The morning call., 1892-03-27
PEACE IN SIGHT.

The United States can probably leave o
MIR. Gladstone the duty Of sitting on LolG
Salisbury. That trained master of politics
quickly detected the blunder of the Tory
Premier and made ready 10 demolish him.
No sensible Englishman could justify the
interruption Of the present cordial under
standing between the two countries for the
sake. Of enabling few Canadian fishermen
to make money by sealing in Boring Sea.
and if, as appears to be the case. Gladstone
can convict Salisbury Of adopting a course
which was almost certain to Lead to such an
interruption. it will be difficult for the
Tories TO retain their control of Parliament.
The sooner they take water tie better for
them. Their laundering has got them into
muddle. 1t is not easy TO see how they are
going to notify the forty-seyen sealeTS which
have already cleared from Victoria and are
now in BeriDg Sea that the modus yivendi
Of last season has been extended so as 10
cover the season CT 1892; but that is their
business. If the Canadian sealerS have
been deceived by official assurances from
England, which the Government no w finds
itself unable 10 carry out, they will have a
grievance which calls for redress, but-it viii
not concern us.
The friction which marks every eontro-
versy between the United States and Eng
land arises from the inyeterate propensity
of Englshmen to class this country amosg
the semi-ciyiIized countries with which Eng
land has been in the habit Of dealing with a
word and blow. 1t seems impossible for a
British Secretary OF State to conduct an
argument with the United States with
out implying that he is superior
dealing with an inferior. His tone is
patrOnizing and oyerbearng He has no
hesitation in imputing bad faith. ignorance
and duplicity to the President of the United
States. lie would not venture to do so in
addressing the Emperor of Russia or the
President of France. But he never seems
able 10 get into his head that the United
States are no longer batch of colonies to be
hectored by the mother country. He ad-
dresses them in language which no gentle
man would tolerate from another; scarcely
affecting to conceal a reluctance in having to
address them at all. Those whose memories
are long enough to recall the diplomatic cor
respondence between the United States and
Great Britain during the War of the Rebel
lion will remember how haunting and insult
ing almost every British dispatch was. and
how it seemed Intended to wound and humil-
late.
Nor has the apparently studied imperti-
| nence of English statesmen been confined
TO words. Whenever a misunderstanding
occurs between the two countries the first
thing We hear is that British fleets and men,
of-war have been DISPATCHED to stations
which command our seaports. The moment
Mr.. Harrison protested against England's
abandonment of the modus viyendi in
Bering Sea the flagship Warspite was
ordered 10 EsQuimalt without stopping, as
usual, az San Francisco, and Admiral
| HOtham was directed to gather bis squadron
at that point. The British Admiral on the
China station is said To have been notified
by telegraph that he might be required TO
send some of his vessels across the Pacific.
Just so, when the Trent affair took place,
and at the very time when Lord Paimerston
had in MS pocket dispatch Informing him
| that Mr. Lincoln was prepared TO do the
right thing, whatever it was, British fleets
were concentrated at Nassau, Bermuda and
Halifax, and British troops were dispatched
to Canada.
This may be the right way Of dealing with
| ;he kins Of Abyssiaia or the Rajah of
Manipur. But when it is employed toward
the United States it produces an effect pre-
| ciseiy opposite to the effect desired. 1t does
not terTify, but simply eXasperates. When
| two men engage in dispute and one shakes
his fist in the others face the act is construed
| as menace, and is apt to be met by knock
| down blow. When England and the United
| States differ over the construction of treaty
aud England emphasizes her contention by
| preparations to lombard US We are not
| likely TO discuss the matter in as temperate
and conciliatory spirit as could be wished
| The American has an instructive aversion
of being bullied. Nothing is further from
| American purposes than to engage in war
with England, but an idea is pretty gen.
| orally prevalent that if war should break
out this country could hold its own. and per-
| haps DO little more. Under the circum-
stances it is hard to see what any British
| Minister could hope to gain by assuming the
| part of Don Bomhastes FuriosO.