The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1885-1921, 1889-02-15
THE SACKVlLLE INCIDENT.
Eloquent Speech OF Lord Dunraven In
the House Of Lords.

the House Of Lords.
LReprinted by request.]
In the House of Lords December
Dist the Earl Of Dunraven, speaking
on the Sackville incident, said -"
do not propose to go into details.
The sooner the episode IS buried, to
my mind, the better, but must ex
press regret that the papers have not /
been presented to Parliament. l !
trust that this will be done before /
Parliament is prOrogued. Whether F.
the circumstance Is correctly des- /
cribed by the Prime Minister as an !
episode in electioneering whether /
our minister vas entirely TO blame, /
whether he technically or uninten- /
tionally committed a blunder, whe- |
ther the United States Government /
was fully justified under any circum-
stances or by the peculiar circum-
stances of the moment, are all mat
ters beside my point, which Is, who
ever Is to blame, surely it would have
been more dignitied on our part and
more worthy Of our position TO have
taken no notice Of the matter, which,
as the Prime Minister early re-
marked, is no matter affecting the
two nations. In the case of some
foreign powers, different considera-
tions would affect us, but cur rela-
tons with the United States are pc
culiar. We use the word foreign
toward them because there is LO
other suitable expression, but [ am
loath to use the term toward the
great republic. The United States
is, automatically speaking, foreign
power, but she can never be for
eign land to us. Her citizens are
mainly men of the same race and
lineage as ourselves, having the
same names, speaking the same
tongue, Worshipping under the same
form of religion and living under
the same common law. Their insti-
buttons, though differing, are very
similar in their integral respects to
our own and are founded on the
same love of liberty and law and ga
pacity for self-gOvernment. It is i'm
| possible to look upon such a people
as foreigners, though one is obliged
| to speak of their country as d foreign
power OF all the civilized nations
we alone can understand the United
! States, and she alone can under
stand us in respect to the difficulties
inseparable from the system Of party
government. Any misunderstanding
arising between us would be held to
be most deplOrable by vast major
ity of all thinking men on both sides
of the Atlantic. fear that speak
! ing Of the circumstances as belong
| -, /, ;-E~ ~0F
may have an irritating effect upon
public opinion III America. Be that
as it may, it is certain that any longer
delay in filing up Lord Sackville's
place is liable to be misunder-
stood by the American people. [
hold it to be our first duty to avoid
the possibility of anything that may
lead to want of sincere friendship
between the mother country and
the colonies, and after that [ con
slider it our second duty to avoid
any such possibility between the
United States and ourselves. Before
long another minister will be ac-
credited to the Court of st. James;
all who know Mr.. Phelps personally,
and all who recognize the dignity
and courtesy with which he has dis
charged his duties, will anticipate it
with regret If we hesitate and de-
lay to accredit a minister at Wash
ington, the United States may retail
ate by delaying to accredit minister
to us. Two great international
questions are awaiting solution
fishery and extradition-and these
we cannot hope to settle except
under conditions of real friendship
between the two countries There
fore [ ask the Prime Minister
whether the Government intends to
appoint a minister to succeed Lord
Sackville at Washington"