The Papers of Mirabeau Buonaparte Lamar, Volume VI

416

TEXAS STATE LIBRARY

regions without limit, embracing all the varieties of climate, in which their sons can obtain all the possessions of laJ!d that they wish, and almost without any price ;-and hardly is it credible that they should wish to abandon these advantages in order to settle themselves in for- eign countries where they will liave to encounter and contend with a thousand difficulties. In my opinion it is more to be feared that in place of too many arriving, the necessary number will not come, bring- ing with them capital for developing the natural resources of the coun- try and impelling the nation to progress and great enterprises. I dare to make another observation- that the Americans are a quiet and peace- ful people, who always obey the_laws of their own free will and without coercion.- All the nations ha,·e military forces for maintaining order :among the people and for enforcing the laws, with the exception of the United States, whose people are ready, at all times to surrender them- selves to the force of reason; ancl never to any other. Thus is it, that they have been known as good citizens in all countries where order, law, .and justice prevail.- [:l\ImABEAU B. LA11Anl No. 2727. SPEECH UPON THE CLAYTON-BULWER TREATY AND THE CENTRAL Aj[ERICAN QUESTION. STEPHEN A. DOUGLAS [Translation from the Spanish] New York, January 1, [1859,] TRANSLATION OF THE SPEECH OP SENATOR DOUGLASS OF ILLINOIS IN NEW YORK THE ]ST OF JANUARY- Douglas "says" 37 In a conversation that I had with Sir Henry Bulwer concerning the Clayton-Bulwer Treaty, he wishecl to know what was my reason for voting against said treaty- I answered him in the following manner- "! said to Sir Henry that I would like to test his principles by an amendment of two words in such manner that the clause should read that neither England nor the. United States should ever occu_py or colonize Central America or Asia."- "O, he said, you do not have colonies in Asia.' "No, I said neither have you in Central America." 0 but he said you will never extend the dominion of your Government there. No, I responded neither have we the intention of permitting you to extend your power iu Central America- 2\ly policy is that the question concerning Central America, )Iexico or any other part of the American Continent is purely an American ques- tion, upon which no power of Europe has the right to be consulted- When all Europe was united in a Council of War against Russia a few years ago, the United States hacl no representative in that Council- Their voice was not heard, nor their counsel sought,-for the reason that America was too far remored to have sufficient interest in the affairs of Europe. I trust, therrfore, that when the questions touching )lexico, Central America, or Cuba, arise Europe will be regarded as too far removed to clemancl the right to be consultell in the matter. The weak powers of America are our allies, and naturally depend

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