Alexandria gazette. [volume] (Alexandria, D.C.) 1834-1974, 1895-12-24
War in washington--A Rash Presi-
Folly Of 1t AIl---Duty of Good Citi-

War in Washington---A Rash Presi-
dent and ervile Congress---The
Folly Of 1t A1l---Duty of Good Citi-
zens.
To the Editor of the Alexandria Gazette.
1t is great satisfaction to the more
thoughtful and conservative of your
readers that the GAZETTE has not, like
SO many of its contemporaries, lost its
head in the crisis recently forced upon
the country by the Presidents message
of the 18th inst. to Congress on the
Venezuelan boundary question. Signs
of reaction among the newspapers, as
among the people, are, it is true, al
ready visible, and not few of the most
Influential journals have from the first
resisted the wave of madness that has
swamped the majority, yet the situation
is serious enough to excite the gravest
solicitude, and calm discussion was
never more important.
To one short week what has come to
pass? This great country of ours has
been lashed into an excitement such as
no foreign concern for generations has
created, all values are deranged and
hundreds of millions of dollars have
been lost by the decline in stocks alone,
q. S. securities in foreign lands are be-
ing thrown upon the market, the gold
reserve is rapidly shrinking with slight
prospect of replenishment, and the en-
tire financial situation hopelessly en-
bsrrassed. All this in consequences of
a message to Congress-prepared by
the President in single night-in ref
erence to disputed boundary line be-
tween British Guiana and the Republic
of Venezuela, three thousand miles
away.
The story in its details is long one,
yet it may be briefly recited. During
large part of this century Great Britain
and Venezuela have been at variance
as to the limits of their respective pos
sessions in South America, the weaker
power insisting that the stronger wants
more than what is right, and the
stronger denying it. This state of af-
fairs having reached an acute stage,
the United States recently proposed to
Eogland to submit the boundary in dis
quite to arbitration, and England
respectfully declined, intimating that
she wants nothing but that to
which she is fairly entitled
and that so much she intends to
have. This answer was conveyed in o
dignifed and able communication of
the premier in reply to one in the high.
est degree arrogant, if not offensive, OF
our Secretary of State. Upon receipt
of Lord Salisbury's response, the Presi-
dent sends n message to Congress, &C
companied by the documents above
mentioned, recapitulating the case, and
declaring that, as England will not sub
NIT the boundary to arbitration, we
must appoint a commission of our own
to ascertain it, and, when the report OF
such commission is made, if England
will not accept it, we must go to war.
The words of the message: when
such report is made and accepted, it
will, in my opinion, be the duty of the
United States to resist by every means
in its power, as wilful aggression
upon its rights and interests, the appro.
priation by Great Britain of any lands,
or the exercise of governmental jurisdic-
ton over any territory which, after in
vestigation, we have determined Of
right belonging to Venezuela
The suggestion that such commits
sion should be provided was promptly
accepted by Congress, and the appro-
priation passed both houses mem con-
not, we are sure, unanimously, as %
ported. There was not found in either
house single man honest and coura-
geous enough to enter protest against
such madness, or even protest against
such indecent taste in sanctionipg it.
A presidential campaign is only few
months ahead and neither party could
face the risk of offending the lingo vote.
The present limits do not permit a
review of Mr.. Olney's note or the Pres
ident's message, of the intolerable ex-
| travagance of the one or the criminal
folly of the other. Suffice it to say
that these two men, backed by SER
vile and silly Congress, are doing their
best to get the country into war with
the mig htiest nation of the earth about
question of boundaries in distant
continent with which we have nothing
on the face of the earth to do. Sup
pose this precious commission, on the
evidence they can command-neces-
sarily incomplete, since Great Britain
will of course not recognize them in
any way-reports a. boundary to which
England will not agree, as, most proba-
bly,, she will not, what thenP
Happily, as we believe, that issue
will never arise. Long before that time,
the back countries will have been
heard from, and our servants in Wash
ington will have learned that the
people have more sense than
to follow their absurd lead in
this matter. How our bellicose
chief magistrate will squirm out of the
scrape, or whether he will manage to
do it with honor, are points into which
it is unnecessary now to inquire. but it
will be- done; and then, if not sooner.
the people of the country will not for.
get to.reckon With him for the harm his
war scare has done. Meanwhile, let
every good citizen do his best to allay
such feeling in favor of war as may
exist about him, and especially to
demonstrate the enormous wickedness
of any upjustifable or unnecessary ap.
peal to arms.
The writer has been always hereto
fore warm supporter and admirer of
Mr.. Cleveland, and has thought him
the greatest of living statesmen. 1t is
with profound concern that he feels
compelled now to regard him DIFF