Los Angeles daily herald., 1890-01-15
WEDNESDAY. JANUARY 1S. 1890.
GREAT 8ritatn ana Portugal.

Great Britain ana FOftugai'
The British Government has not COM
manded the admiration of the civilized
nations by the way in which she has
bulldozed Portugal. Whatever may be
the real merits of the controversy, the
bullying course of the English Cabinet
is calculated to raise friends to Portugal
and give her the sympathy OF every one
who loves to see fair play. Portugal has
for over two centuries had foothold in
various parts of Africa, and had estab-
lished at the mouth of the Congo and at
other points factories" from which sup
plies for trading expeditions in the in
terror were obtained. 1t will be remem-.
bered that when Stanley had made his
first great search for Livingstone, after
accomplishing the primal object OF his
expedition, he followed the banks OF 8
great stream for many weeks. This
stream he named the Livingstone; but
as he descended it, fighting his way inch
by inch not only against the falls and
rapids and other difficulties of the river,
but against the constant assaults Of hos
tile tribes Of black savages, he finally
found that it was the Congo he was de-
scending. At last when he was nearing
the coast, he and his party would have
perished had it not been for the timely
help extended to them by Portuguese
'sfactory" near the mouth of the Congo
The Portuguese claim certain territory
in the Pimental district and along the
banks of the river Shire. There is nc
doubt that they have the right OF prior
ity Of occupation of large part of this
territory; and there is no doubt that the
Portuguese commercial companies es.
tablished in those regions have traded
under charters all the way from one to
two centuries old. Now Great Britain
peremptorily orders the Government of
Portugal to withdraw it's pretensions to
all this territory and retire it's forces
from the banks of the Shire beyond the
Ruo and south of the Zambezi in Nyassa-
land. Portugal. through bar RlemiasE, T,
conciliate Great Britain. She offered to
submit her rights to arbitration or in any
other way so as to get at peaceful solu-
tion of the difficulties raised by England.
But England dealt with Portugal as she
has always dealt with weak powers. In
reply to the humble proposition of Portu-
gal she sends feet of war vessels to
pour shot into her towns unless the Por-
tuguese Government at once abandon
her claims and recognize those of Great
Britain. Lisbon lay at the mercy of
England's ironclads, and the Portuguese
Ministers yielded under protest.
Why is it that Salisbury could not SUBJ
NIT Great Britain g claims to arbitration :?
The world will be very apt to consider
that they would not bear the test, and GO
the British Ministry adopted the good
old plan. We see this method illustrated
every day in criminal life. The foot
pad, armed to the teeth, makes the timid
passenger stand and deliver. If Minis.
ter Gomez had not yielded, there would
no doubt have been repetition of the
scenes that were witnessed at Alexandria
eight years ago-Lisbon would have been
bombarded.
And yet no nation is more desirous of
being considered as the leader in that
modern policy of submitting all inter-
national disputes to peaceful arbitration.
But practically it makes all the difference
in the world as to the rank of the nation
with which she is in controversy. Ii
petty power, she disdains peaceful
measures and makes herself the judge
and the law. If power of the first
rsnk, then arbitration is in order. Great
Britain, like. Bewie's friend, knows whom
to kick.