Shenandoah herald. [volume] (Woodstock, Va.) 1865-1974, 1884-08-01

I
relates to our sister Republics OF
Spanish America, as also to our
friends the people fthe Brazilian
Empire.
The Republics of Spanish Amer
lea are allied to us by the very
closest and warmest feelings, based
upon similarity of institutions and
government, common aspirations,
mutual hopes. The "Great Re-
public" as they proudly term the
United States, is looked upon by
their people with affectionate ad-
miration and as the model for them
to build upon, and we should cult
vate between them and ourselves
closer Commercial! relations, which
will bind all together by the ties OF
friendly intercourse and mutual ad-
vantage. Further than this, being
small Commonwealth, in the mill
tary and naval sense of the Euro
pean powers, they look to us as, at
leat, a moral defender against a
system of territorial and other en-
croachments which, aggressive IN
the past, has not been abandoned
at this day. Diplomacy and in
trigue have done much more to
wreSt the commerce of Spanish
America from the United States
than has legitimate commercial
competition.
Politically we should be bound to
the Republics of our continent by
the closest ties, and communication
by ships and railroads should be
encouraged to the fullest possible
extent consistent with a wise and
conservative public policy. Above
all, we should be upon such terms
of friendship as to preclude the
possibility of National misunder-
standings between ourselves and
any of the members Of the Amerl-
can Republican family. The best
method to promote uninterrupted
peace between one and all would
lie in the meeting Of general con-
ference or congress, whereby an
agreement to submit all inter
national differences to the peaceful
decision of friendly arbitration
might be reached.
An agreement Of this kind would
give to our sister Republics conf
dence in each other and in us, closer
communication would at once en-
sue, reciprOcally advantageous
commercial treaties might be made,
whereby much of the commerce
which now flows across the Allan
tic would seek its legitimate chan
nels and insure to the greater pros
perity of all the American Com
monwealths. The full advantages
of a policy of this nature could not
be stated in a brief discussion like
the present.
FOREIGN POLITICAL RELATIONS.
The United States has grown to
be a Government representing more
than fifty million people, and in
every sense, excepting that of mere
naval power, is one of the first
nations of the world. AS such, its
citizenship should be valuable,
emitting its possessor to protection
in every quarter of the globe. | do
not consider it necessary that our
Government should construct enOr-
nous fleets of approval irOncladS
and maintain a commensurate body
of seamen in order to place our
selves on a war footing with the
military and naval powersOf Europe
Such course would not be COM
patible with the peaceful policy OF
our country, through it seems
abrusd that we have not the etfec-
tive means to repel a wanton in
vasiOn of our course and give pro
lection to our coast towns and
cities against any power. The
great moral force of our country is
so universally recognized as to rem
der an appeal to arms by us, either
in protection of our citizens abroad
or in recognition Of any just inter
national right, quite improbable.
What we most need in this direc-
ton is a firm and vigorous asser-
ton of every right and privilege
belonging to our Government or its
citizens, as we'll as an equally firm
assertion of the rights and privi-
leges belonging to the general
family of American Republics
situated upon this continent, when
opposed, if ever they should be, by
the different systems of govern
ment upon another continent.
An appeal to the right by such a
Government as ours could not be
disregarded by any civilized ma
ton. In the treaty of Washington
we led the world to the means of
escape from the horrors Of war, and
it is to be hoped that the era when
all international differences shall
be decided by peaceful arbitration
is not far off.
EQUAL RIGHTS OF CITIZENSHIP.
The central idea of 4 Republican
form of government is the rule OF
the whole people as opposed to the
other forms which rest upon a
privileged class.
Our fOrefathers, in the attempt
to erect new Government which
might represent the advanced
thought of the worlda at that period
upon the subject of governmental
reform, adopted the idea of the
peoples sovereignty, and thus laid
the basis of our present Republic.
While technically Government OF
the people, 1t was in strictness only
"A Government Of portion of the
people, excluding from all partlcl.
patton certain other portion, held
in a condition of absolute, despOtic,
and hopeless servitude, the par
olIod 70 which forfunatplV. does