THROUGH THREEFOLD TENSION 159 



pose of obtaining special privileges in the use of 

 the canal. The two powers further undertook 

 a joint guarantee of the neutrality of the canal, 

 and of its protection from interruption, seizure, 

 or unjust confiscation. 



The amicable and benevolent spirit supposed 

 to be embodied in this treaty soon proved to 

 be illusory. Approval of its provisions in the 

 United States had been based in no small de 

 gree upon the impression that Great Britain 

 was bound by it to abandon all her pretensions 

 to a political foothold in Central America. 

 Article I declared that neither party would ever 

 &quot;colonize or assume or exercise any dominion 

 over Nicaragua, Costa Rica, the Mosquito 

 coast or any part of Central America,&quot; or make 

 use of any protectorate or alliance for the pur 

 pose of colonizing or exercising dominion over 

 those same carefully specified regions. Under 

 what appeared to be the obvious intent of this 

 article, the withdrawal of the British from the 

 Mosquito coast was awaited with impatience 

 in America, but no indication of approaching 

 withdrawal appeared. On the contrary, the 

 islands off the coast were in 1851 formally or 

 ganized as a crown colony of Great Britain, 

 thus giving permanence and solidity to an oc- 



