THE INTEROCEANIC CANAL PROBLEM 137 



Bulwer treaty and from the right of search claimed by the 

 British Government have been amicably and honorably ad- 

 justed. The discordant construction of the Clayton and 

 Bulwer treaty between the two Governments, which at differ- 

 ent periods of the discussion bore a threatening aspect, have 

 resulted in a final settlement entirely satisfactory to this 

 Government." 



The country at large acquiesced, and it was confidently 

 hoped that the matter was forever settled, and that the 

 troublesome Clayton-Bulwer convention would be permitted 

 to rest peacefully in the archives of the State Department. 



Thus closed in peace and concord a decade of bitter con- 

 troversy growing out of this treaty. Fundamentally, the 

 motives of these disagreements may be largely traced to sus- 

 picion. While neither party actually sought a monopoly of 

 political control over the canal route, each power distrusted 

 the other, and was ready to detect in every move of its oppo- 

 nent, a covert attempt to secure those forbidden advantages. 

 But the hope that the controversy was forever ended proved 

 v.uii. Twenty-one years later, Great Britain found her sus- 

 picions verified. The United States did covet a monopoly of 

 ;he canal, and openly proclaimed her intention of acquiring 

 t. The Clayton-Bulwer treaty was scanned anew for its 

 mperfections, and the old-time quarrel was fought over 

 >nce again, but upon new lines of argument. 



IV 



From 1860 to 1865 the United States was engaged in a 

 truggle at home that rendered Central American affairs 

 omparatively of little importance ; nevertheless, the subject 

 f a canal was never entirely lost sight of. In 1856 a series 

 riots at Panama interfered with the freedom of transit over 

 isthmian railway, and the United States found herself 

 nder obligation to use military force to relieve the interrupted 

 >ute. Upon this occasion the Secretary of State, Mr. Marcy, 

 isclaimed any desire for exclusive advantage in that line of 

 ansit; he went so far as to announce the American inten- 



