The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1900-02-25
History of British Claims to the Mosquito
Coast and Territory o4djaoent- Bear
ing of the Monroe Doctrine.

- OR ATTY years the convention
known az the Clayton-Bulwer
treaty, which the new Hay
Pauneefots treaty Is intended TO
- abrogate, has cast its shadow
over every proposal upon the part OF
the government OF the United States to
build an isthmian canal This treaty was
signed April 10, 1850. by Sir Henry Bulwer.
representing Great Britain. and John
M Clayton, secretary of state under
President Taylor. Since then the treaty
has been q subject Of continual dispute.
In general when put to specific test Its
validity has been stoutly denied by
American statesmen, either upon the
ground that its most important provisions
were misunderstood by the senate which
ratified II, or that England proceeded to
violate her part OF the compact before the
ink on the treaty paper was dry. Presd-
dents Buchanan Grant, Garfield and Ar
thur and their secretaries OF state. and
also committees Of the Forty-sixth and
the F1fty-nrst congresses, demanded the
formal and final abrogation" Of the
treaty. English diplomacy in one way or
another has evaded the issue until the
arrangement Of the Hay treaty.
Provisions of the Treaty.
so ambiguously was the Clayton-Bulwer
treaty worded that Its construction, for
that reason II no other has been mat
ter OF considerable difficulty, Its impor-
tant provisions are summarized for the chi
cago Inter Ocean by the expert In canal
matters. Prof L. NJ. Keasbey. as follows:
Il. Neither Great Britain nor the Uni
ted States shall ever obtain or maintain
any exclusive control over the canal; nor
shall they build any fortihcations along
the route Of the same, or colombo or as
sumo or exercise any dominion over MIC
aragua Costa Rica, the Mosquito coast,
or any part of Central America
20. Neither Great Britain nor the Uni
ted States shall ever take possession of
any part of Central America, nor fortify
any part OF the same nor establish any
colonies there. nor exert any dominion,
nor make any use of any alliance or pro-
tectorate either may have there to that
end
70. Great Britain and the United States
promise mutually to guard the safety and
neutrality OF the canal and to invite all
other nations to do the same.
-. Great Britain and the United States
also promise to extend their joint support
and protection TO any satisfactory canal
company which may undertake the work.
%. Great Britain and the United States,
having not only desired. In entering into
this convention. to accomplish a particu-
lar object, hut also TO establish a general
principle hereby agree to extend their
protection, by treaty stipulations. TO any
other practicable communications which
are now proposed to be established by the
way OF Tehuantepec and Panama"
Differences In Constituting the
Treaty.
This IN tina treaty a. II was signed by
Clayton and Bulwer and ratified hastily
and secretly by tho United States senate.
by this convention Great Britain with
drew absolutely all pretensions which she
had been setting up previously TO tho Mos
quito country, Tigre island. or any portion
VI the Nicaragua coast. But unknown to
congress- certain semi-ofriciai notes rela-
tive 10 the treaty passed between Sir
Henry Bulwer and Secretary Clayton.
which, IL admitted as constituting the
treaty. gave to It a meaning entirely dir
faront from that which tho senate had
Supposed II 10 have.
Sir Henry's trump card In the negutia-
ton OF the Clnyton-Bulwer treaty was
note addressed TO Secretary Clayton, In
which he said that Great Britain did not
understand the engagements of the con-
sention TO apply TO her majesty's settle
nents at Honduras or Its dependencies"
Al that time the only possible depend
eneies" of Honduras were the Bay islands
and Mosluitia But Bulwers compre-
hensive declaration appears 10 have made
no impression upon Secretary CLAYTON
who wrote a personal note 20 Mr.. King,
then chairman OF the senate committee
on foreign affairs, asking him TO sub
stantiate Bulwers and his own conclusion
that the treaty was not Intended 10 APP
ply to British Honduras" Clayton thus
left out the important word "dependen.
ciea" Mr. King replied at once that the
treaty was not understood 20 apply 10
British Honduras. bat added. cautiously,
you should be careful not 20 USE any
expression which would seem 20 recognize
the right Of England 20 any portion OF
Honduras"
Mr.. Clayton then made q memorandum
and filed II IN the archives OF the depart-
mnnt, acknowledging that the treaty ara
not apply 90 English rights IN British
Honduras adding "But at the same time
! carefully declined 60 affirm or deny the
British title IN their settlement or its al.
Legged dependencies"
Thus II came about that two very differ.
ent constructions were put upon the CLAW
ton-hulwcr treaty at the outset hv Great
Britain and by this country A long series
% British aggresslons and COLOMBIA
ton schemes IN Central America led 90 20
the signing 90 the Clayton Bulwer treaty
and 20 tho in,ermlnahls Mosquito coast
Disputes. The eastern coast OF Nicara qua
u an Inaccessible region. little known
evcn now. and denseiy ovcrgrown with
forests, II was inhabited hy the Mos
quito Indians, a tribe moro denseiy ignor-
ant than those around them ftl-dlsposed
toward the Nicara@usns and early DON'T
mated by few English settlers from
Jamaica
How England Seized Control.
When the Central American states threw
or spanish sovereignty and established
themselves as independent republics aane
OF them at once asserted claim upoo the
eastern coast, or MosQuitia. as Il afterward
came 70 be called The Mosquito Indians
had al along remained uncOnauerea Nv
Spain, but they had neither the hldSment
nor the inclination 70 set themselves up as
sn independent nation amcng the Central
American states. Early In the century Brit
ish settlers came into friendly relations
with these Indians and induced them 10
establish an hereditary monarchy" as /: