The record-union. [volume] (Sacramento, Calif.) 1891-1903, 1895-12-18
A THREAT OF WAR.

The special message of the President
of the United States to Congress on
the Venezuelan question was sent to
| the houses yesterday. 1t is distinct
threat of war. If we are to judge by
the manifestations with which the mes
sage was received in both the Senate
| of the suggestions of the President.
That is in brief that while distinctly re-
| training from forming a judgment con-
| corning the equities of the case; with
out saying that Venezuela is right or
wrong, this nation will proceed to judi
| cialIy and calmly examine into the is
sue and ascertain unaided by arbitrat-
ors and to it's own satisfaction what is
the true divisional line between English
and Venezuelan territory. That when
| that ascertainment is reached and is
found to be sufficient this Government
will guarantee its observance by each
| of the two nations involved in the
dispute. That while this Government
cannot and will not object to any con-
cessions Venezuela may make in the
matter of the adjustment Of her
| boundary lines, of her own free will,
| it will not sit idly by and permit the
strength of England to coerce the
weakness of Venezuela into conces-
sions she is not prepared to freely
make.
The President recites that he adj
vised, and in the most friendly man
ner insisted, that England should con-
sent to abide the decision of arbitra-
| ton in this matter of the Venezuelan
| boundary, but that England has now
peremptorily refused to submit her full
claims to the judgment of arbitrator.
This the President views as unfriendly
and liable to bring about a rupture OF
the cordial relations of amity that have
so long. existed between the two great
English speaking nations, but which
unfortunate event we will not evade
if worst comes to worst.
The message re-delivers the Monroe
| doctrine in all its fullness, asserts its
| present vitality and AYERS that it is as
applicable to the conditions Of this day
as when it was announced by President
Monroe, and acquiesced in by England
as a principle just and wise.
He holds that the Monroe doctrine is
essential to the integrity of our free
institutions and the tranquil mainte-
nance of our distinctive form Of govern
ment; that we cannot therefore submit
under any pretense to the taking OF
! territory by boundary extension or by
any other form of seizure and posses
sion from an American State, without
| its consent, by the strong arm Of any
foreign nation. With crisp wit the Pres
| ident asserts that if the balance OF
power in Europe is justly cause for
| Jealous concern among Governments of
that hemisphere, and for our non-in-
| reference, so, too, is the maintenance
of the integrity of the Monroe doctrine
subject for equally as jealous concern
by US.
Read in any way and in all ways,
! the message means, with approval of
Congress, that we shall take this whole
Venezuelan boundary question into our
hands. arrive at final judgment con-
corning it's merits, and announcing our
decision. stand to its support under
arms if necessary.
There is a very crisp and stirring re-
ference to the impossibility of the Uni
ted States submitting to any form OF
wrong and injustice at the hands of an
other nation. or to any procedure that
will tarnish National honor, or lower
our seIf-respect. AS the matter stands
therefore at this time. there is with the
consent of Congress to be erected a
commission to examine into the bound
ary question and report upon it. and as
that commission shall decide, so will be
our relation to the whole matter.
If CONGRESS raises such a commission
it will of necessity be some months be-
fore there can be a report from it, and
in the meanwhile the springing blood
! in the veins of our citizens may. re-
sumo its measured beat. But war with
! England is not now improbable. The
! temper of Congress gives indication of
| its spirit The English press as sturdily
maintains that England. cannot &C
quiese in the suggestion to arbitrate
because she is contending for that
which cannot properly be made the sub
| iect of arbitration, as it is, in her view,
a question of her rights that she alone
may pass upon and which she cannot
submit to the judgment of another.
AS matters stand there would seem
to be but little room for the taking OF
middle ground England must recede
from her position or await the inquiry
the President advises shall be set on
foot. As that will be an inquisition to
which England viii not present her side
of the case, it win be in the nature of an
ex parte examination. though it is pos
slble for our commission to ascertain
what are the evidences and arguments
upon which the English contention is
based.