St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1884-03-20

l
merits, and will command the confidence of
| the country, fully sustaining the high char
acter that department has maintained since
the organization of the federal government.
| AS to the resolutions offered on the 10th of
March, your committee are OF the opinion
that they contain language, under the pres
| ent circumstances, superfluous and irrele-
want, and not necessary or proper to vindicate
the character or dignity of this house. Your
committee, therefore, report back said reso-
buttons with recommendations that they lie
upon the table, and report the following res
| olutions with the recommendation that they
| be adopted as substitute therefor:
Resolsea That the resolutions referring to
the death of DR.. Edward Lasker, adopted BY
this house on January 9, last, were intended
as tribute of respect to the mem DRY of an
eminent foreign statesman, who had died
within the United States, an expression of
sympathy with the German people for whom
he had been an honorable representative.
ResOlyed, That this house, having no official
concern with the relations between the legis-
lative and executive branches of the German
government, does not deem it requisite to
its dignity to criticise the manner OF the re-
| ception of the resolutions, or the circum-
stances which prevented their reaching their
destination after they had been communi-
Gated through the proper channels to the
| German government.
| Mr.. Curtin Immediately demanded the
| previous question.
| Mr.. Regain hoped the previous question
apologies enough for having been insulted.
Mr.. Cox, of New York, moved to lay the
whole matter on the table. That was the
way to treat the German chancellor. The
motion was lost by SO to So.
The previous question having been
| ordered Mr.. Ochiltree rose to debate the
resolution. He yielded to no gentleman in
his esteem for and confidence
in the distinguished members
of foreign affairs committee.
Ordinarily he was disposed to rely on their
| Judgment but this affair had gone beyond
the domain of red tape and circumlocution.
1t had assumed a phase which called on
each and every representative to look to it
that his individual honor and dignity were
preserved and defend the dignity Of the
people. 1t was not becoming to the dignity
of this body to enter into explanations rs to
the meaning of the original resolutions.
They spoke for themselves and the apologet-
ic tone of the pending resolutions was un-
worthy the representatives, of this great ma
ton. Ochiltree then delivered eulogy on
the high abilities and noble character of Las
ker and said this compliment to Lasker was
rebuke to the German chancellor.
because they were the antithesis of each
other. The present incident itself showed of
what base metal the latter was moulded He
had ever been a fiatterer and sycophant to
royalty who had never upheld the rights of
the people, and never lost an opportunity to
announce the peculiar sovereignty. The
proudest boast of this man of blood and iron
was, he had served the royal family of Prussia
half century. Well might this proud and
naughty instrument of despotism seek to
shut out American principles from the hearts
of the German people. The principles of
| absolute imperialism could not withstand the
moral power of American freedom.
Mr.. Ochitree then, amid some laughter,
read an extract from letter, in which he re-
fers to Ochiltree as having introduced him to
the president, the members of the cabinet
ond the foreign ministers.
Mr.. Bedford ironically inquired, whether it
would be in order for a member to offer
resolution presenting the apologies Of the
house to the German chancellor for having
troubled him.
The speaker replied it would not.
very little consequence, had become of great
consequence, as the committee had unani-
mously agreed upon report it would seem
there ought to be an explanation. When, on
the 9th of January the members were closing
their desks preparatory to an adjournment,
the gentleman from Texas, Ochiltree, sent to
the clerks desk series of resolutions, and
asked unanimous consent for their adoption.
After waiting until the resolutions were read
unanimous consent was given and the
house adjourned. After ten days the house
was startled by the information that the
chancellor had refused to accept them, and
the mourning members hunted the Record
to see what they had done. They read that
they had expressed regret at the death of
Lasiler, and sympathy with the German people
at his loss. This was true. They read,
also, that they had expressed the belief
that the free and liberal sentiments of
the deceased had advanced the material and
social intetests his country. This was true,
but between the two truths there was this
difference. One was the truth which the
house could report, the other was trnth it
could not export. The house could say it
regretted the death of Lasker, and send the
message anywhere. 1t could believe and
know that his political sentiments were for
the interest of the German empire, but it
had no right to send that opinion to
friendly power which entertained different
opinion, and though the political sentiments
of Lasker had not materially advanced,
but had materially, retarded
the progress of the government.
Here was dilemma, and where was the
refuge? There seemed to be none. The
house could resent the fact that its friendly
sentiments and been rejected, but it could
not resent the fact that its political senti-
ments had been rejected, because it had no
business put them on the same paper. The
gentleman from New York, Hiscock,
had expressed the sentiments born in the
hearts CT every member of this body, that
unexplained, it was an insulting act of the
German chancellor In the resolution offer
ed by that gentleman, the house was offered
some satisfaction in censuring this servant
of the German Empire and people, who had
proved so bad postman. But the house
concluded it ought to wait while, and the
gentleman from New York was willing it
should, and parenthetically for the benefit of
the newspapers, he wished to say that this
house, so much maligned, was everything
slow when it meant business, even though
it might be everything rapid and rash when
it meant buncombe.
Mr.. Curtain briefly renewed and defended
the features of the report and the resolutions
were adopted with division, although an
unsuccessful effort was made to have the
yeas and nays ordered.
Mr.. Custer submitted the following further
report, relative to the memorial of the liberal
union German parliament. The resolution
contained in this memorial, expresses so just
an appreciation of the action of this house
and so cordial wish for the prosperity of
our country and the two nations, it deemed
it proper to make a fitting acknowledge
ment. The committee therefore recon-
mends the adoption of the following resolu-
tions:
ResolOed, That the house cordially recipro-