Fayetteville observer. [volume] (Fayetteville, Tenn.) 1850-1966, 1880-02-12
Washington Letter.

4 Il
duty on steel rails develops
strength i'll a surprising manner.
1t will hardly receive the sane
ton Of the House, however, but
will go over with the tariff bills,
for consideration by a special
Committee.
Mr.. Randall and his special
Committee oh Rules have net
with defeat after defeat in the
matter Of comforting increased
power upon the Appropriations
Committee. Final action on such
of the rules as can be carried
through the House will be had
very soon.
There was very great inter-
est felt here yesterday, among
politicians, in the action of the
Pennsylvania Republican State
Convention. The result was u
surprise to the friends of Senator
Blaine, and carried rejoicing a.
mong the third-termcrs. So great
State holding its Convention in
advance of all others, and declar-
ing so emphatically for Grant, is
very significant. The result is
regarded as very important by
all here.
There will be a great contest
in the Senate long to be rcmem-
bered when Senators Thurman
and Edmunds come to debate
the question whether Insurance
Companies shall be allowed to
join other claimants for reim-
bursements before the Alabama
Claim Commission, so called.
Senator Thurman has just repor-
ted from theJudiciary Committee
bill for this purpose, and Sena-
tor Edmmds gives notice that
he will oppose it.
1t is high time that the gov
ernment of the United States
should take decisive action touch
ing the proposed construction by
foreign companies of work upon
the lsthmus. 1t appears by re-
cent kilograms from Panama that
M. DeLesseps is rapidly prose
cutting the surveys preliminary t.
the commencement Of work upon
the canal. 1t appears that he has
eight companies in the field who
are pressing forward the surveys
with all possible dispatch. Sc
long as NJ. DeLesseps con.
fined himself to an effort mere.
iy to raise capital, so long as
he was content to indu 'ge il
self congratulatory speeches o.
yer what he had done and wha-
he would do, it hardly seemed
necessary for one government t
trouble itself much about thu
matter, but now that work hat
commenced in earnest, now tina
these Frenchmen have actually
landed at Panama and seem de
termined TO dig their canal with
out as much as saying "by you
leave" the time for very decided
action has come. 1t cannot, j
must not be longer postponed
The American people desire, ma,
they demand that the Monro,
doctrinc'shall again be asserted
not in a mild and apologize wa,
lest offense might be given, bu
boldly, fcarlessly, in tones $,
loud and emphatic that our mean
ing may be at once understood
But it may be said that Franc,
has disclaimed any connection
with the proposed work or any
right to supervise or control it
True, but what does this. declaim
er amount to? Is there anyon,
so blind rs not to see that TO per
nit a French company to con
stract and control this worl
would place us in no better con
dition than if the work was pros
ecuted directly by the Frencl
Government; In both'cases the
ultimate result would be the same
In case of a war with France, fol
whose benefit would the canal if
constructed and controlled, by
Frenchmen be used? Certainly
for the benefit of our enemy anC
to our great injury. To permit
this work to be thus constructed
would be to abandon every prin
ciple of the doctrine asserted by
Mr.. Monroe and to invite num-
berless foreign encroachment'
upon this continent. BY failing
to act now we would permit the
establishment of a dangerou.
precedent, The French govern.
ment has said it has nothing tC
do with the work, but what does
NJ. DeLesseps say? What guar
antee does he offer us that wher
he has constructed the work our
rights shall be respected. lie
gives no guarantee, but if Inc
were to give a thousand they
would be valueless. There could
DC but one result and that is pat
ent tie everybody. There can be
no doubt that the work Of uni
ting the two oceans should be
accomplished, bat it must be
done by Americans and under
the cuparxyician and f.optrol Of fbn