Sacramento daily record-union. [volume] (Sacramento [Calif.]) 1875-1891, 1882-02-13


the late Secretary plunged headlong into
this correspondence, and fastened to in.
form the Mexican Government that the
United States was disposed to regard its
attitude towards Guatemala with displeas-
ure. One of Mr.. Blaine's blunders was
the assumption that the province of CHA
pa had never really belonged in perma
nent way to Mexico, and his intimation
that perhaps it would be best for Mexico
to abandon all claims to that territory. To
this extraordinary suggestion the Mexican
Government could only reply by showing
that Mr.. Blaine's notions on the subject
were altogether erroneous that his iguo-
rance of Mexican history had led him into
strange mistake and that in fact the
province under discussion had always been
an integral part of Mexico. What answer
Mr.. Blaine made to this very polite but
conclusive exposure of his recklessness and
want of preparation does not appear. Per-
haps, like the gentleman in the party upon
the Stanislaus. the subsequent proceed
"ings interested him no more"
But if this dispatch has been printed in
order to convince the country that the late
Secretary of State has been misrepresented,
and that he really is phenomenally great
statesman, the end aimed at will assuredly
not be gained. For in common with all
the dispatches from his pen which have
thus far come to light, it merely confirms
the conclusion that he was no more at
home in the State Department than is
Bull in Chinashop. In his dealings
with foreign Governments he never seems
to have troubled himself about the actual
state of the facts, but to have been gov.
erned in every instance by what he sup
posed would be the tendency of public
opinion. Evidently his Purpose was to
"whoop up" a ''stalwart foreign policy.
Under his hands the United States was to
pose as sort of World Protector and
Censor. He was going to stir up the
British Lion, to irritate the Gallo Rooster,
to make the Mexican Eagle scream with
rage, to put all the South American States
in futter of mingled fear and admiration;
and on the strength of all this turmoil he
was himself to take position as the great
American lingo statesman, and to appeal
to the element which takes special delight
in Star-spangled. bannerism. 1t was a
risky programme, to say the least. The
line taken toward Mexico might very
easily have degenerated into one of actual
menace, and Mr.. Blaine might have fas-
tened Mexican war upon US, and com.
PEELED another annexation movement,
greatly to the detriment of our civiliza-
ton, and the corruption of our morals.
The excuse for the interference with
Mexico. namely, the apprehension that she
might undertake to bully her feeble neigh
Dor, seems to have been altogether vision
airy. 1t does not appear that there has
been any real danger of breach between
Mexico and Guatemala, but it does appear
that the latter has been playing a some
what slippery and insincere part. The
truth of the statement made by the Guate-
malan Minister to the State Department is
categorically denied by the Mexican Gov.
eminent, which asserts that thus far its
chief difficulty has been to pin its antag
onist down to any terms. Now, though it
is obvious that the position of the United
States is such as to enable it to act as
peacemaker with special advantage, it
ought to be equally clear that Govern
ment which undertakes that role without
having mastered the facts in the case, is
much more likely to complicate than to
harmonic the situation. What Mr.. Blaine
really did in this matter was to identify
his Government with the cause of Guate.
mala. and therefore he appeared on the
stage as new party to the quarrel rather
than as an arbitrator. A Secretary who
goes 80 far as to rebuke a friendly Govern
ment on the strength of his own miscon.
ception of what is going on before his face,
Is not likely to have much success in the
role of Special Providence. Providence
is at least supposed to be capable of discern
ing between the right and the wrong, but
this Mr.. Blaine could not do.
Running the foreign department of a
great Government with a single eye to
Buncombe was certainly bold experiment,
but it could not possibly have succeeded,
because the foreign powers who were to be
utilized as dummies upon which to display
Mr.. Blaines transcendent genius naturally
declined to play any such part, and per-
sisted in treating his demonstrations seri-
ously. The result has been series of en-
barrassments and complications which,
instead of exaltipg the United States,
have compelled it in several instances to
eat humble pie, and to confess that it had
made some very objectionable plumbers.
There was nothing for it but this acknowl-
edgment, short of the adoption of a
truculent and belligerent policy and the
Administration was wise enough to per.
ceive that turbulence could only entail still
further humiliation. In fact no such
conspicuous and complete failure as Mr..
Blaine's foreign policy has been witnessed
in the State Department for fifty years,
and if it is his intention to devote his eff
forts henceforward to the explanation and
tvindication " of his course while he was
in the Cabinet, he will have his hands full
during the rest of President Arthur,s term
of Office.
REDUCING INTERVAL REvEkUE TAXES.
The Protectionists in Congress are
busily at work trying to formulate reduc-
%io1S in the internal reyenua tayas The