the implied invitation of Lord Kimberley for the United States to join with Great Britain in devising a solution of the problems growing out of the Bluefields incident might imply a willingness on the part of this Administration to depart from the consistent policy pursued by previous Administrations in dealing with Central American questions. "The situation at Bluefields, and elsewhere in the strip, presents no question difficult of solution. The sovereignty of Nicaragua over the whole of the national domain is unquestionable. She has granted or secured to certain Indians within part of her domain the right of selfgovernment, under expressed conditions and limitations. It may be safely said that such government does not exist, and has not existed in the Mosquito territory. An alien administration, in other interests than those of the Indians, notoriously exists, especially at Bluefields. Nobody is deceived by calling this authority a Mosquito Indian government. No matter how conspicuous the American or other alien interests which have grown up under the fiction of Indian self-government, neither the United States nor Great Britain can fairly sanction or uphold this colorable abuse of the sovereignty of Nicaragua. "So far as American rights of person and property in the reservation are concerned, this Government can not distinguish them from like rights in any other part of Nicaragua, and should they be invaded we could only look to the territorial sovereign for redress. This being so, the United States could neither participate in nor sanction any device whereby the ultimate authority and international responsibility of Nicaragua in respect of American citizens in the reservation might be impaired or restricted. "These general considerations are submitted for your guidance in dealing with any suggestions Lord Kimberley may advance.” Mr. Gresham, Sec. of State, to Mr. Bayard, amb. to England, July 19, 1894, "To-day, in a personal interview at the foreign office with Lord Kimberley, his lordship, referring to the presence of the two armed ships of the United States and Great Britain at Bluefields, said there would be no difficulty in their keeping order, and he deprecated very positively the use of the name of the Mosquito Indians as a shield under which foreign residents sought to wage war in opposition to Nicaragua, and said that the presence of the British vessel and armed forces had no other object or purpose than to protect the lives and property of British residents during a period of lawlessness and strife, and that the only desire of his Government beyond that was to induce the Nicaraguans to treat the Indians with forbearance and moderation, and not shoot them down, as they were very apt to do. "I took the opportunity to repeat what I had stated to his lordship on a former occasion-that the United States were wholly opposed to the employment of the fiction of a Mosquito government to organize an opposition to the Government of Nicaragua, which had no connection whatever with the customs and domestic usages of the Mosquito Indians, and that American citizens would not be allowed to set up any such government under any pretext." Mr. Bayard, amb. to England, to Mr. Gresham, Sec. of State, Aug. 10, 1894, See, also, Mr. Gresham, Sec. of State, to Mr. Bayard, amb. to England, Aug. "I have the honor to state that yesterday, by appointment, I called on Lord Kimberley at the foreign office, and the subject of the interview was the present condition of affairs between Great Britain and Nicaragua, arising out of the rough treatment of Mr. Hatch, a representative of the former Government at Bluefields, at the hands of Nicaraguan authorities. "His lordship stated the occurrences complained of dated some three months ago, and, although explanation had at once been demanded, no response was made until two days ago, when a very voluminous reply in Spanish (necessitating translation) had been sent in, but which he had not yet had time to consider. "For the purpose of sending this dispatch by the mail to-day, it is enough to say that his lordship desires explicitly to have it understood that any action in the way of obtaining redress from Nicaragua which Her Majesty's Government may hereafter decide is necessary in the premises is wholly unconnected with any political or conventional question touching the Mosquito Reservation, but is simply a proceeding, on the grounds of international law, to obtain satisfaction for an affront. "His lordship repeated to me, with much emphasis, his desire that this should be understood, and that he had no other wish than to act in accord and with the approval of the United States in matters concerning political control in Central America. "I reminded his lordship of the very imperfect civilization of the region where these difficulties had arisen, and of the incidental departures from the regulated proprieties of official life and legal methods which were naturally to be looked for in that quarter. "I told him in general substance the views I had expressed to Señor Barrios here in October last, and lately in Washington to Señor Guzman, in relation to the entire facility and finality with which the Government of Nicaragua could pacify the entire region and absorb the small remnant of Indian self-government in Mosquito by simply dealing with generosity and gentle pressure with the leading Indians, and procure that formal incorporation' of the territory of the Mosquito Reservation and the rest of Nicaragua provided for in the treaty of Managua, and thus the entire question of jurisdiction and of British or other interference could be ended. "Lord Kimberley warmly seconded this view, and expressed a desire it should be carried out." Mr. Bayard, amb. to England, to Mr. Gresham, Sec. of State, Nov. 24, 1894, "Minister from Nicaragua is advised by his Government that British minister to Nicaragua declares England does not accept Nicaraguan rule in Mosquito territory, and that British minister has telegraphed to Limon for English war vessel to go to Bluefields. While this information is not fully credited here, you will inquire and report." Mr. Gresham, Sec. of State, to Mr. Bayard, amb. to England, tel., Nov. 24, 1894, For. Rel. 1894, App. I, 356. "Lord Kimberley, having my note of the 26th lying before him, stated that my report to you of the interview of Friday previous, as recited in my note of that day to him, was entirely accurate, but that he had not then informed me of his latest telegraphic instructions to the British minister at Nicaragua respecting a number of decrees which had been lately promulgated at Bluefields by the Nicaraguan commissioner, and which, pending the consideration of the incident of the arrest and expulsion of the British proconsul and the proposed discussion here by Señor Barrios, were not accepted by the British Government, but that a notification of a cautious nature-‘a caveat' (as his lordship termed it)-had been filed by the British minister, in order that the assent and approval by Great Britain of these decrees, so far as they affected British interests in Nicaragua and British duty under the treaty of Managua and the Austrian award thereunder, should not be considered as conclusively given, but to remain suspended until the mission of Señor Barrios and the incident of Hatch's arrest should have reached a satisfactory termination." Mr. Bayard, amb. to England, to Mr. Gresham, Sec. of State, Nov. 27, 1894, grounds of international duty and self-respect, to procure such redress for an alleged wrong to your citizens as might be found just and necessary, and that no jurisdictional or other question would be involved. "Late on Saturday night, and after my dispatch had gone, I received a telegram from Secretary Gresham to the effect that the Nicaraguan minister at Washington stated that he had been informed by his Government that the British minister to Nicaragua had announced that his Government does not accept Nicaraguan rule in the Mosquito territory, and that he had sent for a British man-of-war. 66 The Secretary is not disposed to credit these statements, and merely asks for information; but before answering his telegram, I wanted to keep you advised of all the facts and, if you think I should be further informed than I was by you in our interview of Friday, you will kindly let me know, and I will at once come and see you." Mr. Bayard's dispatch of Nov. 24 was acknowledged by Mr. Gresham, Dec. 3, 1894, as a gratifying confirmation of communications made by the British embassy. (For. Rel. 1894, App. I. 358.) See a reference to the Bluefield's incident in President Cleveland's annual message, Dec. 3, 1894. "I have the honor to transmit to your excellency a copy of the resolution passed November 20, last, by the Mosquitia convention, composed of delegates from all the native tribes of the region called the Reserve, and which from the present date will be known by the name of Department Zelaya.' "As your excellency will observe, the convention resolved, freely and spontaneously, the absolute incorporation of that territory in the Republic of Nicaragua, recognizing the constitution of that Republic in a decisive and formal manner, in doing which they did no more than carry out the provisions of article 4 of the treaty of January, 1860, between Nicaragua and Great Britain, generally known under the name of the treaty of Managua,' in which it was provided, as was proper, that nothing should prevent, at any future time, the Mosquito Indians from carrying out the aforesaid incorporation and becoming subject to the laws and general regulations of the Republic, in place of being governed by their own customs and laws. "This decision of the Mosquito delegates puts an end to the difficulties which existed in that portion of the Nicaraguan territory, and at the same time renders impossible, in future, any attempt to ignore the recognition of the absolute sovereignty of Nicaragua over the region formerly called Mosquitia,' seeing that, in view of the resolutions of the natives themselves, no pretext at all can be found for such a procedure. "I take pleasure in assuring your excellency that Nicaragua highly appreciates the kind and opportune action of the Government of the United States during the diffiulties to which I have referred, and that she recognizes how powerfully that action has contributed to the happy and final settlement of the question. "On my own part, I desire to render to your excellency personally my most sincere thanks for the friendly interest which you have always been pleased to show me in the said matter, thus contributing in an efficient manner to bring the affair to a satisfactory conclusion.” Mr. Guzman, Nic. min., to Mr. Gresham, Sec. of State, Dec. 28, 1894, For. The "resolution" of the Mosquito convention, enclosed by Dr. Guzman, "Whereas the change which took place on the 12th of February of the present year was due to the efforts of the Nicaraguan authorities to endeavor to free us from the slavery in which we were; "Whereas we have agreed wholly to submit to the laws and authorities of Nicaragua for the purpose of forming part of their political and administrative organization; "Whereas the lack of a respectable and legitimate government is always the cause of calamity to a people, in which condition we have been for so long a time; "Whereas one of the reasons of the backward condition in which we live doubtless was the improper use of the revenues of the Mosquito territory, which were employed for purposes which had nothing to do with good administrative order; "Whereas although the constitution of Nicaragua provides for all the neces sities and aspirations of a free people, we, nevertheless, desire to retain special privileges in accord with our customs and our racial disposition. "In virtue of all the foregoing, in the exercise of a natural right, and of our own free will, we hereby declare and "DECREE. "ART. 1. The constitution of Nicaragua and its laws shall be obeyed by the Mosquito people who shall be under the protection of the flag of the Republic. "ART. 2. All revenues that may be produced by the Mosquito shore district shall be invested for the benefit of that district, and we reserve our own financial autonomy; but the said revenues shall be collected and administered by the officers of the treasury of the supreme Government. "ART. 3. Natives shall be exempt from all military service in time of peace and war. "ART. 4. No tax shall be levied upon the persons of Mosquitos. "ART. 5. The right of suffrage shall be enjoyed by both males and females who are more than eighteen years old. "ART. 6. The native communities shall be under the immediate control of the inspecting chief and of the alcaldes and police officers in their respective localities. "ART. 7. None but Mosquito Indians shall be elected to fill the said offices. "ART. 8. Alcaldes and police officers shall hold their positions so long as they shall enjoy the confidence of the people, but they may be removed by order of the intendant or by popular motion. "ART. 9. When the alcaldes and police officers enter upon the duties of their offices, the chief inspector shall admister the oath of office to them, for which purpose he shall make use of the following form: Do you swear by God and the Bible to exert yourself in behalf of the happiness of the people that have elected you, and to obey and execute the laws of Nicaragua: The person to whom this question is addressed shall reply, 'Yes, I swear.* |