Los Angeles daily herald., 1889-06-17
Abandoning an Approved Policy.

A great attempt is being made to man
ufacture capital for Mr.. Blaine On ac-
count of the attitude of the American
Commissioners at Berlin in the Samoan
controversy. As a matter of fact. as the
HKRALD has repeatedly pointed out, Mr..
Blaipe's attitude in the matter is sub
stantially that of Mr.. Bayard, and if there
is any credit due for spirit and dash in
the premises, it really belongs to MIR.
.Cieveland's administration. But there
are very grave doubts, indeed, as to
whether, from an American point OF
view, our whole action has not been
wrong ab initio. A precedent has been
established by which the United States
has recognized the right of European
powers to decide what shall be done with
the islands of the Pacific. This may
have very far-reaching consequences in
the future, it is most emphaticslly to be
deprecated, and our own position in the
affair is decidedly untenable. The
United States as a nation has no more
right to say what the Samoans shall
do in their domestic affairs than Ger
many or England. From first to last it
is a sheer piece of usurpation, and only
to be defended on the ground that might
makes right. 1t is very important that
Q nation with the fine record OF the United
States should keep it unsullied, especially
when departure from its traditional
methods of diplomacy is involved. We
have pre- cisely as much right to cre&te q
scheme of government, with land courts
and other incidents of dominion, in Sa-
moa, that we have in Russia-neither
more nor less. We have always hitherto,
at least theoretically, held that no Euro
pean government has any right to med
die with the islands OF the Pacific, and
we have had an oblique eye on the
Hawaiian islands particularly in taking
that stand. If England, Germany and
the United States have the right to de-
termine the political destinies Of Samoa,
in conference, it would seem that all that
isneeded to assure them the same rights as
to the Sandwich Islands would be a com
plication as result of which Kalakaua,
instead of Malietoa, should be deported
and held prisoner. Oa a parity with
the proceedings in the case of Samoa,
q aeonference should then be held between
England, Germany and the United
States, and, if the plenipotentiaries Of
the first two powers should outvote the
United States, having by our own act
established the precedent, this country
would find itself in very embarrassing
Predicament. While the Monroe doc
trine did not in express terms embrace
the islands of the Pacific, its spirit un-
questionably did, and the Berlin confer
ence and it's outcome will stand in the
way of its future assertion. In the best
days of American diplomacy the United
States was careful to avoid those eDtang-
ling alliances with foreign powers, Of
which the Berlin conference is the fret
conspicuous example. This country de-
clined, fortunately for our effectiveness
in case Of war with any considerable
maritime nation, to be member of the
Conference of Paris, at which certain
European powers abolished privateering
and declared it piracy as respected the
Bignatories to the agreement. That was
a wise policy Of abstention from partici-
pating in European councils that ought
TO have been persevered in.