February 3, 1851.
MY DEAR SIR,—You
will receive the suggestion which I am about to make as being unexpected.
I look upon the
Nicaragua Mission, and all the Nicaraguan affairs, as being, at this moment,
the most delicate and important point in our foreign relations. Among all who
are applying for appointments abroad, members of Congress, and others, I do not
know a man whom I think qualified to be Chargé d'Affaires at Nicaragua. We are
in danger of collision with England, and of entanglements, on the other hand,
with these little republics.
At the same time,
the amount of transit of goods and passengers across the Isthmus, at this
point, is very large and fast increasing. We need a well-informed, safe, sound,
and accomplished political agent; and the best qualified man I know is William
Hunter, one of the senior clerks in this Department. Mr. Hunter is about forty
years old, belongs to Rhode Island, and is a sober, clear-headed, hard-working
man. He was originally well educated, has been in this Department a good while,
and for ten years or more has had charge of all the correspondence with the
South American States. He reads and speaks Spanish well. All the South American
Legations here, know him, and regard him highly. He is perfectly familiar with
the constitutions, interests, and objects of all these American States, from
Mexico to Buenos Ayres. If he were at Nicaragua, I should feel perfectly
confident that no European agent, and no American government or minister, would
obtain any advantage over him, or be able to lead him into any act of
imprudence.
As to political
effect, I know nothing to be expected from his appointment, but the general
satisfaction which the selection of a person purely from considerations of
capacity and fitness would give to the country.
All this is merely
for your consideration. Of course I have said nothing of it to Mr. Hunter
himself, nor has any such idea, I presume, ever entered his mind.
SOURCE: Fletcher
Webster, Editor, The Private Correspondence of Daniel Webster, Vol.
2, p. 416-7
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