Doc. No. 75. 



it, unless she possessed just and powerful reasons to do so, engaging to 

 isubmit to an arbiter any disputes that might arise on this particular, 

 which arbiter was to be chosen of common accord, and expressly" 

 renouncing a resort to arms, under pain of being responsible for the 

 consequences, the first to break the engagements of this contract; 

 that respecting the qiiestion about Nicoya, both agreed to refer it to 

 an arbitrament composed of the government of Honduras on the part 

 of Nicaragua, and of the government of Guatemala on that of Costa Rica, 

 which were authorized to appoint a third, totally impartial, although it 

 might be of any foreign nation ; the said district should never appertain 

 to any other but the republic of Central America, and that on no account 

 should it ever pass to the possession of any foreign nation, under pain, 

 that if it was ever done with the consent of the State to which the arbi- 

 ters had adjudicated it, it should by this act forfeit the right acquired in 

 Tirtue of the arbiter's decision. The Legislative Assembly of Nica- 

 ragua fully approved of these treaties, proroguing to six months the 

 term for the ratification, and authorizing the government to accept the 

 modification or modifications that might be proposed by Costa Rica, 

 specially in the treaty about the navigation, which was of more interest to 

 both parties. Costa Rica, however, did not act in the same way, though 

 she was repeatedly invited to com.e to a resolution, reminding her of the 

 obligations that bound her to terminate the question. In the meanwhile 

 the States of San Salvador, Honduras and iNicaragua had agreed to send 

 delegates to a diet which met at Nacaome on the 6th of June, 1847; with 

 this motive Costa Rica was also invited, not only by Nicaragua, but by 

 the diet itself, to send her delegates. That State did not accede to the 

 invitation, and Nicaragua was obliged to declare that if she did not send 

 a representative to the diet, which might terminate the question as the 

 government had proposed, the time was come to name an arbiter, as she 

 had engaged to do in the article 25th of her new constitution. The 

 answers were always evasive, on purpose to gain time; thus it was that 

 the question remained as it is now. What is truly inconceivable, is how 

 Costa Rica, after so many protestations of friendship towards Nicaragua, 

 and of peaceful intentions to arrange the differences amicably, has refused 

 to accept the means that lead to this desired end. This can only be ex- 

 plained by the fatal intervention that the British consul has exercised in 

 the affairs of Central America : he suggested to Guatemala and Costa 

 Rica the idea of proclaiming themselves independent repubhcs under the 

 protection of Great Britain ; and, with the pretext of conciliating the 

 States, has (and without any authority to do it) interfered in the affairs 

 of the country. The consul knows very well that what a State gains in 

 strength by the union, she loses by division. Subsequently to the date 

 to which I refer, the affair was not again spoken of until the 20th of May, 

 1848, when the ministry of Costa Rica addressed to the ministry of Nica- 

 ragua a communication setting forth the authority given to the director of 

 roads in preference to all else, to open a communication with the Atlantic 

 by the Serapique, in order to obtain its consent to the execution of that 

 undertaking, it being unders ood that no injury was implied to the rights 

 of Nicaragua, as there was no intention of entering into the question 

 which England had raised with regard to San Juan ; and that, upon the 

 settlement of this question with the British cabinet, as was to be expected, 

 Jiew treaties should be made between the two States, with regard to the 



