The Ottawa free trader. [volume] (Ottawa, Ill.) 1843-1916, 1882-02-11
Washington Letter.
Politics. ont IF CoagreSS-A Foretga Policy
-Folittral Issue.
lRegular correspondcrce.l
WASHINGTON, ID. c., Feb.

|
WASHINGTON, ID. c., Feb. I, 1882.
The proceedings in Congress, for the last
week, have been of more than unusually te.
dIous and undressing character The re-
| funding bill has occupied the attention of the
Senate. In the House business Is much i'm.
peded by the great number OF private bills that
have been introduced.
| Mr. Blame is no longer In the Cabinet or in
Congress, but he is still able to make himself
heard and understood, and is actually, at this
moment, receiving larger share of public at.
tention than both the legislative ana executive
branches of the government Whether or not
the peace congress OF the American republics,
proposed by him, could have had any pracu
cal results must, of course, remain an open
question until, perhaps Mr. Blaine is IN po
sition to give it proof 1t is well known that
trade winds are not guided by sentiment, and
that the courses of commerce are little affected
by resolutions passed IN peace conventions
But there is that in the idea of peace con.
vention which appeals powerfully to moral
sentiment IN the United States, and it will
have advocates by every fresde and IN every
pulpit in the world. 1t is true that our ira
dltions are opposed to diplomatic informed
ding with the affairs OF foreign powers. But
this country, no more than ITS churches Is de.
void of the missionary spirit, which has sent
its prOpagandists 10 every heather shore. If
! the spirit OF progagandism has not yet found
active national expression, 1t is because we
| have until recently found, within our own
broad limit, space tor our almost immeasura-
| bic power But the day is not distant when
we VIII need more space Tor the wonderful
progress developed In the last fifty years. We
cannot harbor the thought of bloody conquest.
! We will not use our giant strength like a
giant but the peaceful suzerainty of the Uni
ted States, in this hemisphere, is a duty and
destiny that we cannot escape. There are
very few healthy Americans who Will not in
terfere between fighting children in the inter
esrs OF peace, and it cannot be that the bless
edness of the peacemaker which the Bible has
said Is of the Kingdom of Heaven, need be
less inherited by a nation than by ind-
vlduals.
! 1t has bee long time since this country
has had political issue that looked beyond
our own borders, but time and tide seem to be
ripening such an issue. American enterprise
/ is pushing railroads INTO Mexico. The 18th.
mlan canal Will BRING us nearer to Chill than
we are now to Rio JeGeiro. 1t would seem to
be very short.sghted policy that should fail
to bind these undeveloped republics to our
selves by the benign influences which we are
so well qualified by our proximity, our evil
cation, and our strength to exercise. The
question of profitable commercial relations Is
an Interior matter, dependent on time and
] fixed laws Men of forecast cannot be lndiI-
fcrcnt to the necessity of opening new markets
! for our produce, and new fields for our manu-
/ features South America was once remote
continent, but considering the improved
means of commerce and communication, we
are much nearer to South America than we
were to England thirty years ago, and we are
now nearer, by from fifteen to twenty-five
DAYS, than any other flrstclass power.