The Republican journal. [volume] (Belfast, Me.) 1829-current, 1884-06-26

|
administration" be said, ''must be made
brilliantly successful and strong in the
confidence and pride Of the people" and
he concluded as follows:
| accept it as one of the happiest circum-
| stances connected with this affair that in ally
| ing my political fortunes with yours-or rath-
| er. for the time, merging mine in yours-my
| heart goes with my head. and that | carry to
you not only political support but personal and
devoted friendship | can but regard it as
| something remarkable that two men of the
same age, entering Congress at the same time,
| influenced by the same aims and chershing the
| same ambitions, should never for single mo-
| ment in eighteen years of close intimacy have
had misunderstanding ora GOODNESS, and that
| our friendship has steadily grown with our
| growth aud strengthened with our strength.
It is this fact which has led me to the conclu-
| sion embodied in this letter. for. however
much. my dear Garfield mghtadmire you as
statesman, would not enter your Cabinet if
did not believe In YOU as man and love you
as a friend.
BLAINE, SECRETARY OF STATE.
The brief administration of President
Garfield was remarkable for its promise
of broad craftsmanship. For many wears
| Congress and the entire government had
been busy in making war, restoring
| peace, and in paying the immense war
debt 1t was all the United States could
DO to preserve the Union, and other ma
tons We're prutiting 10y the neglect of this
country to properly cultivate its foreign
relations. England had absorbed our
commerce and directed into her own cof-
ters the trade Of the South American
countries, And now, under the auspices
ot the French Republic. under the direc-
ton Of citizen of France and backed by
continental capitalists, active prepara-
tons had been made to construct an inter
oceanic canal across the Isthmus of Pan
anna, While, under the Clayton Bulwer
treaty Of 1880, the United States was
practically poweress to take any steps
for the protection of her own interests
At the same time at home 4 more saga
cious Southern policy was demanded. a
| policy which would promote the material
reconstruction of the South. heretofore
neglected for the sake of political recon
| StructlOn.
For some of the acts of Garfeld's ad-
ministration his Secretary Of State has
been uniustly held accountable. Mr.
Murat IIalstead narrates that President
Garfield told him Blaine had remained
scrupulouSly within the line of his duties
as Secretary Of State: that he. the Pres
ident, was responsible for the appoint
ment Of Judge Robertson as collector of
New York. But with the hearty o-op-
Grafton and support of the President
Mr.. Blaine outlined that "spirited foreign
policy which was to be cut short by the
Presidents death. The Southern policy
el the Administration would have been
to cultivate cordial relations between the
different sections of the country, and, bv
thus promoting the flow SouthWard of
Northern capital, to assist the develop
! ment of the Southern States. Mr. Blaine
had great Faith in the future of the
! South. On one occasion he said:
In rcconstluctng the South we made the
same mistake the British Government l. max
ing with the Irish. If we had made Il Govern
ment donation of 50,000,o00 for the purpose of
constructing railway from Charleston to the
Southern end of California. and spent every
dollar of it between Charleston and the MisSis-
>lppi River in the first three wears following
the war, the problem of reconstruction would
have solved itself the people would have had
business interests, instead Of politics. to occupy
their attention. believe that within ten wears
the material increase in the southern States,
east of the Mississippi, will equal if it does not
>urpass. tina; Of the Northwestern states, west
of the Mississippi.
In Virginia Mr.. Blaine had invested
SIS 600 in one railway. and inside Of one
year sold his interest for SlGO,UOO and
besides he owned coal and lumber lands
in Georgia and Alabama.
TIE SPIRITED FOREIGN POLICY.
Mr. Blaine has defined the intent of
the foreign policy of President Gartields
Administration to be, first, to bring
about peace and prevent future wars IN
North and South America second, to
cultivate such friendly relations with all
American countries us would lead to a
large increase in the export trade Of the
tnlted States by supplying those fabrics
in which we are abundantly able to com
pete with the manufacturing nations of
Europe. 1t was for the purpose of pro
noting peace on the Western Hemi-
sphere that it was determined to invite
all the independent governments of North
and South America to meet in peace
conference at Washington Oh March Is.
lSe2. The project met with cordial ap-
proVal in South America, and, had it
been carried out, would have raised the
standard OF clVlllZatlon, and possibly. by
opening South American markets to our
manufactures, would have wiped out
SI20,0OQ,O0O balance of trade which
Spanish America brings against us every
year. The invitations to this important
conference were subsequently sent out
by President Arthur, but in a short time
they We're recalled, after some of the
countries had actually accepted them. 1t
VAS to pave the way toward a peace con
|
sent as Il special e Vov to Peru and Bo-
lvia upon the appeal of Peru, and, under
instructions approved by President Ar
thur IN the hope OF obtaining an amcable
settlement of the differences between the
bellige:ents. Secretary Blaine's instruc-
tinns to General llurlbut, United States
Minister to Peru, specially cautioned the
minister against committing bis govern
nent to any line of action in regard to
the Cochet and Landreau claims against
the Peruvian Government by the citizens
Of this country, and, again he wrote
, warning Mr.. llurlbut against lending his
legations influence to the Credit Indus
triel Of France, the Peruvian Company of
New York or any other schemes for re-
organizing the finances of Peru. In Sec
retary BIalne's correspondence with Lord
Granville IN the early Summer of 1881
he set forth the position of the United
States as holding the right to feel and
express deep interest in the distressed
condition OF Peru, with which this cOun-
try had maintained cordial relations for
many years, and while with equal friend
Illness to Chill, the United States would
5 not interpose to deprive her of fair adj
| vantages of military success, this country
J could not regard with unconcern the de-
structon of Peruvian nationality, a
movement which threatened the liberal
civilization of all America.
Olequal importance with the cultiva-
ton of friendly and commercial relations
with the South American countries was
and still is the necessity of taking some
! steps toward protecting the interests OF
the United States involved in the con-
struction of canal across the Isthmus OF
Panama. In Secretary Biaine's instruc-
ti0ns to Mr.. James Russell Lowell, min
t lister to England, is the following sum
: mary Of the changes in the Clayton Bull
wer treaty of 1850 necessary to meet the
views of the United States Government
"First Every part of the treaty
which forbds the United States fortifying
| the canal and holding the political con
| troll of 1t in conjunction which the cOun-