The National tribune., 1892-02-25

OK RETURNING FLAGS.
Ii is proposed 10 return to Mexico the
flags we captured from her 4G years ago.
The advocates of this say that this would
be graceful and friendly, and tend 10 make
more cordial the relations between the two
Nations.
No such objection 10 this exists as there
was 10 President Clevelands proposal TO
return the captured rebel flags. The Mexi-
can flags were taken from patriotic soldiers,
who were defending their Government
against foreign invasion. As TO the justiii-
ability Of that invasion there has been grave
question among ourselves, and it might go
a little ways toward quieting some uneasy
cousciences to return the trophies.
The flags which Mr. Cleveland proposed
TO return were the emblems of rebellion
against the Government To return them
was to admit that we had been wrong in
taking them, and that the Governments
assertion Of its supremacy was uniustifable
Then, again, the Mexican flags were taken
from the legitimate representatives, of the
legitimate Mexican Government. That Gov
eminent still exists, and can properly
receive the flags, If we choose TO return
them. The rebel fags were taken from
the representatives Of a Government which
we always denied was legitimate and which
we crushed because it had no right to exist.
Ii consequently left no successors to whom
we could return the flags, if we wished TO-
Mr.. Cleveland made the grossest kind Of a
legal blunder when he proposed to return
them to the States to which they belonged"
/ The decision Of that stern Judge-the Sword
to whom the case was appealed in 1861,
decided that no States had been in rebellion.
that States could not rebel as States, and
that whatever had been done had been the
unlawful acts Of men pretending 10 act for
! tie States. Consequently, the present s ate
/ Governments Of the South are not the sue
cessors of the organizations which had been
in rebellion, and legally they could have
no more interest in the captured flags than
the Governments Of any Of the other States.
This is where Mr. Cleveland displayed what
The lawyers call Grass ignorance There
was nobody with whom the United States
could lawfully deal in the matter
The return OF the Mexican 1igs is a
matter Of questionable propriety. II opens
mp a mighty question which had better b.
left 10 rest quietly. The taking Of the hag-
was only a small portion of the injury We
did Mexico in that contest. The most seIi.
Gus was the tearing away from her Of thai
splendid Empire from which we have formed
the States of California, Nevada and Colo
RADIO, and the Territories of Arizona anC
New Mexico. If We were wrong in takin.
one we were wrong in taking the other.
we give back the one what is more natura
than that she think that we ought also L
give back the other?
Then, too, if We are going to give bacl
some flags, why not give them all back
We captured good many flags from Grea
Britain in the two wars we had with he
Why should she not receive them back ? w,
captured the Gag Of at least one Frencl
frigate in the brief contest we had with tina
Republic in 1898. II ought to be takel
down from its position in the Navy Depart
mont and returned, If we are going into tina
business. We took some horsetails an,
r crescents in the wars we had with IN
( Barbary Powers in the beginning Of the cen
fury. The descendants OF those corsairs-
{ If any Of them have escaped the lively ad
: ministration Of French civilizalion-shoul
, put in their claims for restoration of In
r trophies which the gallant tars under Deca
tur and Bainbridge wrenched from thei
r piratical hands.
= Weneed not expect TO captiyate the Mex
! cans with this theatrical stuff We woul
c not try it on Englishmen-why on Mex
cans? five should make such proposItio
e TO England she would say to us in effect
b Just keep your old flags, me boy, and niue
: good may they do you. We, both of u
IS fought the fight TO a finish then, did the bes
Is we could, and accepted the results like meI
a The thing was settled then and there an
II neither Of us is asking the others pardo
II for what happened. Let's talk Of somethin