The prison mirror. [volume] (Stillwater, Minn.) 1887-1894, 1893-06-15
THE EXTRACTION TREATY.
(RepOrt for Glass ID by A. j.


There are political questions. international dis
putes. and treaties with foreign states, which
may be regarded by the people with Indifference
without any injury to themselves or the nation;
but there are also some political questions in
which the point at stake is moral principle.
These we cannot afford to ignore. The late eX-
tradition treaty between the United States and
Russia is one of them and therefore demands
our careful consideration. The treaty is evident
ly bargain between free America and the Car,
to surrender to each other, such subjects as may
seek to escape the law of one country by fleeing
to the other. In other words. by the treaty we
bind ourselves to surrender persons to the Rus
sian government to be dealt with in a manner
we believe to be unjust. According to the two
clauses which the senate allowed to be published.
conspiracy against the life of the Car, or fOrg-
ing a passport. which is a government document.
in order to escape persecution. not to be con-
Sidered as political OtfenSeS; hence. any Russian
citizen guilty of either of these crimes. when
found here by the Cars detectives, is to be
promptly delivered to the Russian government:
government whose laws we believe to be I'M
just How can we consistently deny our neigh
bOrs rights which we hold to be sacred; namely,
the right of habeas corpus, of trial by jury. and
the right to employ his counsel; yea, and
the right to deal with their king as we have dealt
with ours. Do we not even now read with pleas
ure and approval the action of the New Haven
people who sheltered the two regicides, from
the persecution of Charles II? The Russian
people know their own affairs best. What NOR
al right have we to encourage. in any way, their
oppression? For the object of the treaty is not
to protect the person of the Gar, nor any of
the members of his family from assassination,
or to prevent forgery, but its real purpose is to
destroy the courage and hope which the pioneers
of liberty draw from the moral support of the
American people. By the treaty we become the
Cars instrument in his cruel work of crushing
the spirit of liberty; and his assistant in his en-
deavOr to perpetuate despotism in that vast por-
ton of the world We can scarcely believe that
our Government will become participation in
the work of the Car unless there is some ground
for it. But senates have erred and may err
again. What ground can there be to Justify the
violation of moral principle? The sO-called
historic friendship of the Car? If a robber
saves my life, am obliged by gratitude, to fur
Their his trade and purposes" Are my children
bound by gratitude to help his children in the
trade of their father? We justly set aside
France in 17S3 in spite of all she had done for
American liberty in 1776, because of VergenneS'
plan. Shall the historic friendship of the Car,
strengthened probably, by some other considera-
ton, and, perhaps by his hatred for England, al
low us to violate a great moral principle? A
thOughtless act on our part may be looked upon
in future history as the blacklist crime. How
strange, how very strange it is to the unpreju-
diced people to see free America in league with
the Car, while quarreling with England, the
bitter enemy of the despot. Whittier are we
drifting? My faith in the justice and common
sense of the American people, relieves me from
all anxiety. l do not believe the people will
sanction the treaty as it now stands; but
should feel more at ease, and consider my con-
nectiOn with this free country greater honor
if the people, after due consideration, should
protest in body against such blunder on the
part of the government.