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Ooc. No. '}5 



ence of this declaration, and sent Don Francisco Maria Oreaminos as plen- 

 ipotentiary to the government of Nicaragua, to settle the question of 

 limits, and to procure a modification in the constitutional article. Seiior 

 Oreaminos proposed several amendments, and also the basis of a treaty, on 

 this and other subjects of mutual interest, but all with the condition that 

 Nicaragua should recognise the annexation of Nicoya to Costa Rica ad 

 perpetuaiii. The minister was the first who, to urge an arrangement, an- 

 nounced the determination of Costa Rica to fix her limits from the mouth 

 of the river San Juan on the Atlantic, to that of the river Plor on the 

 Pacific, in case the basis he proposed was not adopted. The constituent 

 assembly of Nicaragua reftised to treat on such basis; but^ out of defer- 

 ence to Costa Rica, added to the article second a clause as follows ^ 

 ^'The limits of the two neighboring States Avill be marked by a law which 

 will make part of the constitution," which shows plainly that they were 

 disposed to come to an amxicable convention, and to prevent dificulties 

 which might destroy the friendly relations between the two States. 



This clause to the article second settled the difficulties of the moraenty 

 and the affair remained to be arranged at a more favorable occasion. Ni- 

 caragua had her attention entirely occupied in the w^ar against San Sal- 

 vador, which lasted until 1S40. Costa Rica began also to suffer from 

 internal revolutions which terminated with the dictature of Carillo, who 

 made that State ihe paragua of Central America, as it was said by several 

 contemporary writers, until 1842, when the Ex-President Morazaii, who 

 was at Chirigin, invaded the State, and snatched the power from the 

 hands of the dictator. Tiiis event, and the appearance of Morazan, 

 alarmed the other States, and caused the legislative chambers of Nica- 

 ragua to authorize the Director of the State, by a decree of tlie 4th of 

 June, 1842, to proceed to the reannexation in the shortest possible 

 time." This was rather a mode of justifying a war against the conqueror 

 of Costa Rica (as Morazan was called) than of solving the question be- 

 tween the two States. Consequently, though the government of Nica- 

 ragua was invested with this faculty, it did not make use of it, not even, 

 in the propitious circumstances that presented themj selves afterwards, (in 

 September of the same year,) the rebellion against Morazan. This proves 

 the good faith which the Nicaraguans pursued towards the people of 

 Costa Rica, though this State has abused its power to oppress its weaker 

 neighbors. After the rebellion of Costa Rica against Morazan,. which 

 ended in the death of this * * , the Nicaraguan government sent ta 

 the provisiortal one of that State, Seiior Don Zoribio Figerinio, authorized 

 to treat on this and other subjects of mutual concern. The minister from^ 

 Nicaragua arrived in Costa Rica on tlie 5th of January, 1843, and imme- 

 diately opened the negotiations; but these had no better success than 

 those of Sefior Oreaminos in Nicaragua; and at last the commissioner 

 retired after a month, protesting against Costa Rica for the undue deten- 

 tion of the district of Nicoya, and against the means used by that govern- 

 ment to recover it. It is necessary to say that Costa Rica, during the 

 conferences, did not propose any other adequate means to soh^e the ques- 

 tion than to refer it to the legislatures of the two States to decide, founded 

 in the decree of the 9th of December, 1825, drawing therefrom not very 

 logical conclusions, in my opinion. The government of Nicaragua did 

 not say any more on the subject iintil the 14th of July, 1843, when that 

 of Costa Rica was again invited to proceed to an amicable arrangement,. 



