Memphis daily appeal. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1847-1886, 1882-02-04
ARTHUR ANDBLAINE
Caustie Letter from the Ex-Seeretary to
the President-The Latter Re.
minded OF His
Sudden Change OF Foliey-An IntIma-
tion that an Explanation is
In Order.
WAsHIsGToN, February 3.-The following
letter was sent to President Arthur to-day by

WARRINGTON, February 3.-The folIowin
letter was sent TO President Arthur to-day b
Ex-Secretary Blaine:
WASHINGTON. D. c., February g.
To the President Of the United States:
The suggestion of congress of all Amer
can nations TO assemble in the city of Vast
ington for the purpose of agreeing on such
basis OF arbitration for international trouble
as would remove all possibility of war o
the western hemisphere, was warmly az
proved BY your predecessor. The assassins
| tion of July I'd prevented his issuing invita-
tions 10 the American States. After you
accession to the presidency / acquaintet
| you with the project and submitted TO yol
| drafts for such an invitation. You received
the suggestion with the most appreciatiy
| consideration, and, after carefully examining
the form of the invitation, directed it TO b
sent. 1t was, accordingly, dispatched in No
vember to the independent governments o
| America, North and South, including all
from the empire of Brazil to the smalles
republic. 10 the communication addressed
! by the President and secretary of state OF
| the 9th Of last month to Mr.. Prescott, anC
recently to the Senate, / was greatly sur
| prised to find a proposition looking to tn,
annuIment of these invitations, and / wa
still more surprised when l read the reason
assigned. | quote Freylinghuysen's Ian
guage: "The United States is a
peace with all nations OF the earth, and the
President wishes hereafter to determine
whether it will conduce to the general peace
which he would cherish and promote, fol
this government 70 enter into negotiations
and consultation for the promotion of peace
with selected nationalities without extending
like confidence to other people with
whom the United States is on equally friend
ly terms. If such partial confidence would
- L. H., IL.
sought by such consultation, would not be
promoted. The principle controlling the
relations of the republics of this
hemisphere with other nationalities
may, on investigation, be found to be so we'll
established that little would be gained al
this time by reopening the subject, which is
not novel;" If l correctly apprehend the
meaning of these words, it is that we might
offend some of the European powers if we
should hold in the United States a congress
of "selected nationalities" OF America This
is certainly a new position for the United
States to assume, and one which / earnestly
beg you will not permit this government to
occupy. The European powers assemble in
congress whenever an object seems to them
of sufficient importance to justify
it. l have never heard of their
consulting the United States in regard to the
propriety of their so assembling, nor have
sentatives to be present, nor would there in
my opinion be any good reason for their so
doing. Two presidents of the United States
in the year 1881 adjudge it expedient that
American powers should meet in congress for
the sole purpose Of agreeing upon some basis
for the arbitration of differences that may
arise between them, and tor the prevention,
as far as possible, of war in the future.
IL that movement is now to be
faI f,rf foo off
rope, the voluntary humiliation of this
government could not be more complete I'M
less we should petition European govern
ments for the privilege of holding the con-
gress. cannot conceive how the United
States could be placed in less enyiable POI
sition than would be secured by sending, in
November, cordial invitation to all the
American governments to meet in
the city of Washington for the sole
purpose OF concerning measures of
peac,, and in January recalling the invita-
ton for fear it might create Jealousy and i'll
will' on the part OF monarchical govern
ments in Europe. 1t would be difficult to
devise more effective mode for making
enemies of American governments, and it
would certainly not add to our prestige in
the European world, nor can see, Mr..
President, how European governments should
feel jealousy and i'll will toward the United
assure lasting peace between the nations
of America, unless, indeed, it be the
interest OF European powers that the
American nations should at intervals
fall into war and bring reproach on repub-
lican government. But from that very cir
cumstance / see an additional and powerful
motive for American governments to be at
peace among themselves. The United States
is indeed at peace with all the world, as Mr..
Frelinghuysen we'll says, but there are, and
have been, serious troubles between other
American nations Peru, Chill and Bolivia
have been for more than two years engaged
in desperate conflict. 1t was the fortunate
of the United States last
spring that averted war between
Chill and the Argentine Repub-
lie. Guatemala is at this moment
asking the United States to interpose its
good offices with Mexico to keep of war
These important facts were all communi-
Gated in your late message to Congress. 1t
was the existence or menace OF these wars
that Influenced President Garfield, and, as
supposed, influenced yourself TO desire
conference Of all the nations OF
America to devise methods of permanent
peace and consequent prosperity Tor all.
Shall the United States now turn back, hold
aloof and refuse 10 exert its great moral
power for the advantage of its weaker neigh
bors? If you have not formally and fully
recalled the invitations to peace con-
gress, Mr.. President, 1 beg you to consider
what will be the effect of so doing. The in
vitation was not mine; it was yours. L per-
formed only the part of secretary TO advise
and draft; you spoke in the name of the
United States to each OF the independent ma
tions OF America. To revoke that invitation
for any cause would be embarrassing. To
revoke it for the ayowed fear OF Jealousy and
i'll wilP' on the part of European powers
would appeal as little. to American pride as
to American hospitality. Those you have
invited may decline, and having now
cause to doubt their welcome, will
perhaps do SO. This would break up
the congress, but it would not touch
our dignity. Beyond the philanthropic and
christian ends to be obtained by an Ameri-
can conference devoted to peacs and good
will among men, we might well hope for ma
terial advantages az the result OF better
and closer friendship with the
nations of America. The present condition
of trade of the United States and its Ameri-
can neighbors is unsatisfactory to us, and
even deplorable. According to the official
statistics of our own treasury department
the balance against us in that trade last year
was Sl20,000,000, sum greater than the
yearly product of the gold and silver mines
in the United States. This vast balance
was paid by us IN foreign exchange.
and large proportion of it went to
England, where shipments of cotton, provi-
sions and breadstufs supplied money. If
anything should change, or check the bal
snce in our favor in European trade, our
exchanges with Spanish Amer
lea would drain us OF our reserve of gold
coin at rate not exceeding 100000, 900 per
annum, and would probably precipitate a
of specie payment in this coun-
try Such result at home might be worse
than a little Jealousy and i'll WHIP
abroad. l do not say, Mr.. Pres
ident, that the holding OF a peace
congress will necessarily change the currents
Of trade, but it will bring us into kindly re-
lations with all American nations; it will
promote the reign of peace and law
and order; it will increase production
and consumption, and will stimulate the de-
mand fer articles which American manufac-
lures can furnish with profit; it will
at all events be a friendly and
suspicious beginning in the direction
Of American influence and American
trade in the large field which we have
hitherto greatly neglected, and which has
been practically monopolized by our COM
mercial rivals in Europe. As Frelinghuy-
sens dispatch foreshadowing the abandon
ment of peace congress has been made pub
lie by your direction, deem it a matter of
propriety and justice TO give this letter TO the
press. ! am, Mr.. President, with great re-
spect your obedient servant,