above quoted, as the Sun
states, was unanimous. Among the Sen
ators who signedi il. were some Of the best
lawyers that ever sat in the
Senate" Among the signers were VIII
liam NJ. Eyarts, George F. Edmunds, and
John Sherman. Two others we're the Hon.
John T. Morgan, and the Hon. Will |
ent committee. All of these distinguish !
ed men are on record as declaring that the |
construction of the Nicaragua Canal is |
not dependent upon any claim that Great |
Britain may allege under the Clayton |
Bulwer Treaty. which instrument should /
not and properly cannot be considered as |
in any way obstructing our right of in
DC pendent action in Central America. This |
Is grave matter. which Senators of all !
parties should think over with conscien- |
tious care Their ultimate action in the
premises will be reviewed not alone by the
people of our day, but by all American |
Dosterity.