Sacramento daily record-union., 1890-09-17
DAILY RECORD UNION
TWO ABsURDITIEs.

Barrundia has gone to Mexico to consult
President Diaz, and lay before him certain
papers proving that Barrundia had taken
out preliminary certificates of intention to
become Mexican citizen, and that there
fore he was entitled to Mexican protection.
1t is added that if this proves to be true,
Mexico will demand satisfaction from
Guatemala for the death OF Barrundia.
All of which is sheer nonsense. If Bar
rundia bad any claim to Protection be-
cause Of secret relation to Mexico, he
did not advance it and had never made it
public 1t not being known that he was
not a Guatemalan, that he had taken steps
to forswear allegiance to his native land,
how, in the name of common sense, can
any one comfort logic or international law
so as to Justify the opinion that Mexico
may rightfully demand satisfaction of
Guatemala for Barrundia's death? Yet
we are told ttat lawyers say President
Diaz may and probably will do that thing,
if it proves to be true that Barruldia was
in the probationary state of Mexican citi-
zenship. To telegraph snch nonsense
across the continent is waste of time and
the electric current
Side by side with this absurd story of
Barrundia's secret citizenship in Mexico.
is another to the effect that United
Ssates Senator has written that the United
States Minister to Central America will
be required to resign, because public opin-
ion is so deep and strong against him in
the United States on account of the Bar
rundia matter. The truth is that there
has not been any such expression of public
opinion. We have no special regard for
the Minister, but simple justice demands
that his official action be defended, since
it was right action, and has innumerable
precedents. He did precisely what, under
the law, he was compelled to do, in the
Barrundia affair, and to have refused to do
as he did would have been official miscon-
duct
The American people love justice; a
trait of American character is love for
fair play. In this case the very few only
have run away with the idea that the deck
of an American ship in foreign port is a
haven of refuge for local offenders. The
great mass Of our people well understand
that such is not the law, and should not
be. They know also that the American
Minister could not otherwise advise the
Captain Of the Acapulco than he did,
without gross violation of duty. They
know besides that the Minister secured
from Guatemala pledge that Barrundia's
life should be spared, and that Barrundia's
death is chargeable to his own folly in
firing upon the officers.
We do not admire Minister Miner. we
repeat, and think him greatly oyer-rated
man, and one not equal to filling the i'm
portant post he occupies, but we cannot
remain silent when as an American off
cial ne is misjudged. To reprove the
Minister for his part in the Barrundia
affair, in the light of the facts as now re-
vealed, would be national reproach, and
a declaration to all citizens that they must
accept positions abroad representing their
country at the risk of being disgraced by
their own land for simply doing their
clear duty, and is removed in response tc
the hot-headed and unintelligent cry ot
a few newspapers and ill-informed people