The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1882-02-04

These important facts were all
communicated in your late message
to Congress. These and other facts
Influenced President Garfield, and as
l supposed Influenced yourself to
desire a friendly congress of all
American nations to devise methods
for permanent peace and consequent
prosperity for all. Shall the United
States now turn back, hold alo0f
and refuse to exert its great moral
power for the advantage of its
weaker neighbors =? If you have not
formally and fully recalled the invi-
t2tions to a peace congress, Mr.
President, / beg you to consider
well the effect of SO doing The in
vitatiOn was not mine. 1t was
yours. [ performed only the part Of
a secretary to advise and draft. You
spoke in thu name of the United
States to each of the independent
nations of America. To revoke that
invitation for any cause would be
embarrassing. To revoke it for
avOwed fear of jealousy and i'll will
on the part of European powers
would be to 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 American
conference to be devoted to peace
and good will among men I'VE might
well hope for material advantages
as the result of a better understand
ing, and the closest friendship with
the nations and America At pres
ent the condition of trade between
the United States and its American
nsighbOrS is unsatisfactory to US
and very deplorable. According to
official statistics of our own treasury
department, the balance in the
United States treasury of that trade
last year was S120,OO0,00o, a sum
greater than the yearly product of
the gold and silver mines in the
United States. This vast balance
was paid by the United States in
foreign exchange, and very 'arge
proportion Of it went to Eng
land, where shipments of cotton,
provisions and breadstuff supplied
the money. If anything should
change or check the balance in our
favor in European trade, our COM
mercial exchanges with Spanish
America would drain off our re-
serve of gold coin at rate exceed
ing S100,OOO,OeO per annum, and
would probably precipitate the sus-
pension of specie payments in this
country. Such result at home
might be worse than a little jeal-
OuSy and i'll will abroad. / do not
say, Mr.. President, that the holding
of q peace congress will necessarily
change the currents of trade, but it
will bring the United States into
kindly relations with all.Americsn
nations. It will promote a reign of
peace and law and order. 1t win
increase production and consump-
ton, and will stimulate the demand
for articles which American manu-
facturers can furnish with profit.
It will. at all events, be
a friendly and suspicious begin
ming in the direction of American
influence and American trade in a
large field which we have hitherto
greatly neglected, and which has
been practically mOnopOlized by our
commercial rivals in Europe. As
the Frelinghuysen dispatch fore
shadowing the abandonment Of the
peace congress has been made pub
lie by your direction, l deem it 2
matter Of propriety and justice -
give this letter to the press.
am, Mr.. President, with great
respect, your ever obedient servant,
JAMES c.. BLAINE.