THE INTEROCEANIC CANAL PROBLEM 161 



Whatever highway may be constructed across the barrier 

 dividing the two greatest maritime areas of the world must be 

 for the world's benefit a trust for mankind, to be removed from 

 the chance of domination by any single power, nor become a point 

 of invitation for hostilities or a prize for warlike ambition. An 

 engagement combining the construction, ownership, and operation 

 of such a work by this government, with an offensive and defen- 

 sive alliance for its protection, with the foreign state whose re- 

 sponsibilities and rights we would share is, in my judgment, incon- 

 sistent with such dedication to universal and neutral use, and 

 would, moreover, entail measures for its realization beyond the 

 scope of our national polity or present means. 



The lapse of years has abundantly confirmed the wisdom and 

 foresight of those earlier Administrations which, long before the 

 conditions of maritime intercourse were changed and enlarged by 

 the progress of the age. proclaimed the vital need of interoceanic 

 transit across the American Isthmus and consecrated it in ad- 

 vance to the common use of mankind, by their positive declara- 

 tions and through the formal obligation of treaties. Toward 

 such realization, the efforts of my Administration will be applied, 

 ever bearing in mind the principles on which it must rest, and 

 which were declared in no uncertain tones by Mr. Cass, who, 

 while Secretary of State, in 1858, announced that " what the 

 United States want in Central America, next to the happiness of 

 its people, is the security and neutrality of the interoceanic routes 

 which lead through it." 



The attitude of the executive throughout both of Mr. 

 Cleveland's administrations served to check the attempts to 

 repudiate the Clayton-Bulwer treaty which were demanded 

 from influential sources; indeed, the earnest efforts of Mr. 

 Elaine and Mr. Frelinghuysen to abrogate that convention 

 have never since been revived, although the Clayton-Bulwer 

 treaty has never ceased to be regarded in other than a most 

 unfavorable light. On two occasions, indeed, since 1883, the 

 provisions of the treaty have been invoked in such a manner 

 as to indicate our renewed adherence to it. 



It will be recalled that by the treaty of Managua, between 

 Great Britain and Nicaragua, concluded by Sir William 

 Ouseley in 1860, the former abandoned her protectorate over 

 Mosquitia that strip of territory lying along the gulf coast 



