Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1882-01-20

NO. II.
American Guarantees.

The report is that Great Britain declines
modification of the Clayton. Bulwer treaty,
in the face of the fact that the treaty was
piece of sharp diplomatic practice originally,
and that the construction put upon il by Great
Britain was protested against by MIR, Clayton
to his dying day. Itis, however, ofno practical
Importance. The treaty is obsolete, as would
speedily appear should any effort be made to
give it vitality, and Great Britain will have
reason TO thank the United States for its re-
cent courtesy in opening door Of escape from
an assumption Of authority which is of no
value whatever.
The time has come when there must be u
policy of American guarantees as against
European intervention. If the United States
would maintain their own integrity. In
adopting such policy we merely follow the
precedents OF the civilized world AT this
moment, Belgium, Holland, Norway, Sweden
and Denmark guaranteed by England,
Switzerland by France, Greece by Germany.
and Turkey by the allied powers; and for the
sufficient reason that, AS they cannot agree
upon partition, il is necessary for the peace
OF Europe to preserve these small POWERS in.
tact. Thus. in the economy of nature, the
greater interest is made to serve the smaller
and a limit is placed upon the power of the
sword
The United States guarantees to every
member of the Union a republican form Of
government. Whyl Because, in the first
place. they were organized TO that end. and
secondly, they could not be organized other
wise, either then or now. The republican
form is the supreme necessity of our national
life. under which n slavcnoldng community
of formidable proportions was crushed, never
to rise again, and under which whatever 10
inimical to the true spirit of republican insti-
tulons will he crushed. take whatever form
il may. As the leading power on the Ameri-
can continent, the United States have the
legal right to make rules and regulations for
the dependent powers. until they are in po-
sition to make regulations of their own. We
could no more permit slavery nuisance in
Cuba than a Mormon nuisance in Utah, or
Chinese nuisance in California. II a
royalty should be established in Canada
as seems highly probable,) il would
devolve upon us to consider how much
OF how little of n nuisance that would
he, and to dispose of IL accordingly. A
British interest on this side OF the Atlantic is
| not very alarming, vet the affiliated interests
which ALWAYS grow with royalty, and the alli-
ances which it is always able to form. would
make for the United States far from de-
srable neighbor. Mexico already realizes
the iron grip of the United States, but il has
also realized its protesting hand. Had Il
il not been for the menacing attitude of the
United States in 'G5, Mexico would have
been a dependency of Austria and had II not
been for the Monroe doctrine in 1922, Spain,
backed by France at that time, would have
made desperate effort to hold on to all of
her American conqHsts
How contemplate are the pleas of paltry
# las a nation. have rights in the premises,
| they involve grave obligations, the discharge
| of which is the only proper assertion of the
rights. The sub.lety of European diplomacy
| and the persistency of European policy bears
| fruit, and demands the utmost vigilance on
| our part BY royal marriage, Great
Britain succeedod to the Portuguese possessions
| in India. and acquired a protectorate over
| Portugal itself. This alliance is further ex-
tended to the empire of Brazil. In quiet
unpretending wav. the foundations are thus
laid north of us and south of us. Of course,
| the trade of Brazil goes to Europe, while the
United States, the largest customer for her
| coffee, has hardly decent line of communi-
| cation. In the impending reorganization Of
| Brazil, shall we permit continuance of
| European domination? II we do the
| end thereof will be bloody war and
| that, too before the close of the present CEN
| fury. Even with the South American
States. II is the province of the United
States and an imperivus duty which cannot
| he evaded, to keep the peace in that quarter,
| to encourage federation. and to erect a coun-
terpoise to Brazil. As to the Panama canal,
| it is highly discreditable that a work Of such
national and political Importance should have
been left to he taken up by foreign company,
/ but since IL is so, the least we can do Is to
| back it up with men and means. Let NJ. de