According to their construction, the trea
ty does no more than simply prohibit them
from extending their possession in Central
America beyond the present limits. It is
n it too much to assert, that if in the Uni
ted States the treaty has been considered
susceptible of such a construction, it never
would have been negotiated under the au
thority of the President, nor would it have
received the approbation of the Senate.—
The universal conviction in theUnitedStates
was, that when our government consented
to violate its traditional and time honored
policy, and to stipulate with a foreign go
vernment never io occupy or to acquire ter
ritory in the Central American portion of
our own continent, the consideration for*
this sacrifice was that Great Britain should
in this respect at least be placed in the
same position with ourselves. Whilst wa
h ive no right to doubt the sincerity of the
Biitis'u Government in their construction
of the treaty, it is at the same time my
deliberate conviction th .t this construction
is in opposition both to its letter and its
spirit.
Under the lata administration negotia
tions were instituted between the two gov
ernments for the purpose, if possible, of re
moving these difficulties; and a treaty hav
ing this landiable object in view was sign
ed in London on the 17th of October, 1853,
and was submitted by the President to the
Senate on the following 10th of Decem
ber.
