The national leader., 1889-07-18


| than in the words of Secretary Bayard in
his report ON Pelletier's case Senate Elk.
Doc Ga, 49th Cong, End Sess.). "By
the law of nations, it must be remem-
bered, all sovereign States are to be
treated as equals.
''There Is no distinction between strong
and weak; the weak ought to have as
signed to them the same territorial sane
tions as the strong enjoys
''The United States has proclaimed her
self the protector of this Western World,
in which she is by far the strongest
power, from the intrusion of European
sovereignties
''She can point with proud satisfaction
to the fact that over and over again has
she declared, and declared effectively,
that serious indeed would be the conse-
quences if the European hostile foot
should, without just cause, tread those
States in the New World which have
emancipated themselves from European
control.
''She has announced that she will cher
ish, as it becomes her, the territorial rights
of the feeblest of these States, regarding
them not merely as in the eye of the law
equal to even the greatest of nationalities,
but in view of her distinctive policy, as
entitled to be regarded by her as the OBJ
ject of a peculiarly gracious care.
II feel bound to say that if we should
sanction by reprisals IN Hayti the ruth
less invasion of her territory, an insult to
a sovereignty which the facts now be-
fore us discloses, if we approve by solemn
executive action and Congressional assent
that invasion, it will be difficult for us
hereafter to assert that in the New World,
of whose rights we are the peculiar guar
dians, these rights have never been in
vaded by ourselves"
The appointment of a Commission to
proceed forthwith to Hayti, and in per-
emptory and punctiGous manner task to
know what Legitime's arrangements with
France are, how much he is indebted to
them for assistance, and how far bound
to the French, as the reporter makes
our Minister say, would transform in
one moment our established policy OF
non-intervention in the domestic affairs
of sovereignty, where our own national
safety is not jeopardized, to mischiev-
Gus intermeddling with the affairs of our
neighbor; and would be gross stultiti-
cation of our foreign policy with respect
to the governments of the New World,
so well stated by Secretary Bayard in the
Pellitier case.
Now, with reference to what might
have been the composition of that Com
mission it is a recognized principle in
the selection of diplomatic representa-
tives that regard must be had to the APP
pointee's life career, for the entire history
of the person selected operates to make OF
mar his acceptableness and usefulness as
a Minister or as member of a Com
mission.
For illustration, if the late Henry A.
Wise, of Virginia, were living to-day,
however much he might be disposed to
90 as representative of this Government
to Hayti, propriety would forbid his Sc
lection for the post in view of his speech
opposing the formal recognition of the
sovereignty of Hayti by entering into q
treaty of amity and commerce with that
Republic, when the subject was before
the Congress of the United States.
He would not, therefore, have been
persona grata to the Republic of Hayti,
either as a Minister or as a member of a
Commission with friendly intentions
toward that Government.
No, the abandonment of that propo-
sition and the appointment of Mr.
Douglass as Minister was an inspira-
ton.
The sequel will prove another illustra-
tion of the homely fable of the contest be
tween the wind and the sun to make 8
traveller remove his cloak, and the mer-
chants of New York and Boston will fine
Mr.. Douglass worth hundred Commits
sions to them.
Again the reporter makes our ex-