No. 30.
Mr. Hall to
Mr. Frelinghuysen.
Legation of
the United States in Central America,
Guatemala, September 21, 1882.
(Received October 23.)
No. 18.]
Sir: With reference to your instruction No. 4 of
the 9th ultimo, relating to the postponement of the Congress of American
States which it was proposed to hold in Washington on the 19th of November
of the present year, I have to inform you that, in accordance therewith, I
have delivered to the minister for foreign affairs of Guatemala, and have
forwarded to each of the ministers for foreign affairs of the other states,
a copy of the instruction referred to. My communications to Honduras,
Salvador, and Nicaragua, respectively, were addressed on the 9th, and to
Costa Rica on the 19th instant, after I had forwarded my credentials as
reported in my No. 17. Copies of these communication are transmitted
herewith.
Although it was well understood by the Government of Guatemala that the
proposed Congress of American states would not be realized, the minister for
foreign affairs expressed great regret that a project of such vital
importance, to the Central American States especially, should have failed
even temporarily. He could but express the hope, however, that the project
would be revived at no distant day, and that under the auspices of the
United States it would be successfully carried out.
I have, &c.,
[Inclosure 1 in No. 18.]
Mr. Hall to Minister for Foreign Affairs of
Honduras.
Legation of the United States of America in Central
America,
Guatemala, September 9,
1882.
Sir: Through the medium of this legation the
President of the United States, some months since, extended to the
several governments of the Central American republics an invitation to
be represented in a general Congress of American states, which it was
proposed to hold at Washington City in November, 1882. The invitation
was addressed to your excellency on the 4th January last, and under date
of the 20th February your excellency communicated the acceptances of His
Excellency the President
[Page 48]
of
Honduras, and at the same time expressing a high appreciation of the
humane object and elevated purposes of the proposed Congress. In that
invitation the confident hope was expressed that, by the remote date
fixed for the meeting of the Congress, all conflicting questions between
the republics of the southern continent would have terminated, and that
all would be able to participate in its discussions. Unhappily, that
peaceful condition, contemplated as essential for carrying out
successfully the object of the proposed Congress, does not exist. These,
and other reasons which are set forth in the accompanying copy of a
communication from the Secretary of State, by whose instruction I have
the honor to transmit it to your excellency, have constrained the
President to postpone the projected meeting until some future day.
I would respectfully invite the attention of your excellency to that part
of the Secretary’s communication in which is expressed the belief of the
President, that the fact of such a Congress having been called has not
been without benefit; in this belief I am persuaded the government of
your excellency will concur.
I improve, &c.,
[Inclosure 2 in No. 18.]
Mr. Hall to Minister for Foreign Affairs of
Nicaragua.
Legation of the United States of America in Central
America,
Guatemala, September 9,
1882.
Sir: Through the medium of this legation, the
President of the United States, some months since, extended to the
several governments of the Central American republics an invitation to
be represented in a general Congress of American states, which it was
proposed to hold in Washington on the 22d of November next. That
invitation was communicated to your excellency on the 4th January last,
and its receipt was acknowledged under date of 14th February; I find no
other communication on the subject from your excellency on the files of
this office. The Secretary of State no w instructs me to inform the
governments of the Republics of Central America that the meeting of the
projected Congress has been postponed until some future day. The reasons
therefor are set forth in the accompanying copy of his dispatch of the
9th ultimo, addressed to this legation, and which by his instruction,
also, I have the honor to transmit to your excellency.
I embrace, &c.,