The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1895-12-18

and Great Britain held important
| South American possessions to work
from and benefit. the temptation to
| destroy our predominance by further
ing our dismemberment might have
| been irresistible.
| From THAT great peril we were saved
in the past and may be saved again
in the future through the operation of
the sure but silent voice of the doc
| trine proclaimed by President Mon.
| roe.
A Wel1-Founded Principle.
There is then Secretary Olney
continues. "a doctrine of American
public law. well founded in principle
and abundantly sanctioned by prece-
dent. which entities and requires the
| UNITED States to treat as an injury to
herself the forcible assumption by any
European power Of political control
| over an American state The applica-
ton of the doctrine to the boundary
dispute between Great Britain and
Venezuela remains to be made and
presents no real difficulty.
The secretary shows that although
relating to the boundary line. the
question is one of political control
over domain of great extent, the
| BRITISH claim. apparently expanding in
two years some $4,000 square miles
and directly involving the command
OF the mouth of the Orinoco in con-
nection with the whole river naviga-
ton In the interior of South America.
| ne BUSINESSES as valueless the con-
usntion that British Guiana may in
ufllS controversy be regarded as an
American state. like Venezuela. He
suggests that while Venezuela might
POSSIBLY not object to settling the
matter directly with British csI,iens
II this contention was once allowed
every European power with a South
american colony might extend its
possessions indefinitely, while other
| powers might do the Same bv first
procuring a voluntary session If q
small tract of soil.
Not Admitted,
1T is not admitted, and therefore
oannoe be assumed. that Great Bri
TAIN is in fact usurping dominion over
H,enezueIan SOUL While Venezuela
charges usurpation, Great BRITAIN do
mics it. and the United States 1,nti,
the merits are authorftatively ascer-
udlheo. can take sides with neither:
oUt 1t may demand that the truth sbe II
De ascertained. Being entitled to re-
sent any sequestration of VenezueIan
soil oy Great Britain. it is necessarily
enuFtied to know whether such Sc
ausslfa'lloh mas occurred or is now
There is but one feasible n,oda ~ ID
termining the merits of the ouestion
ana that is Deaceable arbitra tio,,
great Britain admits that there is y
controversy which should he adiusted
by arbitration, but nullifies this ad-
mission by hsr insistance that tha
s she nd shall cover but part of
ehe controversy. If it were to point TO
a boundary, which both parties. either
expressly or tacit1y, had ever agreed
TO- the demand that the territory with
IN that line should be excluded from tha
dispute might rest upon a reasonable
pasls, but there is no such line. Great
Brlta1n has shown in various instances
mat she was willing to arbitrate her
polltlcal and sovereign rights, when the
interests or territory involved were NOT
OF controlling magnitude; thus she ar
pItrated the extent of her colonial
possessions with the United States
Twice, With Portugal once, with Gerrna-
ny, and perhaps in other instances.
Of the Past.
The secretary quotes from some Of
these arbitrations in the past to sus-
tain his assertion that the British de-
mand for recognition of her right to a
portion Of the disputed territory be.
fore arbitration seems to stand upon
nothing but her own ipse dfxit
She says Comments Mr.. Olney) to
Venezuela, in substance:
You can get none of the debatable
land by force because you are not
strong enough; you can get none by
treaty because l will not agree, and
you can take your chance at getting a
portion by arbitration only if you first
agree to abandon to me such other
portion as I may designate"
This attitude is not characteristic Of
English love of justice and fair play:
it places Venezuela under vital duress;
the territory acquired would be as
much wrested by the strong hand as II
occupied by British troops.
Summed Up.
This, he says, amounts to invasion
and conquest and our duty is summed
up as follows:
In these circumstances the duty OF
the president appears to him unmistak-
able and imperative. Great Britain's
assertion of title to the disputed ter
ritory. combined with her refusal to
have that title investigated being a
substantial appropriation of the terri
tory to her own use, not to protest and
give warning that the transaction will
be regarded as injurious to the inter-
ests of the people of the United States,
as we'll as oppressive in itself, would
be to ignore an established policy with
which the honor and welfare Of the
country are closely identified. While
the measures necessary Or proper for
the vindication of that policy are to be
determined by another branch of the
government, it is clearly for the exec
utive to leave nothing undone which
may tend to render such determine
ton unnecessary.
Mr.. Bayard is directed to read the
communication to Lord Salisbury and
asks a definite decision regarding ar
bitration. The president hopes that
the conclusion will be on the side of ar
bitration, but if he is disappointed, a
result not to be anticipated, and In his
Judgment calculated to greatly embar-
rass the future relations between this
country and Great Britain, ne wished
to be acquainted with the fact at such
early date as will enable him to lay
the whole subject before Congress, in
his next annual message.
The BRITISH SIDE.