Page:Popular Science Monthly Volume 16.djvu/878

844 taken by the American Government in relation to this question was in response to an appeal from the Central American Republic. Señor Canaz, its Minister at Washington, in a note addressed to the Department of State in 1825, proposed the coöperation of that republic with the United States in opening a canal through the province of Nicaragua. Mr. Clay replied to it, and instructed Mr. Williams, then our Minister in Central America, to investigate the practicability of the Nicaragua route. Through Williams's influence a contract was made with the Central American Government for the construction of a canal through Nicaragua "for vessels of the largest burden possible." It was proposed to raise a capital of only $5,000,000 for the entire work; but even that amount could not be obtained.

The Central American Government then applied to Holland for coöperation, and a Dutch company was formed in 1830 to construct the canal; but owing to European political disturbances it could not carry out its agreement, and the Central American Republic renewed its application to the United States as the country that should naturally have the preference.

The project was again brought up under Jackson's Administration, and in 1831 Mr. Livingston, Secretary of State, instructed Mr. Jeffers, American chargé in Central America, as follows: "You will endeavor to procure for the citizens of the United States, or for the Government itself, if Congress should deem the measure constitutional and proper, the right of subscribing to the stock; and you will, in either case, present and transmit such plans, estimates, and other information relative to the projected work as may enable us to judge of its feasibility and importance."

Four years later, on the 3d of March, 1835, the Senate of the United States adopted the following broad and liberal resolution: "Resolved, That the President of the United States be respectfully requested to consider the expediency of opening negotiations with the governments of other nations, and particularly with the Governments of Central America and New Granada, for the purpose of effectually protecting, by suitable treaty stipulations with them, such individuals or companies as may undertake to open a communication between the Atlantic and Pacific Oceans by construction of a ship-canal across the isthmus which connects North and South America, and of securing for ever, by such stipulations, the free and equal right of navigating such canal to all such nations, on the payment of such reasonable tolls as may be established to compensate the capitalists who may engage in such undertaking to complete the work."

Again, four years later, in 1839, the American House of Representatives adopted a resolution reaffirming the ground taken by the Senate, and requesting the President to consider the expediency of negotiating with other nations "for the purpose of ascertaining the practicability of effecting a communication between the Atlantic and the Pacific Oceans by the construction of a ship-canal across the Isthmus, and of securing for ever, by suitable treaty stipulations, the free and equal right of navigating such canal to all nations."

The same policy was even more broadly and emphatically announced by the United States Government in 1850, in the Clayton-Bulwer Treaty, That convention contains the following declarations:

"The Governments of the United States and Great Britain hereby declare that neither the one nor the other will obtain nor maintain for itself any exclusive control over said ship-canal; agreeing that neither will ever erect or maintain any fortifications commanding the same or in the vicinity thereof, or occupy, or fortify, or colonize, or assume or exorcise any dominion over