Daily Los Angeles herald., 1884-06-04

Occasionally 1t is not amiss for an
American citizen, irrespective OF parii'
xan politics, to outline what ought to be
national policies. For instance. ever
since the Democratic party lost It's hold
on national politics, it has been fashion
able to kotoo TO all foreign powers Per
haps the most shameless exhibit OF this
tendency occurred in tie case of the
virginius, during the administration Of
that prize bully and very poor Wall
street spcculator, Grant. In this case
American citizens were being moved
down like swathes Of hay, by the span.
ish butcher, Burriel. The old axiom
that blood is thicker than water then
had an exemplifcation in llavanese
waters because the British Admiral, on
the Cuban station, interposed, in the
height of the slaughter. and intimated
that his shotted guns would be let loose
unless the remnant of the American pas
sengers on the Nirginius were spared.
It so happened, at that time, that MIR.
Hamilton Fish was Grants Secretary of
State for tho United States. More than
thas, Mr.. Fish's son-in-law, Mr.. Sidney
Webster, was the Spanish counsel in New
York City, at a salary Of $4,000. The
placid Fish was perfectly content to see
bpain spit in the face Of the people OF
the United States. 1t was all in the
family, especially in Me son-in law de
partment Of it. Certainly We oaEa5.
very well afford to continue such an era
Of corrupt complaisance to foreign pow
ers. In the old, Democratic days. the
majesty of the American nationality
was Inserted at all hazards. Even when
this country counted but few mil
lions Of population it was always
ready to throw down the gauntlet to
Great Britain or to any other power of
earth. The war OF 1912 was splendid
cxemplar of Democratic devotion to the
idea Of an American nationality. The
Fifty -four forty or fight ultimatum Sc.
cured us Oregon; while Mexico, and the
splendid territory of which California is
. part. are tributes to the energy of a
progressive and energetic party instinct
with national impulses. That, with
.fifty.fve millions of people, this country
ought TO achieve something like the
status, in the nations of the world,
which II had attained before it could
claim ten millions, goes without saying.
While we have been accumulating wealth
\ with the rapidity with which Jonah's
gourd grew, nevertheless we have ncvsr
seemed to think it necessary to revive
the old American prestige. 1t was the
navy of the United States which, by the
bombardment of Tripoli, released
the Mediterranean sea from the
Algerian pirates. 1t was the
navy of the United States. also under
Democratic auspices, which compelled
Austria to surrender Martin Kosta to
the country of his adoption. We think
that we are warranted, under the cir
cumstaaces, and from u patriotic point
Of view, in hoping for resurrection of
the old time Democratic ascendaney.
The Republican party has all along been
signalized by two cardinal defects. The
first Of these was the surrender of the
people to the capitalists. The second
was the surrender of the American ma.
tionality to all foreign powers, this dis
graceful laches ranging from our sub.
mitting to being bullied by Spain to
putting up with Sights from even such
power rs Chill.
Verify, and without running to ex-
tremes, upon grounds apart even from
those Of the administration of our local
and domestic affairs, change is called
for in the government OF the United
States.