The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1884-12-22
A ROLD MEASURE.
Timidity of the State Department-Progres
of the Canal.

Timidity of the State Progress
of the Canal.
"Gath's' New York Letter.
Talking to a group of men who transact the
State Department business here and in Wash
ington, the remark was made among them yes
terday: "Our State Department has had no
regular policy for years, The Frelnghuysen
treaty is bold measure, but it is weakened by
the fact that the administration that made it has
been, for nearly all its duration, operated by the
counsels of timidity and apparent desire 20 in
jure Blaine in some way. Indeed, the Arthur
administration has had nothing but Blaine on its
mind ever since it went into Office. In Blaine's
brief career in the State Department he adopted
a policy which it was necessary for every weak
party friend and strong party enemy to denounce
After he had got out of office Frelinshuysen at
tempted to get along without doing much of any
thing, but it soon become apparent that the
people liked Blaines methods the best, and when
Arthur put himself before the national conven-
tion he got very small show Then it was that
this administration turned around and tried to
do something like Blaine before they gave up
power"
Said I: "Give me an instance of this incon-
sistency."
well" remarked the LAWYER, 'the Menocal
matter is a case in hand. Menocal is an Ameri-
can citizen, probably of Spanish birth, and l
should say somewhere from Central America.
Like a good many Spanish who are naturalized
in this country, he has been taken into our serv-
ice. He is an engineer. After the French had
embarked in the Panama canal project certain
of our public men and bankers, knowing all
about those waters on the isthmus sent Menocal
to Nicaragua TO get a concession You see the
Nicaragua route has been used by Americans
since 1850. 1t is the most feasible of all the
routes. Steamers run right into the San Juan
river, and into the lake of Nicaragua and they
get down to point where the Journey down to
the Pacific ocean is a small matter. Our capi-
talsts saw plainly enough it was the Suez canal
that had been profitable, and as the French had
really embarked in the Panama canal we had
better secure the Nicaragua route and maxi
some money ourselves. Menoca with great
deal of trouble. got in his work. The company
was organized, and you would be surprised to
ind some of the men who were in it, Among
those interested very much was John W Bool-
walter of Ohio who ran for Governor out there
He and Gen. George b. Mcclellan were very in
innate in that project. The company was to have
been formed with General Grant as president
and General Mcclellan as engineer Mr. Booh-
walter had proposed to go to Mexico, and from
there to Central America, and he expected to
look into the matter closely When these men
got their concession, it suddenly struck Frelng-
huysen that private enterprise was depriving
him of the chances to be n diplOmatist. So he
undertook to buy from the company its charter
They were unwilling to SELL and he told them
that they must sell. Congress, however, refused
to give him the $780, 600 that he demanded for
this purpose. He then turned to the company
and said "The United States will not allow
you to build the canal across Nicaragua l VIII
send a ship Of war down there and break
you up" Nevertheless the parties interested
got to work. and they actually holding a
meeting at Brown Brothers business house
in Wall street when the news came up the street
that Grant e Ward had failed General Grant
was n member of this firm, and tho bankers who
had become interested in the project were afraid