The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1889-02-18
SECRETARY BAYARD.
He Follows Growers Example and Makes De-
fense of His Alleged Administration.

BALTIMORE, Nd, Feb. ia Washington
special to the Baltimore Sun. based on con-
yersations held with Mr.. Bayard, gives an
outline of the policy which has controlled
the actions of the Department of State dur
ing the past four years: 'It has been fire.
quently asserted that Mr.. Bayard has had
no policy, whereas he has all along had
very definite and a peculiarly American
policy. He believes that the American peo-
pie have higher and q nobler destiny
than that of staggering about among the
nations of the earth, daring somebody, to
use homely expression, to knock chip
off their shoulder He thinks it is their
mission to take the lead among nations In
substituting pacific methods for force In
settling international disputes. Mr.. Bay
ards theory of statesmanship is that moth
ing should be done to disturb or imperil our
peaceful conditions, but that, on the con-
trary, the highest duty of the patriot is to
contribute as far as he can toward their de-
velopment. His idea is that the military
spirit is TO be discouraged III a republic, eX-
cept in so far as it is necessary for purposes of
defense. Encourage the military spirit in
this country, says Mr. Bayard, and you
means an army, and If once the military
spirit got thorough possess IN of the pe0
pie, this army would become a permanent
establishment Mr.. Bayard, commenting
the Samoa episode, said: What is it they
want me to dO-to provoke wari don't
believe the people want me to plunge them
into war. If they want war they must get
another Secretary of State Another IA
vorite idea of Mr.. Bayard is the neutraliza,
ton of certain territories which are useful
to all the powers and incapable of defense,
without disproportlonatec cost, by any one of
them. He instances the naturalization of
the Suez canal by the common consent Of
p an an
this principle. Some similar arrangement
would have to be entered into to protect
the interests of this country if ship-canal
across the Isthmus of Panama is built. 1t
would not be sufficient protection for the
canal. The only adequate protection is to
be secured by yneutraliZatiOnO of the canal by
consent of all the powers. Mr.. Bayard sought
to apply this principle of naturalization by
international agreements in relation to the
Samoan islands. A proposition that the
United States should guarantee the inde-
pendence of these islands seemed to him to
be unwise, for the reason that to guarantee
the neutrality of an independent sovereign
ty, especially one as weak as Samoa, would
be to expose this country to the constant
risk of embodiment through the relations
of Samoa with other powers. We would be-
come responsible for whatever Samoa
might choose to 90. without the
power to regulate her conduct. 1t would
be the cheap way to annex the islands at
once, for in assuming the responsibility
of guaranteeing their independence we
would be governing their actions toward
other nations. To do this would require
great forts in Pagopago and a large fleet III
the Pacific ocean Of American men-of-war,
and then Samoa would not be as safe as by
the naturalization policy. The Secretary
looks upon the rejection of the fisheries,
Chinese and other treaties as unfortunate
to the country. He does not regard the
action OF the Senate as involving any dis
credit upon his action.