No. 113.
Mr. Williamson to Mr. Fish.
United
States Legation in Central America,
Guatemala, June 9, 1874.
(Received July 6.)
No. 172.]Sir: I have the honor to inclose you the report of
the minister of foreign affairs in Costa Rica to the constitutional
assembly, dated May 26, and received by this morning’s mail.
[Page 172]
Accompanying the report I also send you translation of the marked parts of
pages 2 and 3 and 5, which refer to this legation, and to the part taken in
the meeting of the Presidents of Central America.
Your attention is also invited to the appendix containing the names of
diplomatic and consular agents accredited to Costa Rica, and from that
country to other states.
The document is so long that I pray to be excused for not sending you a
translation of the whole.
I have, &c.,
[Inclosure 2.—Translation.]
Extracts from Report of Secretary of Foreign Affairs
of Costa Rica, pages 3 and 4.
* * * * * * *
The Congress of the United States decided to reduce to one the five
legations accredited to the governments of the Central American
republics. In consequence of this decision Señor Don Jacob Blair, who
was minister to this republic, presented on the 30th of June of last
year his letter of withdrawal.
On the 13th of August of the same year the Señor Don George Williamson
presented to the President of Costa Rica the credentials that accredited
him as United States minister resident at Central America. Ever since he
has been recognized in this character.
* * * * * * *
Extract from page 5.
So if is in moments of sad disagreement the chief of Costa Rica conceived
serious fears of a rupture between Costa Rica and her sisters, and in
the bottom of his heart seriously regretted the necessity in which he
believed he would find himself of seeing his country involved in a
struggle of brothers, sad in its effects and barren in its results.
So it was that he eagerly seized upon the idea conceived by Señors
Williamson and Corbett, the ministers of the United States and of Her
Britannic Majesty, of a meeting of the five Presidents of Central
America for treating of general affairs and fixing the basis of a solid
and lasting peace between the Central American republics until that
epoch shall arrive, marked in the destinies of these people by a
complete union of all in one single nationality.
Circumstances that belong only to the private affairs of some of these
states have postponed indefinitely this meeting for consulting
concerning the interest of all. Notwithstanding this disappointment the
government hopes that the peace will not again be disturbed, and that
the ties of family that unite us to our sisters, far from being
weakened, will be strengthened by the blessing of internal peace which
each State enjoys, and by the deeply-grounded sentiment of concord and
fraternity that exists between the people.
* * * * * * *
