The evening telegraph. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1864-1918, 1869-09-15
THE ST. THOMAS sWINDLE

| HE New York Times. which still hangs on
| to the ghost of Stewards former self, and
therefore deems it necessary to come to his
defense on all possible occasions, argues that
'it would be a pity" to have the treaty for the
! purchase of the submarine volcano of st.
Thomas fail, "without debate and solemn
enunciation of the trse limits of Executive
power in its negotiations with foreign States,
that the latter may know just what Importance
to attach to any engagement OF our Executive,
so long as it lacks the Senatorial approval.
This is q special plea of the most puerile sort.
The Constitution of the United States, Art. III,
section II, clause 9, says:-"He (the Presi-
dent) shall have power by and with the advice
and consent of the Senate, to make treaties,
provided two-thirds of the Senators present
concur" If the Senate were to devote an en-
tire year to debating the question, and were
then to enunciate, in the most elaborate
style, ''the true limits of Executive power, in
its negotiations with foreign States" it could
do nothing more than proclaim the fact that
no treaty negotiated by the Executives bind
ing and valid until it has received the assent
of two-thirds of the members of the Senate
present when the final vote is taken, and that
the Executive has under the Constitution no
power or authority to pledge the ratification
of the Senate.
The Times says that ''the policy of our
Government upon the subject ought to be
defined, both for our own sakes and to prevent
any future MISUNDERSTANDING with foreign
sovereigns." But the policy of our Govern
ment is defined, and that clearly, by the
clause from the Constitution quoted above;
and ever since the present form of govern
ment has been in existence, its practice has
coincided with the policy laid down in the
clause in question. When Minister Bancroft
negotiated his great treaty with the North
German Union which settles the vexed allie
glance question, it was formally ratified by
the Senate, and nobody at home or abroad
regarded the ceremony of ratification as
superhuous. And when Minister johnson,
in the full tide of his after-dinner revelries,
stipulated that the American people should
make an out-and -out surrender to Great Bri-
tain on the Alabama claims question, the
Senate repudiated his action, and no one,
either in the United States or Great Britain,
dreamed of regarding this reputation as a
cdSus belR. 1t was not until Mr.. Seward,
elated by the acquisition of the Alaska ice
bergs, turned his covetous eyes upon st.
Thomas, and agreed to take it off the hands
of King Christian for 100000 900, that it
was suddenly discovered that the power to
negotiate treaty with foreign State was
reposed exclusively i2 the President and lis
Secretary of State.
By the express terms of the Danish treaty,
if ratifcations were not exchanged on OF be-
g. I'll. 81 l.
become void. Why was this ridiculous clause
| inserted in the treaty, if there were any
doubts about 'the true limits of Executive
power in it's negotiations with foreign States?"
And why, the limit having passed without any
affirmative action on the part of the Senate,
did Mr.. Seward unite with the Danish Minis
ter to extend the time for ratification to
October Is, 1869? The Danish authorities
clearly understood at the time the treaty was
negotiated, and they understand full well at
| present, that without the ratification of the
Senate the contract for the purchase of st.
Thomas is null and void, and that the Senate
is under no obligations whatever to ratify the
treaty'if two-thirds of its members do not
believe that the best interests of the United
States demand such action. If Denmark
chooses to tender st. Thomas to us as free
gift, we may possibly accept it; but in our
present financial straits we have more press
ing uses for the $40, ,OOO,O 600. The true secret
OF this incessant agitation of the st. Thomas
question lies undoubtedly in the fact that. if
the treaty fails, as it has failed and is bound
to fail with every possible extension, some
body other than the King of Denmark will
lose an opportunity to pocket good round
share of the purchase money.
Our Democratic mornino contemnoror,,