Sacramento daily record-union. [volume] (Sacramento [Calif.]) 1875-1891, 1882-02-06
MR.. gLAINE.s LETTER TO THE PREsI-
DENT.

huysen's latest instructions to Prescott to
| justify his inference that the reason given
for the abandonment OF the Congress was a
fear of offending European powers. The
language of Mr.. Frelinghuysen, upon which
this charge rests, is by no means lucid. The
exact words are as follows "The United
Estates is at peace with all the nations of
"the earth, and the President wishes here.
"afser TO determine whether it will con-
"duceto that general peace, which hewould
"eherish ard promote, for this Government
to enter into negotiations and consulta-
ton for the promotion of peace with
selected friendly nationalities with
tout extending a like confidence to
"other peoples with whom the
Omitted States is on equally friendly
"terms. If such partial confidence would
"create jealousy and ill-will, peace, the
"object sought by such consultation,
"would not be promoted" This Mr..
Blaine interprets as the expression of an
undignifed and even servile regard for the
opinion of some European powers. Bat
Mr.. Blaine does not appear to perceive that
il is open to very different construction,
and one which it will be much harder to
antagonize. His own theory is that the
Congress he proposes would promote peace.
But the essence of the later instructions to
Prescott is really doubt whether this
would be the result. It may suit Mr..
Blaine's political purposes to repre-
sent the President as somehow dero-
eating from the Independent and lofty
attitude which this country is entitled to
assume in such matters, but in taking this
line he forgets that the preservation of
peace cannot be secured by ignoring the
conditions which make it attainable, and
that it would be a very unreasonable, not
to say absurd thing for the sUnited States
to inaugurate mission of this kind by
trailing its coat a la Donnybrook Fair in
the face of Europe.
OF course the theory Of the Admins
tration may be erroneous, but it is for Mr..
Blaine to demonstrate that, and not to
denounce the new policy on the extraor-
binary ground that it does not ignore the
dangers of failure. It might indeed be
almost suspected that behind his peace
proposals the late Secretary had really
concealed some idea of organizing all the
South American States in an alliance,
offensive and defensive, against the Euro
pean powers that in truth he had had
war quite as much as peace in his mind
when he planned the Congress. So far as
his shifting of the responsibility for the
invitations to the Congress is concerned,
he has certainly succeeded. He has made
it clear that President Arthur must hold
himself accountable for the measure, in
fact but he has not succeeded in showing
at all conclusively that the Presidents
change OF policy was unwise or undigni-
fed. No doubt there is some awkward
ness in the retreat from a position already
established, but Congress not held may
be less unbecoming than a Congress held,
and resulting in nothing. That such Con-
gress would have effected no good is, we
think. perfectly apparent The conception
was visionary and impractical to the last
degree. And Mr.. Blaine ought to remem-
Der that after all it is less undignifed
to withdraw from an untenable position
than it is to take up such position with
out due reflection. For the adoption of
this Congress scheme it is clear that he
himself is morally if not technically re-
sponsible, and if Presidents Garfield and
Arthur Endorsed it his enemies may suggest
as the explanation that they reposed more
confidence in his craftsmanship than the
facts warranted.
They may have supposed that he would
not have decided upon such step without
mature dehberation. It is true that this
cannot be held as excusing them from the
obligation of independent examination. But
the real trouble grows out of the fact
that Mr.. Blaine himself had not given the
subject sufficient consideration. The cru
dity of his ideas is indeed shown very
conspicuously in his letter, where he ey
presses the opinion that the Congress would
tend to promote commercial relations of a
more profitable kind with the South Amer
lean States. Now every politician of any
acumen is fully aware that our CONNER
cial relations with South America are what
they are by reason of our tariff. The lat
ter renders it impracticable to exchange our
manufactured goods for the raw produce
of South America, and at the same time
keeps American manufactures at such high
prices that we cannot compete with En-
gland in any foreign market. 1t would
puzzle Mr.. Blaine to show how the holding
of Peace Congress could change the ex-
isting conditions in this regard. No
amount of resolutions and professions of
mutual amity could diminish the draw
backs which the tariff imposes upon our
foreign trade, and as Mr.. Blaine is firm
believer in Protection, it is not to be sup
posed that he would favor any reduction of
the tariff through Congressional action.
But this is the kind of reckless and
misty conceptions which have character
lied his foreign policy throughout. During
his brief tenure of the office of Secretary of
State he displayed disposition towards,
hasty and unconsidered action so frequently
as to have involved the Government in at
least three distinct and very annoying en-
barrassments. He undertook to declare as
the traditional policy of the United States
line of action which was distinctly
negatived by an existing treaty. He
proposed to suspend diplomatic relations
with Chile because of the arrest of the
Peruvian President, Calderon. And he
pushed this scheme of Peace Congress
without having taken any pains to ascer-
tain whether it could be made to produce
any good results, or whether IL might not