Why President Buchanan Refused to Rectify the Dallas-Clarendon Treaty

“The Dallas-Clarendon Treaty failed when the President of the United States, Buchanan refused to rectify it because of a technicality affecting the Bay Islands. At no time however, did the United States Senate question the clauses relating to British Honduras.  In my opinion this will be a matter on the table of the ICJ.”

Question:  Why did the United States President, Buchanan refuse to rectify the Dallas-Clarendon Treaty of 1856?

While America and Britain had signed the Clayton-Bulwer Treaty of 1850 to reconcile their interests in Central America, the gradual extension of British influence in Central America did not indefinitely pass unremarked by the United States.  But the United States was no exception to land grabbing and aggression; during the 1840s the US’ own expansionist policy had been at its height, leading to the annexation of Texas in 1845 and the war with Mexico (1845-1848) which resulted in New Mexico, Arizona and California coming under the American Flag.

Although the US had interest in the possibility of a trans-isthmian canal for some time, it was the opening up of California and the discovery of gold there in 1848 which prompted United States interest in the Central American region.  The American government had appointed a Consul to Belize in 1847 and had ignored events on the Mosquito Shore and the Bay Islands; but America could not accept the fact that Britain appeared to be establishing herself right along the Caribbean coast of Central America and in particular around the mouth of the San Juan River which was the most likely terminal point on the Atlantic for a canal.

In June 1849, the second of two American agents, E.G. Squier, arrived in Nicaragua with instructions to frustrate British designs and to start negotiations with Nicaragua for the construction of a canal.  A private company had already been formed for this purpose and had signed a contract with the Nicaraguan Government only to be opposed by Frederick Chatfield who made it known that since San Juan belonged to the Mosquita it was under British protection.   While the American agent tried to undermine the British, the British made it clear that they had no desire to monopolize a canal or to do anything more than carry out the commitments which already existed.

The Bay Islands were formally made a British Colony without adequate consultation between the Foreign Office and the Colonial Office.   Back in the U.S., the Whig administration which had signed the Clayton-Bulwer Treaty was defeated by the Democrats in 1853. 

Note: Millard Fillmore was the 13th President of the United States (1850–1853) and the last member of the Whig Party to hold the office of president. As Zachary Taylor's Vice President, he assumed the presidency after Taylor's death.

The Democrats had already shown signs of hostility to the treaty which it regarded as a violation of the Monroe Doctrine.   The Monroe Doctrine was a policy of the United States introduced on December 2, 1823.  It stated that further efforts by European nations to colonize land or interfere with states in North or South America would be viewed as acts of aggression, requiring U.S. intervention. The Doctrine noted that the United States would neither interfere with existing European colonies nor meddle in the internal concerns of European countries. The Doctrine was issued at a time when nearly all Latin American colonies of Spain and Portugal had achieved independence from the Spanish Empire (except Cuba and Puerto Rico) and the Portuguese Empire. The United States, working in agreement with Britain, wanted to guarantee no European power would move in.   James Monroe was President of the United States from 1817 to 1825 and part of the Democratic-Republican Party.

The Hypocrisy of the United States Government must be exposed since they were the aggressors against Mexico and took Texas, New Mexico, Arizona and California in the 1840s.    A lot can be said about America’s imperialistic influence in Latin America and Central America; we just have to remember Papa Doc in Haiti, Batista in Cuba, the fall of Allende and the rise of Pinoche, the fall of Anastasio Somoza and more.   Perhaps the Monroe Doctrine should have been ignored and other influences from Great Britain, France and Portugal would have made the Western Hemisphere a different region.   I must repeat from my contributor who I believe make a very accurate statement regarding European Nations’ invasion of the New World.  He said:  “The so called “New World” belonged to the peoples who lived here.  But the Europeans came and killed them out and stole everything they had and established “ownership”.  Then they used their archaic laws to create borders.”

The creation of the Bay Islands colony added fuel to the flames and the new American Government took the line that British Honduras belonged to Guatemala and that Britain had only limited rights to the areas originally granted by Spain.   In 1853, the new Minister in London, James Buchanan, was instructed to persuade Britain to withdraw from Central America and British Honduras if possible.

James Buchanan was considered a very distinguished diplomat who had already served as Secretary of State during the expansionist era of President Polk (1845-49).   After Buchanan left London, he returned to the United States to become President and remained very hostile to the British.  Palmerston who had become Prime Minister of Britain in 1855 distrusted Buchanan and the breakdown of the Dallas Clarendon Treaty seemed to have placed Anglo-American relations in the ‘melting-pot’ once again.

During 1859 to 1860, Charles Lenox Wyke was put in charge by Palmerston.  He succeeded in arranging the treaties with Nicaragua, Honduras and Guatemala which met with the approval of the American Administration.  The Anglo-Nicaraguan Treaty signed in 1860 gave Nicaragua sovereignty over most of the Mosquito Coast but safeguarded the position of the Indians and made Greytown a free port.  The treaty which was signed with Honduras in 1859 gave Honduras the Bay Islands despite the wishes of the inhabitants, and also part of the Mosquito Shore.

It will be recalled that Buchanan failed to rectify the Dallas-Clarendon Treaty of 1856 because of a technicality of the Bay Islands.

Finally the Anglo-Guatemalan Treaty of April 30, 1859 defined the boundaries of British Honduras along the lines which had been suggested as early as 1825.

It must be noted that prior to Wyke’s successful achievement of breaking down the barriers between Buchanan and Palmerston, the rumbling had reached a troubled level.   Here are those rumbling events:

• Although Buchanan views and instructions were clear he seemed at first to have been on amicable terms with the new British Foreign Minister, Lord Clarendon.
• Buchanan appeared fully and firmly convinced that the Clayton-Bulwer Treaty meant to him that the United States was to turn out ‘bag and baggage’ from South America.
• It was said that the opinions which Buchanan expressed on paper were much more forceful than in his interview with Lord Clarendon.  They produced strong reactions from diplomatic officials and members of the British Government.
• Palmerston wrote to Clarendon, “I have seldom read a paper more full of false assertions and bad arguments than those of Buchanan”   Although opinions in the British Cabinet varied as to the validity of Buchanan’s lengthy arguments, no one was prepared to abandon the Mosquito Indians entirely.
• On the issue of the Bay Islands, Lord Aberdeen told Clarendon that its establishment was ‘an imprudent act’ and that British right was questionable.  It appeared to be the one area in which the Americans could accuse Britain of violating the Clayton-Bulwer Treaty.
• No matter how Palmerston asserted that that Ruatan (part of the Bay Islands) had from ancient times been held to be a dependency of Belize and occupied as such, he was definitely on weak ground.
• Palmerston never had any intentions of yielding to America on the question of the boundaries of British Honduras.
• Lord Aberdeen still maintained in 1854 in spite of everything that British tenure of Belize reserves the rights of Spain.  Palmerston insisted that ‘these Yankees’ are more astute bullies and and are always trying how far they can go’.
• While the international situation was already inflamed, Britain was not prepared to go to war against the United States over questions of diplomatic niceties in remote parts of Central America.
• While discussions were in progress in London and in Washington events in Central America move swiftly.  The controversial American agent, E.C. Squier was again in the region and it was reported from Washington that ‘he takes all his hopes of future success in life on the prospect of annihilating all vestige of British influence in Central America’.
• More seriously, Greytown which was still in British and Mosquito hands, was bombarded and destroyed by an American warship in 1854.  Even though a section of American opinion was outraged by this unprecedented act the Administration declined either to disown it or to compensate the victims.
• The following year Central America became the scene of virtual anarchy with expeditions of American filibusters.  The most notorious, William Walker attacked Nicaragua which was already engaged in civil war and set up a provisional government at Grenada which was even recognized by the United States Government.
• The Central America Republics were so unnerved that suggestions were made for Britain and France to protect them.  Buchanan was again demanding British withdrawal from Mosquita, the Bay Islands, and British Honduras south of the River Sibun.
• Diplomatic efforts to obtain a compromised agreement were eventually made.

William Walker (May 8, 1824 – September 12, 1860) was an American lawyer, journalist and adventurer, who organized several private military expeditions into Central America and Latin America, with the intention of establishing English-speaking colonies under his personal control, an enterprise then known as "filibustering." Walker became president of the Republic of Nicaragua in 1856 and ruled until 1857, when he was defeated by a coalition of Central American armies, principally Costa Rica's army. He was executed by the government of Honduras in 1860.

The British statesman George Hamilton Gordon, 4th Earl of Aberdeen (1784-1860), was noted for his work in the area of foreign affairs. He was prime minister of Great Britain at the outbreak of the Crimean War in 1853.   Aberdeen could not withstand the parliamentary attack and resigned in January 1855 to be replaced by his rival, Palmerston.