The Ottawa free trader. [volume] (Ottawa, Ill.) 1843-1916, 1856-06-28
For the Free Trader
Our Relations with ENGLAND.

CeItdlu'y Win no unululnlSneu SpeeQ u
those who, like your correspondent, have
seen it lightened by casting overboard-likt
empty casks at sea-what at their birth
were fifty future years, filled with hope ant
provisions for a pleasant journey. Few
however, have found it suit. In various
ways the provisions have been marred il
spite of human wisdom and foresight, ant
often the most trivial circumstances have
been the inexorable arbiters of an adverse
destiny. "Man proposes but God disposes,
is trite and truthful adage, and this uncer
tainty obtains in all sublunary arrange.
mcnts.
But your correspondents object is not to
philosophise on the past, but to speculate on
the future. When he last addressed you,
the sky was generally clear in the political
world. (at least in this hemisphere,) and the
weather serene but there was spcck upon
the horizon, which to the practiced eye
boded ho long continuance Of the serenity ;
and it is now time to take another observa-
ton Of the signs. Truly there is a change.
In nautical phrase we may record these
signs thus Fair but overcast with heavy
appearance to windward. Now the practical
question is, shall We have storm?
F,r myself, l cannot understand that ,eis-
GOnl which wi.fully shuts its eyes to any
evil, as the tired ostrich of the desert hides
its head in the sand when escape becomes
i,npogsif,l.. vafh.r LAT, Gppp tho dan uar
that may be prepared. In this day it is
the fashion to ignore all unpalatable contem-
plations; but evils will come nevertheless.
And it is the extreme of folly to contend
that because every tie of interest and SYM
pathy forbids it, that we are, therefore, in
no danger Of getting into a war with Eng
land. On the contrary, (whatever mere
election politicians may ASSERT the danger
is imminent, as may easily be shown.
Those who are disposed to treat the oues.
ton of war with England with inconsiderate
levity have attached too much Importance to
one Of the subjects in dispute, and too little
to the other The Champion difficulty has
been all along 4 mere feint, and used as such
by both the disputants, in order to conceal
their views of the value of the other. Eng
land-both government and pcople-knows
-.
ard she has sense enough to see that her
minister placed himself in such a position
before this government as to compel his
summary dismissal The thing is now
done, and many are specializing how she
will receive it The next steamer will pro
badly bring US angry comments, and al
though the people of England would never
sustain their government in making this a
casus 5eii, yet it has an unfortunate infu-
ence in preparing the public mind for posi-
bic eventualities due to other causes, and
thus contributing to the failure of pacific
solution. The question tina, is fraught with
real danger is the Central American ques-
ton, and the chief difficulty in settling it
has arisen from a want of plain spoken no.
nesiy on both sides. In the answer recently
given in the House of Lords by Lord Cla-
rendon, TO 4 motion made by the Earl Of FL
gin, the reader is carried away with the
conviction that war between the two conn
tries is impossible, when the English secre-
tary Of foreign affairs solemnly AYERS that as
far as bringing these disputes TO an end de-
pends on him, ''hey shall Je brought 10 an
end" Yet there is on both sides the water
a growing painful sensation, as if caused by
the shadows of coming evil. Ii will be re
mcmbered that at the close Of the cores
pondence on this question, the same Lord
Clarendon gave the final position Of his 60
vernment in the following words: that while
the British government have no wish TO ex
tend the limits Of their possessions, or the
sphere of their influence in Central Ameri-
ca, they are not prepared to contract either
the one or the other, in pursuance of an in
depreciation of a convention, to which inter
pretation they cannot subscribe. To recon
cie Lord CIarendon's late speech, then, with
this deliberate statement, only requires the
single word, "arbitration." And the person
of the arbitrator will be (as your CORES
pondent has always maintainrd) 4 I..atter Of
indifference to England. But how is this
Would England be wiling to give up Mos
quito, Rattan, and tho BaliZe, Two years
ago, no. But she has now found out that
Uncle Sam is far more pertinacious old
gentleman th1n she gave him credit for be-
ing, and that the last of the four F.s in Ore
gon speech, stands for much shorter word
than fiZzlc. | do not mean to insinuate that
we could make anything by menace; far
from it, but do say, that she has been well
convinced, by the course pursued by the
government and press of the United States,
that neither could she make anything by me-
mace.
From a careful examination of the subject
as it now stands, we may come to this con-
cluson that rather than fight, England is
willing to accept the American Interpretation
of the Clayton and Bulwer treaty, if so de-
cided by the umpire duly chosen by the par
ties thereto. By this light the speech of
Lord Clarendon is less honest than it ap-
pears. 1t is but bid for the moral support
of the world in view of a long anticipated
issue And that issue is war. Hence also
is explained the extreme humility Of the re-
cent apology in relation to the enlistment
business. Hence also the "imperiaL rea-
sons' for sending troops to Canada. But
why Git may be asked) should such an issue
be anticipated? Simply because England is
now honest in her desire to avert war
This may sound very paradoxical to some,
but such is human nature. England now
virtually says: ''it is no use to try to pre-
vent American supremacy in Central Ameri-
ca, and it may possibly be the best for me in
the long run. am therefore willing to give
up the whole, if necessary, but i said the
treaty was only prospective. (althOugh did
not think so,) and that the horse was six
teen feet high, and now will stick to it
If anv arbitrator shall decide the case
against me, well and good, / am content
will make every apology, every cOnces-
sion, but if back out, just tell me of it,
that's ALL
Assuming such an attitude, it requires no
prophetic power to foretell that England
will be sustained by her own people, by the
governments OF Europe. and by much of
public opinion here, for the principle of ar
bitration commends itself to every intelli-
gent member of community.
1t would appear, therefore, that if what
we have advanced be correct view of the
matter, that it rests with our own govern
ment to say whether it shall end in war To
what, then, are we committed? In the last
instructions to Mr.. Dallas on this subject,
dated May "a, 1856, Mr.. Marcy says, ''Lord
Clarendon seems to assume the difference
between the two countries is merely about