Daily tobacco leaf-chronicle. (Clarksville, Tenn.) 1890-1895, 1891-10-06
MUST BE STOPPED
The Mistreatment of Our Citi-
zens in Foreign Lands.
President Harrison Determined
on That Point.

Spain Must Pay Damages for "the Caro-
line Islands Affair."" During which the
Property of Americans Was Destroyed
With Impunity Unusual Prosperity
Among Our People.
WASHINGTON, Oct. Gwen through
the Chilian complication has not been
satisfactorily settled, despite the fact
that the Behring sea negotiations are
still pending, and although engrossed
with vast amount of diplomatic mat
ters in the absence of Secretary Blaine,
the president on Saturday began the con-
sideration of another important interna-
tional question, what is known in diplo-
matte circles as "The Caroline islands
affair" This matter has been dragging
its slow length along in the tedious chan
nels of the state department for some
time, but the president has decided
that it is about time the incident
was concluded, and he hopes it may
be settled with credit to the United
States, notwithstanding the fact that it
may involve us in a squabble with
Spain. The persons most concerned in
this affair are a number of American
missieIaries, who have suffered con-
siderable maltreatment at the hands of
the Spanish church representatives and
officers who control the Carolina islands.
Their churches have been burned, they
have been harassed and subjected to all
sorts of indignities, and it is said that
their lives have been endangered. The
president has decided that this condi.
tion of affairs must not be allowed to
exist any longer. 1t is the determina-
tion of the administration to see that
American citizens are protected in all
parts of the globe, especially in cases
such as this instance, where they have
been working for the cause of civiliza-
tion.
The Caroline islands are in the Pacific
ocean east of the Philippine group. They
were first discovered and settled by
Spanish nav igators and remained nomi-
nally Spanish possessions until five or
six years ago, when Germany undertook
to claim them. This act caused an al
most open rupture between Germany
and Spain, but the matter was finally re-
ferred to the pope for settlement. He
decided in favor of Spain. 1t was known
to the government at that time that
these missionaries were at work among
the natives of the islands, and Secretary
Bayard addressed a note to the Spanish
government in which he gave notice
that the protection of the missionaries
was of prime concern to the United
States. He received a suave note in re-
ply, promising that the missionaries
should not be interfered with, but this
promise seems to have been made only
that it might be broken. AT any rate,
the friends of the missionaries presented
to the state department some time ago
detailed account of the treatment which
they were receiving, and 1t was not
story to be read with pleasure by any
patriotic heart.
At that time, however, this govern
ment was engaged in negotiating reci-
procity treaty with Spain and the time
was not deemed propitious for full
discussion of the subject. 1t has now
been taken up, and will be vigorously
pushed to a conclusion. Our citizens
will be protected. While the president
has not absolutely determined what
action to take in the premises, it is un-
derstood that he has virtually decided to
make an immediate demand ON Spain
for indemnity for the outrages commit
ted upon these American citizens. 1t
may be that Spain will ask the with
drawal of the missionaries on the ground
that they do not teach the principles of
the established church of that nation.
Such request would be in accordance
with the law and practice, and would be
complied with, but the president is de-
termined that the withdrawal of the
shall not absolve the Span
ish government from making reparation
for the damages and the insults already
inflicted