The Evening critic., 1882-02-06


WE HOPE THAT Secretary Frelinghuysen
finds satisfaction in the Endorsement of his
policy by the British newspapers of London
and New York. As we understand it all
the prevailing pother has been raised over
an invitation issued by Secretary Blaine, by
and with the advice and consent of the Presi-
dent, to the South American States to meet
the United States in general congress of
American powers. We are gravely in
formed that Mr.. Blaine is to be asked where
he found constitutional authority to issue
such an invitation and, if none exists, how
he dared to issue it! We will not UNDER
take to discuss this branch Of the question.
We simply know that there is no clause in
the Constitution prohibiting the United
States from inviting the South American
States OF any other States to congress or
conference, and that is enough.
The sole trouble about Blaine is the fact
that he attempted to conduct the foreign
policy of the United States upon the theory
that the United States is power. He
seems to have imagined that a country of
fifty millions of enlightened people ought
to weigh somewhat in the grand balances
of Christendom. This was great error.
He should have known that the United
States is commercial dependency of Great
Britain, maintaining for the sake of con-
venience the forms of independence. He
should have been aware that the only
political activity permitted in the United
States is that of factional contest, and the
only political aspiration permissible is that
of getting control of the machinery of
party. He ought to have borne in mind
that it is the mission of all thrifty Ameri-
cans to rob, blackmail and vilify each
other, leaving England free TO rob us all,
together with the rest Of mankind.
And, above all, he should have remem-
bered that it is fixed policy OF the United
States to be formidable only to its own citi-
zens. and resentful only to those who seek
to uphold its honor and prestige among
nations.
All these things Blaine ignored and now
he has his reward.
We are astonished at Blaine.
In the first place his appointment as Sec
retary of State was grotesque innovation.
For thirty years that Office had been filled
by unburied cadavers. He violated the
rule by having blood in his veins He ap-
peared in that long procession of paleozoic
politicians as a man of flesh and blood
might appear in Bryant's innumerable
caravan moving to the pale realms of shade
OF course he outraged everything that he
came in contact with. From the days oi
Edward Livingston we had had Marcys
and Casses and Stewards and Fishes and
Evartses. Good God, what cavalcade Of
cadaversl What collection of phos-
pilates!
Meantime the United States had been
expunged from the political map. Hel
commerce had disappeared from the sea
Her navy belonged to forgotten epoch
and was rottenat that. Her relations with
the external world were limited to the ex.
portation of wheat and the importation OF
luxuries in English ships. Now aud then
she exported rich girl, whose papa wa.
willing to hire foreign count to become
her husband. This constituted the foreign
policy of the United States.
Blaine tried to upset this policy; where
fore Mr., Arthur most appropriately fire.
him out, substituting in his place on
Frelinghuysen, who consists of name 0
four syllables and pedigree Of four genera
tions.
Under Frclinghuysen, American diplC
macy resumes its normal course. TIL
innumenble caravan Of political mummis
moves ON again. All is serene. May Sata
sieze Blaine. How prepostorous it seen
that We should have had, even for te
months, q Secretary of State with MOI