The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1900-02-24
A RIT OF HISTORY.

Frederick w Seward of New York,
writes entertainingly and instructiyely in
the New York Mail and Express OF the
Clayton-Bulwer treaty. He points out
what led to its being negotiated, the cir
cumstances of its negotiation and the
purpose that was sought to be accomplish
ed by means Of it,
Immediately after the discovery OF gold
in California there began a tremendous
movement to that territory The move
ment was overland, around Cape Horn,
across Panama and Nicaragua The route
across Nicaragua was deemed the easiest
Of all, and became known as the Mica
ragua Transit Route" This route was
under the control of Americans ard many
things suggested to them and others the
feasibility of an interoceanic canal there.
Public men discussed the matter and
capitalists considered the question of the
cost of the suggested enterprise. Presi-
dent Taylor's cabinet and Queen Vic
toria s ministers set to work 20 help it for
ward They acted in the best of faith.
They had only one object in view, and
that was to open commercial highway
that would be of benefit TO all of the
world. 1t was thought that the two great
English speaking nations could, together,
do what one could hardly do alone.
There were many, however, who did not
look at the matter in that light. There
was doubt and distrust in England and
in this country. There were debates about
the matter in. Parliament and in Con-
gress. There were suggestions of a JOB
and of a bargain" In England there
were suspicious that this country was go
ing 10 get the best of the bargain and in
this country it was freely said that Eng
land would get the upper hand The two
governments were not given credit for
trying TO do something for the benefit of
their respective countries, with no IN
tention or desire to overreach each other.
Nicaragua and Costa Rica were fearful
that the proposed treaty was nothing more
than a scheme to get possession of their
territory, and their agents in Washing
ton were instructed to keep fully informed
with respect to all matters pertaining to
it.
wien the treaty was sent to the SEN
ate for ratification there We're many SEN
dtOrS VINO seemed 10 De III uoupt Do "
what its real purpose was. One of them
was quoted as saying that he would vote
for it because he understood 'it would
get the British out of Central America"
Another opposed it on the ground that it
might help to bring in California as a free
state. The objections to it were many and
various, and it is probable that it would
.
an Administered ton majority in the Senate.
But 1t was not long after the treaty was
ratified before it dropped out of sight.
Other questions came up and pushed it
into the background. AS stated, the pur-
pose of it was TO bring about the construc-
ton of an interoceanic canal across
Nicaragua, but, in the course of time, It
came to be realized that it was having
exactly the contrary effect. Neither this
country nor Great Britain considered it
advisable to go into partnership with the
other in the proposed protectorate. The
treaty, therefore, was an obstacle in the
way of the building of the canal.
The Hay-Pauncefote treaty removes
that obstacle. 1t opens the way for this
country to build the canal. without any
objections on the part of Great Britain,
and to use and control it. The only re-
striction provided is that the canal shall
be neutral, and open to the worlds COM
merce.
Objections to the Hay-Pauncefote
treaty are as numerous and are accom-
panied by as many suspicious as was the
original treaty. The original treaty did
not accomplish the object for which 1t was
negotiated, and it looks as if the Hay
Paunceforte would not And the interest
ing thing connected with it is that there
is almost as much hostility to it in Eng
land as there is in this country. The Eng
lish papers are condemning their govern
ment for giving up valuable concessions
without getting something for them--a
settlement of the Alaskan boundary dis
pute for instance. 1t is evident that
neither our government nor that of Great
Britain had any other object in view than
to remove obstacles in the way of build
ing the canal The prospect is, however
that the treaty viii not be ratified be.
cause of the various contentious in regard
to it, and thus the building of the canal
,.i1 lo gtul ft,rtnar Ea1ave1