396
TEXAS STATE LIBRARY
at this particular juncture of affairs should make the ratification of that Contract a special object of attention, the enquiry would naturally arise with respect to the possible motives which could have influenced her to such a sudden and apparently uncalled for action in a matter which rather belongs to Nicaragua than to Costarica. And when such enquiry shall be made-what will be Your Excel- lency's explanation?-Will Your Excellency Say that you consider your- self morally bound to submit that Contract to your Congress for its con- sideration merely because your Excellency's name is attached to it, and for no other reason? Then there is no alternative; for a well-regulated sense of moral duty is never to be violated. But I can perceive no reason why Your Excellency should regard yourself as in that predica- ment. Your Excellency may have signed that Contract in good faith, and with a fixed purpose of laying it before your Congress for its ap- proval; but before the arrival of the time for presenting it, many cir- cumstances may have. occurred which would render the measure very undesirable-perhaps seriously injurious to your country; in which case the moral obligation would rather require of Your Excellency to drop the proceeding than to carry it out at the expense of your Country's wel- fare. That Contract is now in an incohate condition, and Your Excel- lency is free to proceed with it to its consummation, or to leave it where it is, according to Your Excellency's conception of its merits; but to contend that-in defiance of all the evils which may flow from it- Your Excellency is in honor bound to consummate it, for the sole reason that your Excellency had commenced it, is quite a misconception of the moral principle which ought to govern in the case. According to this mode of reasoning every initiatory step in a public contract or treaty would constitute a moral obligation to complete it, although the motives which inspired its commencement may have entirely changed or ceased to exist. President Martinez declares Officially that no Contract exists between Nicaragua and Mr Belly-that he himself as a private jndivid- ual, and upon his own responsibility, had taken some initiatory steps with Mr Belly in a contract of the kind alluded to; but that his acts were not obligatory on his nation, and of course possessed no virtue, force or validity until adopted by the rightful authorities of the country. And yet President Martinez has 'not experienced the same conscientious scruples on this subject. Doubtless he avoids precipitate action in consideration of the present unsettled state of public affairs. There is wisdom in this; and wisdom is the true Aegis of Republics. I do not know whether His Excellency still views that Convention as Presi- dent of the Republic in the same light that he did as a private individual at Rivas, or not. I only mean to say that if honor does not prick him on, who is mostly interested in the matter, to the ratification of the Convention, he will hardly regard the taking of this course by his co- adjutor on the plea of honor, as any compliment to him. Indeed, it will look very much as if one party was acting under a keener appreciation of that delicate sense than the other.- It must be noted that these remarks are predicated exclusively upon the supposition that Your Excellency in presenting that Contract to Congress is actuated solely by a sense of rnoral obligation, without any reference to the policy of the measure. Indeed, the only reason I have ever heard assigned for the ·convocation of Congress was to enable Your
Powered by FlippingBook