Los Angeles herald., 1891-12-10
THE MESSAGE.

lh6 MESOAUns
President Harrison has delivered him
self of his message, and it is a formid-
able document, taking up a couple OF
pages of an ordinary journal. 1t is
scarcely possible to review this docu-
ment in the compass of a single article,
and we shall therefore contine ourselves
to that portion of it which relates to the
conduct of the affairs of the department
of state, which of itself embraces the
compass of an ordinary message. Presi-
dent Harrison, being short man, must,
of course, write a long disquisition on
any subject he touches. He forgets the
epigram which he found in his Latin
grammars, and which says that life is
short, while art is long.
But, to jump at once IN medias res, the
president starts out by congratulating
the people Of the United States on the
fact that reciprocityltreatie with Brazil,
with Spain for its West Indian posses
sions, and with San Domingo, are near
ing consummation. He ignores all
questions of the authorship of
this policy, as between Blaine and
himself, which is very prudent thing
on his part, as the Plumed Knights seems
to be getting ready to run for President
on that issue. Sensible people know
that the whole thing is nothing but
glittering generality, and that it has
been devised, as side issue, to buttress
the most infamous tariff that has been
enacted in the whole history of the
United States. AS Mr.. Harrison de-
votes special chapter to the tariff else-
where in his message, we shall recur to
this subject at a later date.
The Bering sea arbitration is treated
of, and reference is made to an agree
ment with Great Britain by which
limitation was made OF the catch to 1900
seals for the current year. That this
agreement has been an unspeakable
tiasco the whole world knows. It has
been violated in the most conspicuous
way, aud is subject rather for the car
toonist than for president who is talk
ing to the people of the United States
in an official capacity. There is one as
pect of this matter, however that ought
not to be overlooked, and that is that
the United States has practically sur
rendered, under the manip ulation OF
our jingo secretary of state, our old
claim that the Bering sea was q mare
cJ0usum, that as such we inherited it
from Russia with the Alaska purchase,
and that, as such we intended to maintain
it. The Republicans, four years ago,
had no words OF objurgation strong
enough to be used in denunciation OF
the dilatoriness OF Mr.. Cleveland's sec
retary OF state and OF his lack OF vigor,
and yet now we find the whole Ameri-
can side of the matter made dependent
upon the decision of arbitrators. Verify
the Plumed Knight and his official
chief know how to haul in their horns
Mr.. Harrison suggests that it is i'm
portant that the frontier demarcation
between the United States and Canada
should be established beyond cavil. He
regrets that the interposition of thie
country in the boundary dispute be-
tween England and Venezuela has thus
far been ineffective, owing to the obsti-
macy of Great Britain, and he indulges in
the following faint re-affiamation OF the
Monroe doctrine: "This government
"will continue to express its concern at
"any appearance OF foreign encroach
"ments on territories long under the ad
"mlnistrative control OF American
"states."
The telegraph had led us to expect
vigorous and quasiwarlike attitude by
the administration on the Chilean ques-
tion. On the contrary, nothing could
be tanner. The lengthy message con-
tains nothing that has not been better
expressed in many newspapers of the
United States. Instead OF short and |
peremptory sentences, enforcing upon
the republic of Chile the necessity OF |
instant indemnity, and apology for an
incredible outrage on the American flag,
the message contains a labored defense
of the bungling attitude of the United
States towards the government OF Bal
maceda!
The rest OF the message, which relates
to our foreign affairs is taken up with
details that are certainly not OF sensa-
tional interest. The president refers to
the iant that 10 four hundredth ami
versary of the discovery of America will
be held in Madrid in 1892. and recon-.
mends cordial participation by the
United States in this movement. This
is good suggestion, especially as Spain
was one of the first nations to show a