Omaha daily bee., 1895-12-08
Rush to Arms Should Be Postponed Till
the Word is Properly Given.
SAID PASHA SHOWS HIS GOOD SENSE
His Reputation ms Shrewd Poll
ticinn suffers Little from His Eff
forts to Escape the Sultan's
Significant Invitation.

NEW YORK, Dec. 7.-(special Telegram)-
There is a great deal to be said about the
Venezuelan question, but the greater part Of
It may be deferred till the facts are in posses
sion Of the American public. / don't know
whether that phase will surprise anybody.
hope 1t will. The truth is that the facts are
not before us. We do not know the contents
Of the Olney note, except from the meager
summary OF It in President Clsveland's mes
sage. Still less do know the contents OF
Lord Saisbury's reply. The information thus
tar supplied has been mainly from Venezuelan
sources 1t may be correct but Venezuela
OF course puts forth what she thinks for her
advantage. She Is a party to the dispute. III
the United States are to be arblters between
her and Great Britain, still more If we are to
espouse her cause. the people of the United
States are entitled to know all about the
matter We want to know the English side
as well as the Venezuelan side. If we do
not we put ourselves at the mercy OF the
Venezuelans. They and not we direct our
policy. To that, of course, the American peo-
pie will not submit, nor do l suppose for a
moment that either the president or the Sec
retary Of state would submit to 1t, or that
Mr. Olney means us to accept his lawyers
views of a diplomatic controversy as binding.
STRUCK SALISBURY'S BUSY DAY.
There has been some complaint of Lord
Salisbury's delay in answering the olney
note Well, lord Salisbury is prime minister
and foreign minister of the greatest empire IN
the world with interests and momentous
Issues pending in Europe, in Asia, In Africa,
with a European concert to maintain in cir
cumstances of extreme delicacy, and with the
possibility of great European war ever be
fore him. If Mr.. Olney were in similar
condition we should perhaps hold him ex-
cusable " he had not found time to deal at
once with a trumpery boundary dispute be-
tween Venezuela and British Guiana.
Now Lord Salisbury has answered. 1t is
said. at great length He has laid before our
government the whole British case ana
spread upon the record the facts the history,
the treaties and the other evidence upon
which Great Britain claims rightful possess
sion of the territory in dispute.
Forthwith we are told in Washington dis
matches that this statement is artfully de-
signed to protract negotiations, and the
limited States are actually called upon-such
is British presumption-to consider the
boundary question on its merits. II he had
done less than that we should probably have
been told that he was treating us with con-
tempt Have we then made up our minds
that England must be in the wrong because
she is England? That may do for Senator
Lodge and Mr.. Livingstone, though be-
lieye such a view would be unjust to them
or either of them
REASON MUST PREVAIL.
1t Is certainly not the view of the Ameri-
can people They hold reason and justice In
respect before all other things. They know
that the honor and credit of this country are
not to be advanced by the counsels OF anger
= or mere impatence, or by men who would
pIejudge controversy before they nave
heard both sides. There is in matters OF
reason and justice no such thing as an Amer
lean side or an English Side They do not
depend on nationality or on latitude and
longitude. | hold ii certain that the Amerl-
can people will conduct this controversy II
controversy there must be, with regard first
of all to reason and justice, and to the dig
. nity and honor of the republic. If anybody
would have 1t determined on any other
grounds let him say so, and he will soon
see how the American people regard appeals
to mere passion or prejudice in a matter
which affects both the interests and the good
faith of the country and the government
IL is DdlUlul ~ nave W abu tHat III "H'i HaS
rejected, or is reported to have rejected,
England's proposal for arbitration about
Trinidad. What are we going to do about
that? Does the Monroe doctrine apply? And,
by the way, how is 1t that President Cleve-
land has contrived to read into the Monroe
doctrine the other and totally different and
probably inconsistent and irreconcilabe doc
trne Of arbitration?
SIMPLY A SIDE ISSUE.
The presence OF Said Pasha in the British
embassy at Constantlnople affords an inter
esting Illustration Of the way in which side |
issues suddenly occur In great international
controversy. The British embassy is British \
soil for some purposes but not for all. The |
right of asylum is what Said Pasha has In |
yoked. II It were Paris or Berlin, such an /
incident could hardly occur, but in Constanti- |
nople anything may occur. Said's life is in |
danger, that is why he takes refuge under |
, the union Jack. Sir Philip Currle WAS un-
! Equestionably right In receiving him. He
could not refuse hospitality to an eminent
statesman who came to him in peril. The
real point is whether he has in strictness OF
International law or Of diplomatic usage the
right TO protect him when the sultan de-
mands his surrender. Probably not. but
there are emergencies When strltt ldN anu
diplomacy have to yield 10 honor and gener-
''osity and national pride. To surrender Said
would bs to send him to certain death The
British ambassador who did that would not.l
be ambassador long, and the prime minister
who consented TO II would have stera
reckoning with the people of Great Dr,lain.
Lord Salisbury commented the other day
on the difficulties of the sultan growing out
Al, A., h-l
eot reforms, supposlng he wanted them ear.
rel out. There were such men twenty ygars
Rgo, what has become Of them? Well Abdul
Hsmld has been on the throne just about
'tw'ny years, aud Il is during his reign that
.hese good and able Turks have disappg arsd
Exile or death has been their lot. Said
h the last Of them-the one Turk whom
nen think honest and capable. His present