The Washington critic., 1886-08-07
ME-. nAYARD AND MIR. BLAINE.

ME, BANARD AND MIR. blaine
II Is said that the sudden opposition
of Mr.. Hit of Illinois to the resolu
tions of the House Foreign Affairs
Committee relative to the Cutting case
RESOLUTIONS which the day before he
had agreed to support and the next day
went back on-wus based upon In,
structions to the latter effect from Mr..
Blaine. This may be a campaign lie,
but somehow or other it has got into
pretty wide circulation without any
apparent fear of contradiction.
The theory is that Mr.. Blaine does
not propose, If he can help it, to allow
the present Department Of State to
make any capital for itself or for the
Administration or the Democratic
party by the exhibition Of what h.
would call an American policy, and
certainly nothing was better calculated
to impair the iuyigorating effect Of Mr.
Bayard's demand for the release Of
Cutting than the non. action of a Dem
ocratic House of Representatives upon
the papers in the case. Nothing, In
fact. could have been more stupid,
considered as u matter of party policy
The result is that whatever the out.
come of the pending difficulty may be,
Mr. Blaine has scored just the points
he wanted to make, to be used accord.
ing to circumstances either against the
State Department or against the House
of Representatives Whether 1t was
accident or design that caused so abrupt
a change of front on the part of Mr.
Hit, makes but little difference.
Either Mr. Bayard or the House Of
Representatives has gone wrong In this
matter
THE CRITIC is satisfied from the evil
dence placed before the State Depart
ment and transmitted to Congress that
the action of the Secretary at the time
was fully warranted and thoroughly
just, as well as patriotic. 1t was, of
course, subject to modification upon a
different presentation Of facts. There
was certainly nothing in the position
assumed by Mexico that admits of the
construction put upon it by Mr.. Hit
If there was trace of Cancellation,
much less of humiliation, In it, we fail
to discern its whereabouts.
In any event the House is censurable
for failing to act in some way upon the
report of the Foreign Affairs Commit.
tee, even if it had prolonged the ses-
sion a week longer The question in.
volved was of too grave importance to
be treated with silent contempt 1t
was not only unfair to the committee,
but piece of objectionable dis
courtesy to the Administration and of
gross injustice to the people, who look
to their representatives for proper
protection of the dignity and honor of
the country. Nothing so surprising
and unaccountabe occurred during the
entire session as this deliberate evasion
of plain, patriotic duty. 1t was not
necessary to formulate declaration oil
war, nor do anything at all of a blood
and thunder sort. But 1t was in
tulIDtul ulpu uu AllcIlCul IOuGTCSs
upon the information placed before it
relative to the alleged illegal incarcera.
tion of a citizen upon foreign soil and
the demand made for his release, to
have taken the subject Immediately in
hand, given it careful investigation and
adopted such legislation as the emer
gency seemed to call for. To pass i
without recognition, at the mere becl
Of q partisan opponent, was un-Demo
cratic, un.American and altogethe
shabby.
Even If it were apparent that Mr.
Bayard had proceeded prematurel,
or with indiscretion or upon INSULT
cient grounds the obligation of tn
House was no less imperative, not t.
demand Cuttings peremptory release
but to fairly state the American posi-
tion and to commend the Secretary o
the State for the propriety Of his mo
tives and assure the Administration o
the warm support of Congress in what
ever crisis might impend.
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