The Papers of Mirabeau Buonaparte Lamar, Volume IV, part 2

191

PAPErts OF :Mrn.rnEAU BuoxAPARTE LAMAR

willing that the Gov. of the U. S. should employ her forces in such protection - but Kicaragua does not give this priviledge even to be employed solely to her benefit to the U. S. she insists that the U. S. G. should protect her agst, filibuster invasion, yet she shall only 30 her forces in the protection of Nicaragua when espially asked to do so. That the U. S. could contract the obligation of protection, without the permission to make such protection by force effectually - is au ab- surdity - and the wry proposition could not have been made in any sense than to bring about the rejection of the whole treaty by the U. S. itself. Would Nicaragua have consulted her own lnteress, would she have been posscsed of the true wish, to see her country prosper, to leave [live] in peace and harmony with the Governement of the U. S. there is not one single ltom in the treaty proposed which could have been objectionable to her; does this treaty not fully garantize to her, her Souvreinty over the route which it proposes to protect, does it propose any thing, whereby national pride could be wounded, does it not on the contrary propose the uninterrupted enjoyment of peace and prosperity to the Country and yet Nicaragua has seeked out this mode of rejecting the friendly offers of the only power, who offers her1:1df to become her protector and ally. - The very modifications imply nothing more nor less then: that Nica- ragua does not want any treaty with the U. S., that Nicaragua, fears that through opening of the transit route under the protection of the U. S. G. the Barriers of exclusiveness will be thorn [sic] down - civili- sation will break its way through the obstacles, which artificially are heaped together to oppose its course, and that progress will work its way to emancipate society from its present craddledom - which so well suits to the interess and tastes of a few of the Inhabitants of this Country. No. 2717 [1858? M. B. LAMAR, MANAGUA? NICARAGUA?] "MEMO- RANDA" UPON WEBSTER'S ALLEGED CONTRACT 31 llfemoranda. Mr Webster had presented himself to this government, de- claring that he has, as the Agent of Mr Vanderbilt, and for the use and benefit of the same, contracted with the govt. of Costa Rica for the two Lake Steamers - the San Carlos and the Virgin - together with whatever rights and claims Costa Rica may have on the two river Boats now at San Juan Del Norte, agreeing to pay the sum of Ninety thousand dollars for the same. he Webster, being entitled to reserve- to himself thirty thousand dollars of said amount as his own individual funds in payment of and compensation for various services which he has rendered Costa Rica. - Mr Webster also represents that one of the conditions of said contract is that Nicaragua is to have the refusal of said Steamers - that is - the the [sic] right of taking them for the same sum in pref-

.. Lamar must have omitted the word "nse" here. 31 A. Df.

Powered by