the geography of the country, its climate, soil, and productions, and the kind of industry most proper to be encouraged, and also forward to you for your inspec tion some of the cotton, coffee, rice, sugar, corn, and other productions of this particular section of country, with suggestions as to the proper time and mode of introducing settlers, its capacity to maintain a large population, and such other facts and pertinent matters as I may deem of interest to you. With every deference I submit whether the establishment of such a colony at the points indicated would not have the effect to divert the trade of this country very much towards the United States, and materially increase the influence of our government in shaping the future policy of Guatemala as well as the adjoining States, besides checking, without cause of offence, the future encroachments of the English colony of Belize upon the territory of the republic of Guatemala. I confidently assure you that President Carrera would personally favor this project. And it is a great point gained to have the co-operation, if such an arrangement were desired, by the government of the United States with that of Guatemala. Would it not be worth the effort to direct the attention of President Carrera away from the schemes of the monarchists of this country to the principles better harmonizing with our own. And may not this be done in connexion with the colonization of free blacks from the United States, whereby two good things may be done at one and the same time. And should you so direct, I would give to this work my most hearty efforts, firmly believing it can be accomplished with every success. I have the honor to be, sir, with great respect, your obedient servant, Hon. WILLIAM H. SEWARD, Secretary of State, &c., &c., &c. E. O. CROSBY. No. 18.] Mr. Seward to Mr. Crosby. DEPARTMENT OF STATE, Washington, June 19, 1862. SIR: The enclosed copy of an instruction of the 4th instant, addressed to our minister in Costa Rica, will give you all the information at present in my possession in regard to the purposes of this government respecting the colonization of free blacks, to which you refer in your No. 12. The same remarks which I have directed Mr. Riotte to make to the Costa Rican government you are authorized to express to that of Guatemala. Any formal and authorized offer will be fairly submitted to the parties concerned; and when their own election shall have been made, every possible facility will be extended to enable them to consummate their wishes. I am, sir, your obedient servant, E. O. CROSBY, Esq., &c., &c., &c. WILLIAM H. SEWARD. GUATEMALA AND SALVADOR. NOTES Mr. Yrisarri to Mr. Seward. [Translation.] BROOKLYN, August 26, 1862. The undersigned, minister plenipotentiary of the republic of Guatemala and Salvador, has the honor to make known to his excellency the Secretary of State of the United States of America that he has seen in several newspapers of this country a speech which is said to have been made by the President of these States to a committee of colored persons on the 14th 'instant, in which speech there is an offer made to that committee to provide for people of color by establishing a colony of their race in Central America, his excellency adding that "he would endeavor to have them made equals, and that he had the best assurance that they would be as good as the best." As Central America is nothing more than the union of the five republics of Guatemala, Salvador, Honduras, Nicaragua, and Costa Rica, the two first being the most important on account of their population and extent of territory, and as the undersigned represents these two republics in the United States, he deems it his duty to represent to his excellency the Secretary of State of the United States that in those two republics no kind of colonization of foreigners, whether white, black, or other color, is allowed without a special permission from the respective governments, the colonists being held to the fulfilment of such conditions as it may be thought proper to impose on them. The undersigned regrets to find himself under the necessity of addressing this communication to his excellency the Secretary of State of the United States, but as in the general term of Central America the two republics of Guatemala and Salvador are comprised, he has thought it his duty to signify that it ought not to be understood that they are comprised according to the strict terms of the speech published in the name of the President of the United States. On this occasion the undersigned has the honor to renew to his excellency the Secretary of State of the United States of America the assurances of his highest consideration. His Excellency WILLIAM H. Seward, A. J. DE YRISARRI. Secretary of State of the United States of America, &c., &c., &c. Mr. Seward to Mr. Yrisarri. DEPARTMENT OF STATE, The undersigned, Secretary of State of the United States, has the honor to acknowledge the receipt of a note under date of the 26th of August last, from his excellency Mr. Yrisarri, minister plenipotentiary of the republics of Guatemala and Salvador. In that communication Mr. Yrisarri refers to what is published in certain newspapers as a report of a speech which is said to have been made at the executive mansion on the 14th of the same month by the President of the United States, to some unofficial persons in attendance there, on the subject of a proposed colonization of Americans of African derivation in some part of Central America. After presenting a portion of the said supposed report, Mr. Yrisarri remarks that Central America includes the two states which he represents, and, therefore, he proceeds to inform the Secretary of State that in those two republics no kind of colonization of foreigners, whether white or black, or of any other color, is allowed without a special permission from the respective states, the colonists being held to the fulfilment of such conditions as it may be thought proper to impose on them. The undersigned has the honor to state, in reply, that the note of Mr. Yrisarri has excited some surprise on the part of this government, because, first, it is thought unusual to base diplomatic communications upon informal conversations of the executive head of the government as reported in public journals, and, secondly, it is not perceived that the remarks attributed to the President imply any purpose or desire on his part to colonize any class of persons in the states represented by Mr. Yrisarri, or in any other Central American state, without first obtaining by peaceful and friendly negotiation the consent of the government of such state to that proceeding. Nevertheless, to remove all apprehension of such a purpose, the undersigned has great pleasure in stating that he is authorized to assure Mr. Yrisarri that, if this government should at any time hereafter find it desirable to effect such a colonization in any foreign country, the first proceeding to that end which will be taken will be a frank and literal application to the government of that country for its consent, and if such consent shall not at once be cheerfully accorded, the purpose will be promptly and unreservedly relinquished. The undersigned avails himself of this occasion to offer to Mr. Yrisarri renewed assurances of his high consideration. WILLIAM H. SEWARD. Señor Don ANTONIO JOSÉ DE YRISARRI, &c., Sr., &c. Mr. Yrisarri to Mr. Seward. [Translation.] BROOKLYN, September 9, 1862. The undersigned, minister plenipotentiary of the republics of Guatemala and Salvador, has the honor to acknowledge the receipt of the note of his excellency the Secretary of State of the United States of America, dated the 5th instant, in reply to that from the undersigned of the 26th of last month. As his excellency the Secretary of State signifies that it has caused some surprise to the government that the undersigned should, in the first place, have based his diplomatic communication on informal conversation of the chief of the executive power related in the public papers, and in the second place, that there should have been attributed to his excellency the President a wish to colonize any class of persons in the states represented by the undersigned, or in any other in Central America, without previously obtaining the consent of such states, the undersigned requests his excellency the Secretary of State to be pleased to accept his excuse for having based his communication on such grounds, even though they coincided with what was set forth by Senator Pomeroy, who has appeared publicly as a commissioner of his excellency the President to organize the colonization of persons of color in Central America. It is true that M these facts have reached the knowledge of everybody through the medium of the newspapers; but not on that account have they failed to acquire that degree of notoriety, authenticity, and certainty, which, in the opinion of the undersigned, entitled them to be considered as beyond doubt. However, the undersigned allowed twelve days to pass after the publication of the speech, which was said to have been delivered by his excellency the President on the 14th of last month; but not having been contradicted during all that time, it seemed to the undersigned that the fact was unquestionable, and that, being so, it was entitled to such consideration as its importance demanded. In regard to having attributed to his excellency the President the purpose of colonizing persons of color in Guatemala and in Salvador, without the consent of those governments, the undersigned protests that he had no intention of offering this insult to the chief of this republic, but that he merely endeavored to make known in advance to this government that, as respects those two republics, such colonization cannot take place, because it does not suit the views of those governments. There it is desired to have, as in these United States, colonists of a different class, who may have had a more liberal education than can be acquired in a state of slavery. In proof of what is said, the undersigned has the honor to communicate to his excellency the Secretary of State that he has received, by the last steamer which brought letters from Central America, a despatch from the minister of foreign relations of Salvador, in which, transcribing the official note of the minister of foreign relations of Nicaragua, a copy of which is annexed, he orders the undersigned to take suitable steps towards averting from Central America the evils which are apprehended there from such a colonization. His excellency the Secretary of State of the United States will thus perceive that if the undersigned had not addressed to him the note of the 26th ultimo, in relation to this matter, he would now find himself under the necessity of doing so in compliance with the orders which he has received from the government of Salvador, embracing the wishes of the government of Nicaragua. The undersigned does not doubt that the government which he represents, as well as all the others of Central America, will be fully satisfied with the equity and justice which are manifested by this administration, at the conclusion of the note of his excellency the Secretary of State of the United States, in which he declares that at no time will this government proceed to carry into effect any colonization without the previous consent of the authorities of those countries; nor was less to be expected from a government which professes the principle of respecting the unquestionable rights of all nations, without making any difference between the most and the least powerful. On this occasion the undersigned has the honor to repeat to his excellency the Secretary of State of the United States of America the assurances of his highest consideration. His Excellency WILLIAM H. SEWARD, A. J. DE YRISARRI. Secretary of State of the United States of America, &c., &c., &c. [Translation.] SECRETARYSHIP OF FOREIGN RELATIONS OF SALVADOR-NICARAGUA, SECRETARYSHIP OF FOREIGN RELATIONS. NATIONAL PALACE, Managua, July 29, 1862. Mr. MINISTER: Since news was received in this republic of the authority which the Congress of the United States has given to the Executive to transport, at their expense, the liberated negroes to a point beyond that republic, and to establish them under the protection of the said United States, his excellency the president of this republic, discovering that the introduction of such elements into our territory would be lamentable and dangerous, both on account of the degradation of that race and of the number much exceeding that of our popu lation, and, what is more, on account of its being under the special protection of another nation, has ordered its minister in the United States to be instructed to openly make known the opposition of this government to every undertaking of this nature on the territory of Nicaragua. But as the admission of an establishment of this kind into any of them, or the introduction of free negroes would have the same inconveniences for the other states of Central America as for Nicaragua, his excellency the president, wishing to come to an understanding with the other governments of this section of America, has directed me to make known its opinion to them, hoping that if it is approved they will be pleased to second it in the manner which they may deem most suitable and efficacious. I have the honor to make this known to you in order that you may be pleased to report it to his excellency the president of the republic in which you are, and to communicate to me seasonably its results, and I subscribe myself your obedient servant. The undersigned, Secretary of State of the United States, has the honor to acknowledge the receipt of a note addressed to him on the 9th instant by his excellency Mr. Yrisarri, minister plenipotentiary of the republics of Guatemala and Salvador, touching the subject of the colonization of Americans of African derivation in those republics. The undersigned has the honor to inform Mr. Yrisarri, in reply, that while any agents of such persons, recognized by this government, will, in every case, be instructed not to attempt any such colonization in any country without first having received the consent of its government to the settlement of the colonists, such agents will be especially instructed not to carry such emigrants at all to either of the two republics represented by Mr. Yrisarri, his note being accepted as a definitive expression of the purpose of these two governments not to receive and protect such settlements. The undersigned avails himself of this occasion to renew to Mr. Yrisarri the assurances of his high consideration. WILLIAM H. SEWARD. Señor Don ANTONIO JOSÉ DE YRISARRI, &c., &c., &c., Brooklyn. |