Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1894-07-07
UNIVERSAL PEACE.
Uncle Sam on Good Terms with the
Whole World.
Great Powers Peacefully IncIined-A Little
Cloud Over China and Japan.

"NhNoeAis5 low ehat tHC WOTIu DOW cIIOyS
universal peace, said Chairman MeCreary
Of the foreign affairs committee, "but you
really have not done the subject Justice.
You newspaper men are little inclined
to touch only the outside and striking
features without going into the causes, and
You should add that not only is the world
ut peace, but there are now more agencies
working for peace than ever before, so far
rs history gives account. Have you noticed
that in every country in the world that
has anything like constitutional govern
mcnt the radical peace party Is now in
power, and even in despotic governments
the monarchs appear peacefully inclined?
Perhaps there is something in the idea of
great world influence, but more likely it
Is the result of advancing civilization, of
Christianity and several other forces, and
think the cost of war has a great deal to
do with it, BE that as 1t may, however,
am almost persuaded that we are fast
learning how to avoid war, that the great
example of the United States has had it's
effect upon the world, and that after al,
the sneering and skepticism We may be
quite near to that time the prophet foresaw
when swords and spears shall be turned
into implements OF peace and nations
The Geary Law.
You ought, however, to go deeper into
the philosophy OF It, and in that line let us
consider our own country first. While 1t
does not become tis to boast of what this
committee has done, / am perfectly salts
fed that it will be written in history that
Mr.. CIcvelnnd's was the great peace ad
ministration Of the age, and that it has
managed all its foreign relations with abil
ity and dignity and In "a spirit Of real
Christian earnestness for peace. We first
had the Chinese cor, llication to deal with.
The Geary law, you remember, was cvaded,
and | therefore introduced from this com
mttee "a bill defining what Ia n laborer and
what Is d merchant In the meaning Of our
law
Tho whole affair was managed most
pleasantly by the state department here
with the Chinese ministry, and the result
is that there is tho best of feeling on both
sides, and both governments are well sat
isficd, and what Is Of moro Importance to
the far west, while there were but 105, 900
Chinese supposed to be liable to the law,
107, 900 have registered. The bill l re
ported also extended tho time for them to
register, and everything proved perfectly
satisfactory, and the relations between the
two nations were never better than now
"Our next complication was in the IIa
waian business, Of which the country has
probably heard enough. 1t amounts to
very little for critics to point out minor
mistakes here and there when the general
policy IS correct. 1t has been the settled
policy Of this nation from the first to CON
codo to other peoples tho same indopcnd
cnco in their domestic affairs that we
have claimed for ourselves Mr.. Cleveland
took his position ut the start on the
ground that we had no more right to
stimulate u revolution in Hawaii than in
any other country, and that tho policy
pursued in Chile when the government of
Balmaccda was assaulted was the right
policy TO have pursued in Honolulu.
Cases settled AmicabIy.
Neither in Chile nor Brazil did the
revulutionists send word to the American
ministry that they were unable to protect
themselves and wanted the aid of Amori-
can marines, and had they done so the re-
quest would have been refused, although
American warships were in their harbors.
We took the high ground that precisely
tho same principles should have governed
in Hawaii, and the resolution reported by
me from this committee that the action of
Minister Stevens was contrary to the
traditions of our republic, and therefore
to be condemned, was sustained in the
house by a majority Of 101. The subsc-
quent proceedings in Hawaii have moth
ing to do with tho morality of our action
there. We have but one duty-to allow
the people of Hawaii to work out their
own problem, to adhere to our traditional
policy and to stand up for equal justice to
all nations, weak or powerful, and to have
putauuIiply alliances with mono
ave did not get what we asked in the
matter of the Boring sea and the Pribilof
islands, but we submitted the matter to
arbitration, and we stand by the results.
Besides the arbitrators on behalf of Great
Britain and the United States there was
one appointed by Franco and one by Swc-
den and Norway, and the moral effect of
the arbitration has been great The bill
l reported from this committee to enforce
tho award speedily passed both houses and
became n law, and similar legislation has
been adopted by the parliament. Great
Britain and our country have never been
on better terms than now, and the same
may be said of all our foreign relations
This committee has reported more impor-
tant measures than at any session for u
long time and all in the interest of peace.
We are yet to have our day in the house
anu utNt III ulilS W uicptSt oit but iiptlt
Of any serious Importance. Our action in
1870 IN submitting the Alabama claims to
arbitration has been great example, ana
the rest, as I said, is due to advancing
civilization. to education and the spirit of
Christianity, which have brought the great
nations very near together.
international Trade.
"In England Gladstone has been pre-
eminently the friend of peace and arbitra-
ton, and his SUCCESSORS are evidently of the
same mind. The same might be said of
Sadi Carnot, and 1 regard the election of
Casimir. Perier MS a notice to the world
that France is for peace Even the Ger
man emperor you will observe, has re-
Gently seized every occasion to advocate
peaceful methods, and in Russia and cast
crn Europe, according to all our advices,
the same tendency prevails. Improved
methods of warfare have made 1t more ex-
pensive, and in spite of hostile tariffs there
Is steady increase of international trade.
Trade is the handmaiden of peace Com
meroial freedom would now render war a
very remote possibility if not actually i'm
e. A.. .s-st 1,