Correspondence of the Department of State; Accompanying the Annual Message of the President of the United States to the Two Houses of Congress

This historic book may have numerous typos and missing text. Purchasers can download a free scanned copy of the original book (without typos) from the publisher. Not indexed. Not illustrated. 1856. Excerpt: ... ceived with great satisfaction your assurance that the United States have no ulterior purposes in view in regard to these matters; that they frankly disclaim all intention of obtaining territory in Central America, and that you have no doubt that they would be willing to enter into a mutual agreement with Great Britain, neither to settle, annex, colonize, or fortify that country, and I can with equal frankness assure you, that into such a mutual agreement her majesty's government would be equally ready to enter. I am, &c, &c. PALMERSTON. Abbott Lawrence, Esq., dc, dc. dc. Mr. Marcy to Mr. Buchanan. Extracts. No. 42. Department Of State, Washington, June 12, 1854. Sir: The perusal of Lord Clarendon's reply to your statement in regard to Central American affairs does not encourage hopes of a speedy adjustment of them. I still indulge the hope, that, by the array of facts and arguments bearing on the questions in difference in regard to Central American affairs, the government of Great Britain will be induced to abandon the main positions assumed by Lord Clarendon in his statement of the 2d ultimo. This government can never yield to the pretension that the treaty of the 19th of April, 1850, was only prospective in its operation, and that Great Britain retained the right to hold on to all she then had or now claims to have had in Central America. It was certainly our expectation that she came under obligations to the United States, by that instrument, to withdraw from interference in Central American affairs, and this expectation is sustained by the language of the treaty. There is room for a fair difference of opinion as to the position she should in future occupy in regard to Belize or British Honduras. It was not the object of the President, as ...