166 AMERICAN DIPLOMATIC QUESTIONS 



rule of Nicaragua over Mosquitia, which the business inter- 

 ests of American citizens there resident had twice prompted 

 them to overthrow. 



The Indian Chief (Clarence) was scarcely established in 

 office, with a " council of state " of American and British 

 citizens to aid him in directing the affairs of Mosquitia, 

 when the Nicaraguan army again appeared. England having 

 already abandoned hope for the fulfilment of her Mosquito 

 projects, held aloof. The United States, to be consistent, 

 encouraged Nicaragua. Bluefields was taken, Clarence fled 

 to Jamaica, all American and British subjects including the 

 British Consul, who were suspected of complicity in the last 

 Mosquito uprising, were seized, and with scarcely a pretence 

 of trial, were summarily banished. 



Through the exercise of an unusual amount of tact by 

 the United States authorities, Nicaragua relented, and par- 

 doned the exiles, many of whom returned to Bluefields to 

 resume their former occupations ; but further efforts to 

 maintain a Mosquito nation were seen by all parties to be 

 useless, and in November, 1894, the Indians voluntarily 

 declared for incorporation into Nicaragua. " Mosquitia " 

 became the Nicaraguan state of " Zelaya," with which change 

 the last remnant of Great Britain's grasp upon it faded. 



England's demand for indemnity growing out of the ban- 

 ishment of her Consul, Mr. Hatch, resulted in the seizure of 

 the Nicaraguan port of Corinto (April, 1895). The event 

 caused some excitement in the United States, but it marked 

 the final episode of British interference in Nicaragua. The 

 claim was paid, and the British warships sailed away, leaving 

 behind, for the first time in a century, no shadow of English 

 authority in Nicaragua. 



Since 1895 a number of American citizens have continued 

 under Nicaraguan authority to live and do business in Blue- 

 fields ; but frequent signs of their irritation have come to the 

 surface, indicating their disrespect for a governmental system 

 that thrives upon revolution and permits many deeds of injus- 

 tice under excuse of military necessity. Could Great Britain 

 be induced to sanction the abrogation of the Clayton-Bulwer 



