Within a week after the promulgation of this convention, Gen. Taylor died. This event was followed by an entire change in the foreign policy of the government, which during the whole of Mr. Fillmore’s administration vibrated between the extremes of gross subserviency and indecent bravado. The British envoy deemed the opportunity favorable for his purpose, and redoubled his exertions to procure the rejection of the treaty with Nicaragua, or its essential modification, so as to do away with the alternative, so fatal to British designs, which its terms imposed. Communication after communication reached the State Department from this zealous officer, in which the circumstance that General Taylor’s administration had condescended to enter into treaty relations with Nicaragua was abundantly ridiculed, and the feeble government of that State not only characterized as ignorant, weak, and poor, but unsparingly denounced as faithless and corrupt. A special point of objection to the treaty, and that on which the envoy placed the greatest stress, was its incompatibility (as he alleged) with his convention with Mr. Clayton. That gentleman, in fact, was accused of duplicity and bad faith in permitting the Nicaragua treaty to rest in the hands of the Senate, which might at any time take it up for ratification, and thus topple down the cunning diplomatic fabric that he had raised.^[55] These appeals and representations were addressed to a willing ear, and on the 29th of September, 1850, Sir Henry exultingly wrote to Lord Palmerston that “Mr. Webster furthermore said, that he should recommend the Senate to do nothing further, for the present, in respect to Mr. Squier’s treaty.” In what form that recommendation was made is not known; it is perhaps well for the memory of the dead, it certainly is for the credit of American statesmanship, that the details of this surrender of American dignity, honor, and interests lie under “the seal of secrecy.” It is enough to know that soon after the date of Sir Henry’s triumphant announcement to Lord Palmerston, Congress adjourned without action on the treaty. The next session passed with the same result, leaving on the minds of the Nicaraguan people a profound impression of broken faith and impaired national honor.

Returning now to the special subject of the proposed interoceanic canal, we find the “American Atlantic and Pacific Canal Company” so far complying with its charter as to send out a corps of engineers, under Colonel Childs, to survey the line of the work, with the results set forth in a preceding chapter. The expedition had not been long in the field, however, before it became obvious that the undertaking would prove of a much more formidable character than had been supposed, and that the whole idea of constructing a canal conformably to the charter must be abandoned. The survey was nevertheless continued, and an apparent compliance with the letter of the charter kept up, while the grantees dispatched one of their own number to Nicaragua with the view of procuring a separation of the privilege of exclusive steam-navigation, in the interior waters of the State, from the more serious obligations of the canal contract, and to secure other additional privileges necessary to establish a monopoly of transit. This exclusive privilege having been principally conceded for the purpose of facilitating the construction of the canal, and regarding the attempt to procure the separation as covering a design to abandon the proposed canal, by securing independently all that could, for many years at least, prove of value, the government of Nicaragua at first refused its assent to the application. Political disturbances subsequently occurring, the constituted authorities of the State were overthrown, and two distinct governments installed, one at Leon, another at Granada. Availing himself of the necessities of the latter, in respect of arms and money, the agent of the company succeeded in obtaining from it the concessions desired, although under protest from the government established in Leon. With this contested if not invalid concession he returned to New York, and the California emigration being then at its height, a company was readily formed under it, with the denomination of the “Nicaragua Accessory Transit Company,” which, after an infamous career of deception and fraud, the history whereof is written in the proceedings of our courts of law, finally broke up, disastrously, from internal dissensions. With the organization of this company, the anterior canal company was practically dissolved, nor has it since been heard of, except in connection with some abortive attempts to give currency to certain documents called “canal rights,” issued by the grantees of the canal, before the supplementary concession was made, and before the original charter became forfeited for non user. By the provisions of that charter the canal was to be completed within twelve years, ten of which have elapsed without action, and consequently any effort to represent the “American Atlantic and Pacific Ship Canal Company” as having a legal or even constructive existence can only be characterized as an impudent attempt at imposture.

As already said, the results of Col. Childs’ survey in Nicaragua were such as to discourage any idea of opening a canal through that country, at a cost within the range of legitimate enterprise. Subsequent efforts to find other and more practicable canal routes, at Darien and Atrato, were unsuccessful, and the surveys of Maj. Barnard at Tehuantepec proved that a canal at that point was simply impossible. The public mind, furthermore, having now for the first time taken up the question of a canal, from a practical point of view, soon settled down into the conviction that however desirable a canal might be for certain purposes, railways would far better subserve the more important and essential requirements of travel and of trade. This conviction gathered strength from the experience of the Panama railway, which, notwithstanding its deficiencies in position and ports, and the deadliness of its climate, was found adequate to the general requirements of commerce. These considerations, still more than the distracted political condition of Nicaragua, were effectual to divert the public mind from the subject of the proposed canal, and it was allowed to rest in abeyance, and probably would have gone entirely out of sight for the remainder of this century, had not attention been called to it again by the fantastic proceedings of a certain Monsieur Felix Belly, of Paris, “publicist, and knight of the orders of San Maurice and Lazarus, and of the Medjidie.” Taking advantage of the reaction against Americans which followed the expulsion of Gen. Walker from Nicaragua, and by adroit implications of being the confidential representative of the Emperor Louis Napoleon, (who, as we have seen, had himself been principal to a contract respecting the canal,) he received from the acting president, or rather dictator, of Nicaragua, a new concession for opening the proposed canal. The instrument bears date, “May 1, 1858, the anniversary of Walker’s capitulation!” Its provisions are such as might be expected from the character of the contracting parties, and do not merit recital. They may, however, be inferred generally from the stipulation of Art. 26, “that the French government shall have the right to keep two ships-of-war stationed in the canal, or in Lake Nicaragua, for the entire duration of the works.” The contract, furthermore, by an eminently Gallic appreciation of congruity and propriety, is accompanied by a grand political manifesto, setting forth that “hitherto all the official agents of the United States in Nicaragua have been accomplices and auxiliaries of fillibusters,” and that, for this and other reasons, Nicaragua was then, and by virtue of that manifesto, “placed under the guarantee of the three powers which have guaranteed the Ottoman Empire—England, France, and Sardinia”—these powers being adjured “no longer to leave the rich countries of Central America to the mercy of barbarians!” Late advices from Nicaragua affirm that the contract with the “Knight of San Maurice and Lazarus” was ratified, with various modifications, on the 8th of April, 1859, by the Legislative Chambers of the State.^[56] It will thus be seen that the somewhat dreary history of earnest but unsuccessful attempts to connect the seas by means of a canal, is finally to be relieved by a comic episode; and we may indulge the pleasing hope, that the all too sad reminiscences connected with the undertaking, like the too serious impressions left by a tragedy, are to be happily dissipated by the opportune introduction of a farce! To Punch and Charivari remains the congenial task of recording and illustrating the future career and the prospective triumphs of Monsieur Belly, “Publicist, Knight, etc.,” in Nicaragua!

Being a Narrative of the Exploration of the Tributaries of the River La Plata and Adjacent Countries, during the Years 1853, ’54, ’55, and ’56, under the Orders of the United States Government. By Thomas J. Page, U.S.N., Commander of the Expedition. One Volume Large Octavo, with Map and numerous Illustrations. Muslin, $3 00.

☞ Harper & Brothers will send the above Work by Mail, postage paid (for any distance in the United States under 3000 miles), on receipt of $3 00.

Travels and Discoveries in North and Central Africa. Being a Journal of an Expedition undertaken under the Auspices of H.B.M’s Government, in the Years 1849-1855. By Henry Barth, Ph.D., D.C.L., Fellow of the Royal Geographical and Asiatic Societies, &c., &c. With a Map and numerous elegant Illustrations. Complete in 3 vols. 8vo, Muslin, $7 50; Half Calf, $10 50.

A New Descriptive Catalogue of Harper & Brothers’ Publications, with an Index and Classified Table of Contents, is now ready for Distribution, and may be obtained gratuitously on application to the Publishers personally, or by letter inclosing Six Cents in Postage Stamps.

The attention of gentlemen, in town or country, designing to form Libraries or enrich their Literary Collections, is respectfully invited to this Catalogue, which will be found to comprise a large proportion of the standard and most esteemed works in English Literature—COMPREHENDING MORE THAN TWO THOUSAND VOLUMES—which are offered, in most instances, at less than one half the cost of similar productions in England.

To Librarians and others connected with Colleges, Schools, &c., who may not have access to a reliable guide in forming the true estimate of literary productions, it is believed this Catalogue will prove especially valuable as a manual of reference.

To prevent disappointment, it is suggested that, whenever books can not be obtained through any bookseller or local agent, applications with remittance should be addressed direct to the Publishers, which will be promptly attended to.

f