cessful revolution, become independent states, succeeded within their respective limits to all the territorial rights of Spain. This will surely not be denied by the British Government, which took so noble and prominent a part in securing the independence of all the SpanishAmerican provinces.

"Indeed, Great Britain has recorded her adhesion to this principle of international law in her treaty of December 26, 1826, with Mexico, then recently a revolted Spanish colony. By this treaty, so far from claiming any right beyond the usufruct which had been conceded to her under the convention with Spain in 1786, she recognizes its continued existence and binding effect, as between herself and Mexico, by obtaining and accepting from the Government of the latter, a stipulation that British subjects shall not be 'disturbed or molested in the peaceable possession and exercise of whatever rights, privileges, and immunities, they have at any time enjoyed within the limits described and laid down' by that convention. Whether the former Spanish sovereignty over Belize, subject to the British usufruct, reverted of right to Mexico or to Guatemala, may be seriously questioned; but, in either case, this recognition by Great Britain is equally conclusive. "And here it may be appropriate to observe that Great Britain still continues in possession not only of the district between the Rio Hondo and the Sibun, within which the King of Spain had granted her a license to cut mahogany and other woods; but the British settlers have extended this possession south to the river Sarstoon, one degree and a half of latitude beyond the limits described and laid down' by this convention. It is presumed that the encroachments of these settlers south of the Sibun have been made without the authority or sanction of the British Crown, and that no difficulty will exist in their removal. "Yet, in view of all these antecedents, the island of Ruatan, belonging to the State of Honduras, and within sight of its shores, was captured, in 1841, by Colonel MeDonald, then Her Britannic Majesty's superintendent at Belize, and the flag of Honduras was hauled down, and that of Great Britain was hoisted in its place. This small State, incapable of making any effectual resistance, was compelled to submit, and the island has ever since been under British control. What makes this event more remarkable is, that it is believed a similar act of violence had been committed on Ruatan by the superintendent of Belize in 1835; but on complaint by the Federal Government of the Central American States then still in existence, the act was formally disavowed by the British Government, and the island was restored to the authorities of the Republic.

"No question can exist but that Ruatan was one of the islands adjacent' to the American continent which had been restored by Great Britain to Spain under the treaties of 1783 and 1786. Indeed, the most approved British gazetteers and geographers, up till the present. date, have borne testimony to this fact, apparently without information

from that hitherto but little known portion of the world, that the island had again been seized by Her Majesty's superintendent at Belize, and was now a possession claimed by Great Britain.

"When Great Britain determined to resume her dominion over the Mosquito shore, in the name of a protectorate, is not known with any degree of certainty in the United States. The first information on the subject in the Department of State, at Washington, was contained in a dispatch of the 20th January, 1842, from William S. Murphy, Esq., special agent of the American Government to Guatemala, in which he states that in a conversation with Colonel McDonald at Belize, the latter had informed him that he had discovered and sent documents to England, which caused the British Government to revive their claim to the Mosquito territory.

"According to Bonnycastle, the Mosquito shore 'lies along part of the northern and eastern shore of Honduras;' and by the map which accompanies his work, extends no further south than the mouth of the river Segovia, in about 12° north latitude. This respectable author certainly never could have imagined that it extended south to San Juan de Nicaragua, because he describes this as the principal seaport of Nicaragua on the Caribbean Sea, says there are 'three portages' between the lake and the mouth of the river, and 'these carrying places are defended, and at one of them is the fort San Juan, called also the Castle of Nuestra Señora, on a rock, and very strong; it has 36 guns mounted, with a small battery, whose platform is level with the water; and the whole is inclosed on the land side by a ditch and rampart. Its garrison is generally kept up at 100 infantry, 16 artillerymen, with about 60 of the militia, and is provided with bateaux, which row guard every night up and down the stream.' Thus, it appears, that the Spaniards were justly sensible of the importance of defending this outlet from the lake of Nicaragua to the ocean; because, as . Captain Bonnycastle observes, 'this port (San Juan) is looked upon as the key of the Americas; and with the possession of it and Realejo, on the other side of the lake, the Spanish colonies might be paralyzed, by the enemy being then master of the ports of both oceans.' He might have added, that nearly 60 years ago, on the 26th February, 1796, the port of San Juan de Nicaragua was established as a port of entry, of the second class, by the King of Spain. Captain Bonnycastle, as well as the Spaniards, would have been greatly surprised had they been informed that this port was a part of the dominions of His Majesty the King of the Mosquitos, and that the cities and cultivated territories of Nicaragua, surrounding the lakes Nicaragua and Managua, had no outlet to the Caribbean Sea, except by his gracious permission.

"It was, therefore, with profound surprise and regret [that] the Government and people of the United States learned that a British force, on the 1st of January, 1848, had expelled the State of Nicaragua

from San Juan, had hauled down the Nicaraguan flag, and had raised the Mosquito flag in its place. The ancient name of the town, San Juan de Nicaragua, which had identified it in all former times as belonging to Nicaragua, was on this occasion changed, and thereafter it became Greytown.

"These proceedings gave birth to serious apprehensions throughout the United States that Great Britain intended to monopolize for herself the control over the different routes between the Atlantic and the Pacific, which, since the acquisition of California, had become of vital importance to the United States. Under this impression, it was impossible that the American Government could any longer remain silent and acquiescing spectators of what was passing in Central America.

"Mr. Monroe, one of our wisest and most discreet Presidents, announced in a public message to Congress, in December, 1823, that 'the American continents, by the free and independent condition which they have assumed and maintained, are henceforth not to be considered subjects for future colonization by any European powers.' This declaration has since been known throughout the world as the 'Monroe Doctrine,' and has received the public and official sanction of subsequent Presidents, as well as of a large majority of the American people.

"Whilst this doctrine will be maintained whenever, in the opinion of Congress, the peace and safety of the United States shall render this necessary, yet to have acted upon it in Central America might have brought us into collision with Great Britain-an event always to be deprecated, and, if possible, avoided. We can do each other

the most good, and the most harm, of any two nations in the world; and, therefore, it is our strong mutual interest, as it ought ever to be our strong mutual desire, to remain the best friends. To settle these dangerous questions, both parties wisely resorted to friendly negotiations, which resulted in the convention of April, 1850. May this prove to be instrumental in finally adjusting all questions of difficulty between the parties in Central America, and in perpetuating their peace and friendship!

"Surely the Mosquito Indians ought not to prove an obstacle to so happy a consummation. Even if these savages had never been actually subdued by Spain, this would give them no title to rank as an independent state, without violating the principles and the practice of every European nation, without exception, which has acquired territory on the continent of America. They all mutually recognized the right of discovery, as well as the title of the discoverer to a large extent of interior territory, though at the moment occupied by fierce and hostile tribes of Indians. On this principle the wars, the negotiations, the cessions, and the jurisprudence of these nations were founded. The ultimate dominion and absolute title belonged to them

from that hitherto but little known portion of the world, that the island had again been seized by Her Majesty's superintendent at Belize, and was now a possession claimed by Great Britain.

'When Great Britain determined to resume her dominion over the Mosquito shore, in the name of a protectorate, is not known with any degree of certainty in the United States. The first information on the subject in the Department of State, at Washington, was containedTM in a dispatch of the 20th January, 1842, from William S. Murphy, Esq., special agent of the American Government to Guatemala, in which he states that in a conversation with Colonel McDonald at Belize, the latter had informed him that he had discovered and sent documents to England, which caused the British Government to revive their claim to the Mosquito territory.

"According to Bonnycastle, the Mosquito shore 'lies along part of the northern and eastern shore of Honduras;' and by the map which accompanies his work, extends no further south than the mouth of the river Segovia, in about 12° north latitude. This respectable author certainly never could have imagined that it extended south to San Juan de Nicaragua, because he describes this as the principal seaport of Nicaragua on the Caribbean Sea, says there are 'three portages' between the lake and the mouth of the river, and 'these carrying places are defended, and at one of them is the fort San Juan, called also the Castle of Nuestra Señora, on a rock, and very strong; it has 36 guns mounted, with a small battery, whose platform is level with the water; and the whole is inclosed on the land side by a ditch and rampart. Its garrison is generally kept up at 100 infantry, 16 artillerymen, with about 60 of the militia, and is provided with bateaux, which row guard every night up and down the stream.' Thus, it appears, that the Spaniards were justly sensible of the importance of defending this outlet from the lake of Nicaragua to the ocean; because, as Captain Bonnycastle observes, 'this port (San Juan) is looked upon as the key of the Americas; and with the possession of it and Realejo, on the other side of the lake, the Spanish colonies might be paralyzed, by the enemy being then master of the ports of both oceans.' He might have added, that nearly 60 years ago, on the 26th February, 1796, the port of San Juan de Nicaragua was established as a port of entry, of the second class, by the King of Spain. Captain Bonnycastle, as well as the Spaniards, would have been greatly surprised had they been informed that this port was a part of the dominions of His Majesty the King of the Mosquitos, and that the cities and cultivated territories of Nicaragua, surrounding the lakes Nicaragua and Managua, had no outlet to the Caribbean Sea, except by his gracious per

mission.

"It was, therefore, with profound surprise and regret [that] the Government and people of the United States learned that a British force, on the 1st of January, 1848, had expelled the State of Nicaragua

from San Juan, had hauled down the Nicaraguan flag, and had raised the Mosquito flag in its place. The ancient name of the town, San Juan de Nicaragua, which had identified it in all former times as belonging to Nicaragua, was on this occasion changed, and thereafter it became Greytown.

"These proceedings gave birth to serious apprehensions throughout the United States that Great Britain intended to monopolize for herself the control over the different routes between the Atlantic and the Pacific, which, since the acquisition of California, had become of vital importance to the United States. Under this impression, it was impossible that the American Government could any longer remain silent and acquiescing spectators of what was passing in Central America.

"Mr. Monroe, one of our wisest and most discreet Presidents, announced in a public message to Congress, in December, 1823, that 'the American continents, by the free and independent condition which they have assumed and maintained, are henceforth not to be considered subjects for future colonization by any European powers.' This declaration has since been known throughout the world as the 'Monroe Doctrine,' and has received the public and official sanction of subsequent Presidents, as well as of a large majority of the American people.

"Whilst this doctrine will be maintained whenever, in the opinion of Congress, the peace and safety of the United States shall render this necessary, yet to have acted upon it in Central America might have brought us into collision with Great Britain-an event always to be deprecated, and, if possible, avoided. We can do each other the most good, and the most harm, of any two nations in the world; and, therefore, it is our strong mutual interest, as it ought ever to be our strong mutual desire, to remain the best friends. To settle these dangerous questions, both parties wisely resorted to friendly negotiations, which resulted in the convention of April, 1850. May this prove to be instrumental in finally adjusting all questions of difficulty between the parties in Central America, and in perpetuating their peace and friendship!

"Surely the Mosquito Indians ought not to prove an obstacle to so happy a consummation. Even if these savages had never been actually subdued by Spain, this would give them no title to rank as an independent state, without violating the principles and the practice of every European nation, without exception, which has acquired territory on the continent of America. They all mutually recognized the right of discovery, as well as the title of the discoverer to a large extent of interior territory, though at the moment occupied by fierce and hostile tribes of Indians. On this principle the wars, the negotiations, the cessions, and the jurisprudence of these nations were founded. The ultimate dominion and absolute title belonged to them