Delaware gazette and state journal. (Wilmington, Del.) 1883-1902, 1890-07-31
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BIAfNk'S DIPLOMACY.
How IL Has Twice Brought This
country a., sA.i Verge of war.

Blaine has scored Victory la the Bshrin
SEA correspondence, the fact Is very elea
that tho practical outoome OF his contro
versy with Lord Salisbury has been TO In
volvs the Unlted States ia serious en-
tanRlement What has come to pass 4
precisely what was predicted when IL wa
known that MIR. Blaine was again to assum
control Of the state department. A man o
brilliant parts, Mr.. Blaine 10 mot OF the atui
OF which true statesmen are made, He 4
100 much of a ssnsationaisf, too ready L
laapardiza grave In erests II by some no
pafently clever stroke hs oRn score q tenn
porary political advantage. such d man
brilliant as be may be. te manitsatly un
lifted to conduct the forsign affairs OF /
great nation, and conservative and thought
lul memos of his own party fully recog
A review OF his South American "poiicy'
In 1881 will disclose how nearly he brousn
the United States Into war with Chill
which would necessarily have ignited d
coEnlet with the greater powers. The
nasty recall OF Minister Trsscott and the
complete reversal OF the Blaine line d
actlon ny secretary Frelinghuysen alone
saved US from a collision out of which
neither honor nor advantage Ia any wag
could have bsen derived. The experience
gained Ia bag affair ought to have warned
Is9aldeat Harrison OF the lntinitY danger OF
entfusiing the state department TO 4 man
SO entirely nnfitted by nature and training
~ az. Blaine to assert this couutry's dig
nifty In the eyes oil foreign nations. the
result OF Ignoring the palm teaching Of es.
tebiished faces Is seen In the fearful muddle
| into which ne has plunged us by mis- rash
aud Illogical handling OF the BshrinR Sea
/ matter.
tn country has failed to realizs Us vet
what narrow escape 1t has bad from
situation which actually Invited Eloodshed
In the North Pacific. l. Is evident now
| mat we have besn WITHIN an ace OF q col .
llsl9n with the British cruisers off the
ALASKAN coast. That the whole eouutry IA
not now 10 a flame Of excitement over an
impending war will probably be found 60
have been due solely to the fact that MIR.
9nnosd intantton to seize Canadian
SEA ers II has been report and not de.
Med that secret instructions we're hastily
dispatched 10 our revenue cutters TO avoid
any action that might procipitate 4 CON
nlDt. II auch SHOULD prove to have boen
no case nothing ooull bs mors humiliat.
ing 10 tDe pride OF the patriotic American.
and no amount u fulsome adulatlon OF Mir.
Blaine's ''dialectic. skip or praise OF his
aggressive" language towards the British
prime minister would then OBJ cure the
simple truth that he had been forced 10
abandon an untenable position and to hide
his retreat under shower OF glittering
words.
1t is due to this American people that the
hoEuAl facts should be made plain, Thew
NAYS a right TO know the truth about an in.
yidual VINO wlslds the power OF peace or
war Tor this great nation. II be Is right ha
should DO sustained, but It would not be
the Fart OF true patriotism to shlel him II
MS conduct Is Il menace to the peaco and
prosperity of tho UaioH. II should not b.
IorRottol that this government 10 traIRhted
with the welfare o. &c, QUO, 600 OF human
beings, and IL conu1ating an experiment
lur the advancement OF the bnngu race
Ihose OF us who remember this ought ~ do
our Dest to prevent IL from falling prey 70
personal ambitions or merrenary pDl,eiss.
ana Whatever may be our pargonal or poll-
tical sympathius We ought not to close our
eyes TO conduct on tho part OF any public
man which invites disaster.
When mr. III Inc assumed Office fer the
second time the Behfing SeA negotiations
eohduc;ad by Mr. ayard and Minister
P4slpS mad been suspended, owing TO the
partisan hostility OF the Rspublican ma.
llrlty III The Senate to any scheme OF set.
dement, eth Great Britain by MIR UIeye-
iAud's administration. Up to tho time that
tney we're thus frustsa.od thoy had been
moving on smoothly To fair and equtt.
aOle settlement. Thera had bean mo an.
kaHement ny Mr., Bayu:d at any stage OF
t1s proceedings that no further seizures of
depfedat nS Sealers would be made. Ga
ina contrary, In August, 1887, he had adj.
Dressed note to the British minister at
Washington expressly rspudiating any such
implied or expressed agreement. The
question OF the legality OF these seizures
Wonid nave been avoided entirely IL the
proposed new arrangement had been suf
Tered to progress to settlement, Ii would
have been rendered unneeass ,Iy, for ID WAS
expressly waived By the terms OF Mr.. BAY
ARDS ofIsr OF settlement and It's aceptsnoe
almost uAqlalinedly by the British govern-
mant.
In Mr. Bayard's dispatches ths question
81 exclusive Jurisdiction OF this United
States ia beninR SEA was expressly reserved
and ayolds0. No proposition for arbitra-
ton OF this question was made, Tor none
WAS necessary. Az th Essu. OF the Bayard
negotiations the governments OF the United
States and Great Britain we're aetina IN
concert, and Russia, the only other country
Interested, was hsartilY in accord. Arbitra-
ton Is resort to eattie differences. hit
there were no d ffsrencos. Both parties
agreed that the unFagulatod killing OF fur
seals was Injurious TO b0th, and both a rsed
to stop 1t. and concurred as to the method
OF doing 80. In other words England and
the United States were then seeking the
same thing in the same way.
I1e real reason why the BehrIng Sea-
setliement was arrested WIS the wanton.
uncivil and unjust rejection OF the fisheriss
a.
Lnbllcans In the Senate. The BehrIng asa
fisheries and the Nova 5ootian isharies
were Doth Canadian questions, ON the
hottn-eAst the territory to which the flsh-
elles were adIncent Was British; on the |
northwest II was American. In the former
tne oniteu etates were binding the owners
OF the land down 10 the very strtctest line
OF marine jurisdiction, coupled with an
assertion OF treaty rights which gave large
opportunities for territorial fnvaslon or |
trespAss. GA the Iorth-Wdst side the United
STATES were olSimins Hn unlimited and ex. |
eluslve Jurisdiction over a sea which had |
poen Ireely naYEated BY all nations prior |
United States,
Can It b. wondered then that when the I,
senhte tfJ4cted the permanent settlement |
contained in the fisheries treaty. and re-. |
i iusea even to signify by amendment what |
lney uiu Wish er would accept, and Canada |
passed law of International maritime |
Jurisdiction limiting her police control 10 |
tha northeast, which was not TO DO apnIted |
TO hAr neighbor on the north. west. that ave |
wished to delay the settlement until soma |
reasonable understanding should bearriyed |
at on potu questions and on both sides OF |
the oontinent2 y
This responsibility for the failure TO settla |
the Behring Sea controversy on the lines |
laid down by Mr.. Bayard must rest with the |
nepuplican leaders III the Senate but Mr.,
Blame must also In the end be called to |
aooouh. Tor tue wretched bunRie OF his at.
tempt to obtain from the British Roysrn- |
mert a confirmation Of Is assent To Mr.
Bayard's proposition. Il Is difficult to ses
now Ne can exercH,s himself from the vAh |
OF diplomatic absurdities ia which IA has
lmmeshed himself, bat Il should be a mat |
Ter OF profound gratitude TO the country NJ |
menaoe OF foreign war as the fruit al bis
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