Doc. No. 75. 238 



I have seen the minister of Costa Rica, whom I know very well, and 

 have questioned him very minutely as to the state of the relations of 

 Costa Rica with Great Britain. He has renewed to me the assurance 

 that that relation is at present one generally of friendship, and nothing 

 more. I could see, however, the reserved purpose of invoking the pro- 

 tection of Great Britain, in case Nicaragua should make a war on Costa 

 Rica. You know they have a strife about boundaries, which I have 

 always advised them to settle. The Costa Rican minister assured me that 

 he has full powers from his government to come to a settlement, but 

 neither Mr. Castellon nor Mr. Marcoleta has such full powers. I have 

 endeavored to ascertain the nature of the dispute, and find that a part of 

 the claim of Costa Rica rests on nothing historical, but only on the con- 

 venience of the natural boundary of the river San Juan. If your diplo- 

 matic agent in Central America could induce the several provinces to 

 come to an understanding about their respective boundaries, a great point 

 would be gained. I anticipate no difficulty in inducing the minister of 

 Costa Rica at London to give time for such an effort. 



There exists also a treaty of commerce and navigation as yet unratified 

 between Nicaragua and Belgium. The King of the Belgians was also 

 invited to be interested in the establishing of a colony in Nicaragua, but 

 his intervention was claimed as the condition of the grant of lands, and 

 naturally the King of the Belgians would not undertake the protection of 

 Nicaragua against the encroachments of Great Britain. 



But the grave subject for discussion is with Great Britain, in reference 

 to its intrusion into Central America as the protector of the so-called King 

 of the Mosquitos. On this subject I could have no better guide than 

 your despatch of the second of May, which, from its clearness and pre- 

 cision, its firmness and its manifest desire to come to a just understanding 

 with Great Britain on this subject in a friendly way, leaves nothing to be 

 desired. You may assure the President, that, in my conversations with 

 Lord Palmerston, and with such other members and supporters of this 

 government as it may be proper to speak with, I shall govern myself 

 exactly by the instructions which you have communicated ; and I shall 

 do so with the more cheerfulness, as those instructions correspond with 

 my own views of the duty of our country on this occasion. They are 

 so founded in justice and moderation, that, if they are consistently and 

 inflexibly adhered to, the President may be sure of not coming in con- 

 flict with the judgment or the interests of the impartial in England ; 

 while he will have the good wishes of all other maritime powers on his 

 side. It may, however, in any event, be best for me to prepare and pre- 

 sent the protest or remonstrance" to which you refer. The conversa- 

 tions which you so properly instruct me previously to hold can only 

 smooth the way fer that paper, so that it may not come upon the ministry 

 suddenly; but unless the views of the American government are ulti- 

 mately communicated to the British government in writing, they will not 

 have the weight or the formality which the President desires. A protest, 

 after all, is but a solemn declaration of opinion; and that declaration need 

 not, of itself, assume the existence of an antagonist opinion. 



Lord Palmerston is gone out of town for the Whitsuntide holidays ; 

 on his return I will enter upon this business, of the importance of which 

 I am fully aware. 



I am; sir; ifec; 



GEORGE BANCROFT. 



