The Hawaiian gazette., 1882-01-25

The supplemental dispatches of Mr..
Blaine, late American Secretary of State, to
the American Minister in Londol. con
tinue TO develope the late Pr sldent Gar
fields foreign policy. 1t is now evident
to any one that he, with his irrepressible
Secretary of State, had inaugurated new
departure i'll foreign matters which was
arrested only by his own tragic death. We
may now infer what his policy was, and
where it would have carried him, whisper
ings from Washington indicated that it
involved a most serious consideration of
our own affairs. In the new departure
Mr. Blaine demanded of the European
Powers the right of the exclusive control
of any canal across the Isthmus. But this
demand utterly ignored the Clayton-Bul-
wer Treaty, which expressly provided that
Great Britain and the United States should
hold q joint protectorate over any such
canal. Mr.. Blaine was forced to meet this
old agreement He replied that it was an
old affair and obsolete that the United
States had grown up to be great nation
and must take care of itself and finally,
that it was not nice for Great Britain, who
had been interfering generally wherever
her commerce was concerned, to have any
thing to do with countries which America
might, could, would or should have owned
or been neighbor of. He therefore asked
Great Britain to tear up this old treaty.
just at this point the President died and a
new administration came III, and the sub
ject temporarily rests. The better class of
American newspapers do not altogether
support Mr. Blaine's views. They look
upon him as an uncommonly active. bold
man, who would work to the verge of dan
ger in order to pluck the flowers of noto-
riety, and his dispatches are regarded as
stump speeches for American ears rather
than sober discussion for European states
men. On the other hand he has vast
following, which has a very effective voting
power, and his friends are enthusiastic.
Now, however, he is out of Office and Mr..
Frelinghuysen takes his place. The new
Secretary is conservative, with none of
that tirrepressible energy which urged Mr..
Blaine to acts of indiscretiOn. What views
he may take of foreign affairs, and especial
ly what views he may take of our relations
with the States remains to be seen. The
President In his recent message may have
intended to merely rap us over the
knuckles, or he may have intended to open
a new policy of serious moment to us. We
shall see. American politicians are now
quite open to the discussion of new ques-
tons The old slavery issue, which for
some years dwindled down all other mat
ters, is decided. The many serious ques-
tions arising out of the civil war are
largely over. There is little TO occupy the
public mind. So it is more than probable
that the American people may think that
lir Blame was quite right in stirring up
foreign aatters, and Mr.. Arthur may keep
One aaIi rolling. One thing is certain,
there IS d growing and serious interest
being slen by all classes of Americans in
tlg Chinese question. The Chinese them
selves axe at last waking up, and begin to
show disposition to mix in foreign af-
fairs Ilere are many symptoms of new
departure in their policy. The rapid
growth & the Chinese steamship service
and the building of railroads are quite
sufficient proofs of this. President Gar
Sold became anxious about it. and Presi-
dent arJllr will not forget it. The situa-
ton iii lie Pacific is changing. Activity
of the Chinese in the Pacific means activity
of the Americans in the Pacific Hitherto
the Chinese have not menaced the trade of
this ocean. Now they do. As China girds
up her loins the Americans will increase
their vigilance. Between these two vast
glittering icebergs about to grind against
each other on this ocean we are only a
shallop. What will the future be