157
PAPERS OF MIRABEAU BuoNAPARTE LAMAR
The good faith of Nicaragua has been committed and large sums have been expended looking to its faithful observance. A paper has recently appeared in the public jour- nals, to which I have already referred, purporting to be a contract be- tween the Government - the Presidents, rather - of Costa Rica and Nicaragua and Mr. Belly, a french citizen, and his associates, consti- tuting a new Canal Route Company and providing for its operations. Nothing is known here, officially, of the authenticity of this paper: but it carries with it a strong probability that it is genuine, and pre- suming it to be so, it furnishes you with an occasion to lay before these Governments the views of the United States respecting their own in- terests and the interests of their citizens involved in the contracts for opening transit routes. So far as regards the action of Costa Rica the President adheres to the views laid down-in the instructions to our special agent, Mr Jones, a copy of which has been communicated to those Governments and also furnished to yourself. And the United States, while they interpose no objection to an amicable adjustment by those Republics of the question of their boundary, will recognize no arrangement which interferes with the existing transit interests as in- sisted on in those instructions. The United States no more claim·for their citizens an exclusive right to form contracts for opening these transit routes, than they claim for them the exclusive use of the routes, when the work is completed. Their construction is a fair object of competition for the citizens and subjects of all other Powers. The work is as open to Mr. Belly and his associates as to any other enterprizing person. There are but two points connected with this matter, which have any interest for the United States, or which would justify their interven- tion. The first is, that no contract with Mr. Belly, or with any one indeed, should interfere with engagements previously existing with american citizens; but that all such engagements should be preserved inviolate. And the second is, that the regulations and conditions of the grant should be such as to render the routes free and safe to all nations, but controlled by no one, and upon moderate and reasonable terms. It would be equally impolitic and unjust for these Govern- ments, in a desire to make those great undertakings profitable to them- selves without furnishing any contribution towards their construction, to levy onerous charges upon the persons and property destined to pass over them, and by these means interpose serious obstacles to their gen- eral use. These local Governments should look to the vast benefits which these enterprizes will bring to the countries thro' which they pass and not strive by excessive impositions to make them sources of revenue, and defeat by this ill-judged measure the very object sought .to be obtained. It is not necessary that I should enter into a de- tailed examination of Mr. Belly's contract. There are physical and financial obstacles, as well as political ones in the way of its execution, some of ·which can hardly be overcome. I shall, therefore, only advert to one of the provisions, rather with a view to the future proceedings of these Governments, than from any practical bearing it will have in this case. But previously to doing so, I will bring to your Google.
Powered by FlippingBook