No. 91.
Mr. Williamson to Mr. Fish.
[Extract.]
United
States Legation in Central America,
Guatemala, January 3, 1874.
(Received February 5.)
No. 90.]
Sir: I have the honor to inclose you, herewith,
translated copies of the answers of the government of Nicaragua to my
communications of which I sent you copies with my Nos. 76 and 77.
Your attention is respectfully called to the difference in the tone of the
letter of the 12th and that of the 20th. In the former no objection is
raised to any plan of pacification. In the latter numerous diplomatic
suggestions or objections are quite pointedly made.
* * * * * *
I have, &c.,
[Inclosure 1 in No.
90.—Translation.]
Señor Rivas to Mr.
Williamson.
National Palace,
Office of Foreign Relations,
Managua,
December 12, 1873.
Sir: I have had the honor to receive the
dispatch of your excellency of the 8th instant.
I thank your excellency for the attention paid to all my communications,
and for your congratulations upon the prospects of peace between
Nicaragua and Costa Rica. My government receives it as a happy omen that
we may come to that issue through the interposition of your excellency’s
good offices.
My government sincerely applauds the good inclinations of your excellency
in that direction, and has instructed me especially to express its
gratitude for your tender of good offices in the settlement of the
boundary question with Costa Rica. Your excellency may be assured upon
that point there will be found on the part of Nicaragua all the
acquiescence compatible with the dignity of the state, in order that a
conclusion of this vexatious question may be reached. Up to this time no
communication has been received from the cabinet of Guatemala relative
to the projected meeting of the five Presidents of Central America, with
the view of establishing among them friendly relations. This idea having
been discussed, as your excellency informs me, by the Presidents of
Salvador and Guatemala, the government of Nicaragua will not throw any
obstruction in the way of the realization of so important an end. But I
must say frankly, it will take part in it without much hope (or faith)
in the result, for the reason it does not see what guarantee President
Guardia and his minister, Herrera, can
[Page 136]
give for the fulfillment of what may be agreed
upon at the conference. Nevertheless the question of peace to those
states is so vital (as your excellency has well said) that no means must
be spared to establish it.
I have the honor to renew to your excellency the assurances of my high
consideration.
Yours, &c.,
[Inclosure 2 in No.
90.—Translation.]
Señor Rivas to Mr.
Williamson.
National Palace,
Office of Foreign Relations,
Managua,
December 20, 1873.
Sir: I have had the honor to receive your
excellency’s esteemed communication, dated at Punta Arenas, on the 14th
instant, inclosing a copy of the memorandum of the conversation held
with President Guardia on the 10th instant, at that port.
I brought to the knowledge of the President your excellency’s esteemed
dispatch, and of the memorandum, from which, as well as from some other
documents received at the same time, he infers, as your excellency, that
President Guardia has at last come to a peaceful disposition.
As I stated to your excellency in my dispatch of the 12th instant,
neither the government of Guatemala nor that of Salvador has advised
this government of their disposition to promote a peaceful settlement
with President Guardia, nor have they informed us of what steps they
proposed, through your excellency, to take to that end.
I call your excellency’s notice to this circumstance, because my
government does not consider it in conformity to the letter and spirit
of the treaty of alliance by which they agreed as allied republics to
take no steps without common consent that would lead to the best
guarantees of their interests and welfare. But this circumstance alters
not in any manner the disposition already assured to your excellency,
that on the part of Nicaragua no obstacle will be put in the way of
carrying out any idea that may tend to the re-establishment of peace and
harmony among the states, especially if the valuable intervention of
your good office may be invoked.
Nicaragua being able to show with authentic documents the culpability of
the government of Costa Rica in the acts subversive of peace, is in duty
bound to raise to that government its just claims for serious damages to
the state and to several citizens; but neither these claims, nor the
question of limits for the settlement of which your excellency has
tendered your good offices, shall be an obstacle to Nicaragua in
entering upon any treaty or convention to secure the peace of Central
America.
In reference to this idea of permanent peace, in which your excellency
has taken so great and so laudable an interest, the President begs me to
call it to your notice that the statements and assurances of President
Guardia, made in the convention of the 10th instant, have not yet had
the sanction of the actual government of Costa Rica. It would appear any
efforts made should have such a firm basis of legality that the acts
resulting therefrom should be permanent. In this Nicaragua is more
interested than any of the states, owing to her proximity to Costa Rica
and the nature of the question now pending between them.
Respecting the personal presence of the President of this republic at the
place to be designated for the re-union, there is a constitutional
obstacle. He has been authorized by the law, of which I send you a copy,
to leave the republic solely with the object of treating about the
national unity and not about regulations of peace among the states.
However, your excellency may rest assured that the government of
Nicaragua shall be properly represented at the meeting.
With the highest consideration, I have the honor to be your excellency’s
obedient servant,
[Inclosure in 2 in Xo.
90.—Translation.]
Managua, October 22,
1873.
The President of the republic of Nicaragua to its inhabitants:
Know ye that the congress has ordered the following:
the senate and chamber of deputies of
the republic of nicaragua.
Decree.
- Article 1. The President of the republic
is authorized, if he thinks it necessary or convenient, to leave its
territory with the object of facilitating the negotiations and
arrangements
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relating to
the reconstruction of the political union of Central America,
leaving the executive power in deposit.
- Art. 2. During the next recess, and
until the new meeting of the legislative power, the executive may,
if the circumstances so require, employ the senators and deputies in
diplomatic missions having in view the great interoceanic canal, the
national reorganization, and the peace of the Central American
states.
Given in the hall of sessions of the senate-chamber, Managua, October the
15th, 1873. Fernando Gurman, S. P.; José L. Avendaño, S. S.; Pedro P.
Prado, S. S. To the executive power. Hall of sessions of the chamber of
deputies, Managua, October 15, 1873. José Saliuas, D. P.; J. D.
Rodriguez, D. S.; Francisco Padilla, D. S. Therefore, let it be
executed. Managua, October 21, 1873. Vincente Quadra. The minister of
the interior, Francisco Barberena.