The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1890-07-30

Sa-ioi,s Danger AVerteo rroOaoS
Modification OF Orders-Abor-
80 Efforts to Garry Out Mr.. Bay
- Agreement With Great Brit
ain.
From the Baltimore Sun.
rsurxeroN, July 27.-Although s.renu-
.fForts are beng made by partisan or
- create the impression that Mr..
9g,ai,o has SC pred victory in the Behring
4'i' ao-rasnondence, the fact is very clear
- 40 practical outcome Of his contro-
~n-sv with Lord Salisbury has been to IN
-. the United States in serious en-
.onrla,eut. WHAT has come to pass Is pre-
- what was pred cted when 1t was known
NJ RlaIne was again to assume control
s+ota department. A man or brilliant
- Mr. Blaine is not of the stuff of which
s,atesneu are made. He is too much
"a sensationalist. too ready to Jeopardize
rave interests if by some apparently clever
Stroke he can score a temporary polltlcal
advantage Such man, orllllahC as ne
nav he is manifestly untitled TO conduct
the foreign affairs OF great Ha'lon, anu
oansarvetiya and thoughtful members OF
SU-'[ o,.,n Marty fully recognize the fact.
a raview of his South American policy"
:, 1881 will disclose how nearly he brought
~ TTni+ad States into war with Chlll,
.rhich would necessarily have 1gnlted a
conflict with the greater powers Inc nasty
rocali If Minister Prescott and the complete
reversal of the Blaine line of action by
Secretary Frelinghuysen alone saved US
from a collision out of which neither
honor nor advantage IN any way
could have been derived. Inc expert
enca gained in that affair ought TO have
warned President Harrison of the infinite
danger of entrusting the state department
~ man so entirely untitled by nature and
training as Mr.. Blaine to assert this country's
dignity III the eyes of foreign nations. The
result of ignoring the plain teaching OF
established facts is seen in the fearful mud
die into which he has plunged us by hisrash
and illogical handling of the Behring sea
matter.
The country has failed to realize, as yet,
what narrow escape it has bad from
situation which actually invited bioodshed
in the North Pacific. 1t is evident now
that we have been within an ace Of a
collision with the British cruisers off the
Alaskan coast. That the whole country is
NOT now in fame of excitement over an
inpendng war will probably be found to
have been due solely to the fact that Mr..
blaine mas backed dow from the announced
intention to seize the Canadian sealers. 1t
has been reported and not denied that
secret Instructions were hastily dis
patched to our revenue cutters to avoid any
action that might precipitate conflict. II
sucn should prove to have been the case,
nothing could be more humiliating to the
pride of any patriotic American, and no
amount of fulsome adulation of Mr.. Blaine's
"dialectic skill" Or praise of his aggressive
language toward the British prime minister
would then obscure the simple truth that
he had been forced to abandon an untenable
position and to hide his retreat under q
shower of glittering words.
1t is due to the American people that the
actual facts should be made plain. They
have right to know the truth about an
individual who yields the power of peace
or war for this great nation. If he is right
he should be sustained, but it would not be
the part OF true patriotism to shield him if
bis conduct is menace to the peace and
prosperity of the union. 1t should not
he forgotten that this government is
freighted with the welfare OF
100000 Of human beings, and is con duct
ing an experiment for ohe advancement 0
the human race. Those of us who remem.
Der this ought to do our best to prevent it
frem failing prey to personal ambitions
|
be our personal or political sympathies we
ought not to close our eyes to conduct on
the part OF any public man which invites
disaster
zen Mr.. Blaine assumed Office for the
second time the BehriDg sea negotiations
conducted by Mr.. Bayard and Minister
Fhelps had been suspended, owing to the
partisan hostility of the republican majority
IN the Senate to any scheme of settlement
with Great Britain by Mr.. Clevelanl's ad-
mlmstration. Up to the time that they
were thus frustrated they had been moving
On smoothly to fair and equitable settle
ment There had been no engage
ment by Mr.. Bayard at any stage
Of the proceedings that no further
seizures of depredating sealers would
10 MADE On the contrary. in August 1857
ne mad addressed a note to the British min.
NIer al Washington expressly regulating
any such implied or expressed agreement,
Inc question of the legality of these seizures
YOU'D nave been avoided entirely If the
proposed new arrangement had been suf-
ieleu 70 progress to settlement. 1t would
lave been rendered unnecessary. for il Wa
expressly waived by the terms of Mr. Rqy.
aIdS offer of settlement and It's acceptance
ment e"'eA
Ia Mr. Bayard's dispatches the question of
;SAJuslve jurisdiction of the United States
p'55nIlhg sea was expressly reserved and
th;o No proposition for arbitration Of
s SnS question was made, for none was neces-
t ta! :, AS the result of the Bayard negota-
on 0II n .ne governments of the United States
sn nJ GREAT GREAT Britain were acting in concert.
ss .o russia the only other country inter
is 49, was heartily in accord. Arbitration
W. lesort TO settle differences. but there
tb ete no differences. Both parties agreed
a in;, V Gne unregulated killing of fur seals was
if ' anl 70 both. and both agreed to stou
81 dn; auu ana concurred as to the method Of
T7 nitssS ~; IN other words, England and the
~ thin" sG ~ o. " les were then seeking the same
'nT1Ig IN the same way. - ''-'e
81 tano ne real reason why the Bebring sea set
uncI, was arrested was the wanton
traa+r. =, ana unjust rejection of the fisheries
mtI;5oa IN !ooo by the solid vote of the re-
6eban;al IN the Senate. The Behrinp sea
81 waro it = and the Nova Scotian fisheries
II northe oSOn Canadian questions. On the
n Fisheries I've territory to which the
q the the n reS were adjacent was British. on
81 the oI1u"est 1t was American In
bindirnont . me the United States ware
yerv es me owners of the land down to the
counIed + 1cteSt line of marine jurisdiction
III which +ro WIN an assertion of treaty rights
III rial in eave large opportunities for terrific
# west sd tI or trespass. On the north
M an nnIir3; .ne United States were claiming
81 sea vvbint and exclusive jurisdiction over
81 all natin Ilou mad been freely navigated bv
ernmont nS prior to the existence of the pow.
Can u !. u the United st ties.
SENATE ~ 70 wondered, then, that when tho
W conto; JecVed the permanent settlananr