Savannah morning news. [volume] (Savannah) 1868-1887, 1886-09-14

Mr.. Bayard and the Cutting Case.
1t ia clear that the Republican press
and the few Democratic newspapers
which are hostile to Mr.. Bayard intend,
il possible. TO impress the country with
the idea that Mr.. Bsyard Numbered from
the beginning to the end of the Cutting
case. The New York Tribune published
q dispatch a few DAYS ago ', hich contained
a number oiextracts from the work OF DR..
/ Wharton on international law bearing
uFon the issues involved in that case.
Or. Wharton is the Solicitor Of the State
! Department, and the point is made that
it ls somewhat remarkable that the Score
tary should have taken position that is
not sustained by the published writings
of his Solicitor. That he should have done
so Is construed by some as deliberate
purpose to bulldoze Mexico into comply
ing with his demand for Cuttings release.
The Tribune's dispatch was shown to
Mr.. Bayard, and lie remarked that neither
DR.. Wharton nor his work on interna-
tlona. law was consulted when the de-
mand for Cuttings release was made.
The Secretary said that he acted on what
seemed to him to be the broad principles
Of English and American law, and he be-
lieves that when all the facts are made
public the American people will sustain
him.
1t will be remembered that the Mexican
court shifted the issue after the demand
for Cuttings release was made. The
charge upon which Cutting was arrested
was an altogether different thing from
that which appears now in the official
record. The record was made up clearly
for the purpose OF sustaining the Next
can authorities. The State Department
has never yet been able to get An official
copy OF the first proceeding in the
Cutting case, although our Consul at Paso
del Norte has tried time and again to get
it. The point which Mr.. Bayard will in
sist upon is that very complete record
Of everything connected with the case
shall be presented to him before anything
further is done. When he discovers what
the real charge was he will then be ready
to say whether he has made a mistake or
not.
There is one thing that can be relied
upOh, anu budJ 10 ludb NIL Day dIu ulu
what he thought was for the best interests
OF this country and American citizens.
He had no other thought than to uphold
the dignity of the country, and to main
tain the rights of American citizens.
The extra territorial Jurisdiction for
which the Mexican code provides cannot
be recognized by this country. To re-
cognize it would be to establish
source of endless trouble. The
frontier is about 1000 miles in extent, land
much OF the territory on the American
side of the border is being rapidly settled.
The government would be annoyed with
cases similar to that of Cutting if it were
admitted that Mexico could try Ameri-
cans for offenses committed on American
soil, which Mexico might regard as viO-
lations OF her laws.
The Cutting case has given life to an is
sue that must be settled, and 1t is proba-
BILE that Mir. Bayard Is as safe a man to
to intrust with the settlement OF it as
any one who has lately occupied the State
Department or is likely to occupy it in
the near future. Although he is very
sensitive to criticism he is not the kind
Of man to be driven from a course
which he regards as the right one by
newspaper attacks.