The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1895-05-28


1884 President Arthur. who had taken him
storing him 10 the bench at the close OF ms
service. by, appointing him TO succeed Judge
Drummond.
HE EMBRACES DEMOCRACY.
In 1883 Judge Gresham was made a prom
inent candidate for the Republican nominal
tion for the presidency at the Chicago con-
vention. His liberal views on the tariff
created against him the antagnoism of the
extremeA protectionists at Chicago. Judge
Gresham, with other Republicans, openly
dissented from the Mckinley law and i'm
1892 after the nomination OF Mr.. Cleve-
land by the Democrats. he renounced his
allegiance to the Republican party and ad-
vocated Mr.. Cleveland's election. After Mr..
Cleveland was elected, in February. 1893.
he summoned Judge Gresham TO Lake
wood, \. j.. where. after consultation.
ne rendered him the position of premier
of the Cabinet he was forming. Judge
Gresham assumed the duties of Secretary
of State on March Z, 1885,
During his short term as Postmaster
general Gresham accomplished much. Let
ter postage to Canada was reduced and the
postal convention with Mexico was signed.
Another important service he rendered TO
the country was the re-establishment OF
the fast mails.
AS Secretary of State in the present ad-
miniStration Mr.. Gresham has had to deal
with perhaps more vexatious intricate and
delicate diplomatic affairs than has fallen
to the share of most Secretaries of State.
strong individuality which was part of the
man. Perhaps from his long judicial 'ex-
perence he was disposed to view every
question from the standpoint of exact and
equal justice. To him il made little differ
ence how any line of action promised TO
AFFECT his own country, he could and did
disabuse his mind OF any personal feeling
In dealing with international question,
and the first consideration with him was
always fairness: If his own country occu-
pied false position in the matter. ne
thought 1T was his duty to set ii right.
even at sacrifice of material interests
as IL might appear at the time. Secretary
Gresham found much to dissatisfy him with
the state of our foreign relations when
time ana n h;s cre this shon he est
TO work TO shane these to meet his own
ideas without delay. Such a course was GER
he fully realized this in advance. but was
I'm no respect deferred from doing what he
thought was right This brought him face
at that time. the annexation of Hawaii. He
had decided views upon this matter. even
before he came into the Cabinet. and II
was upon his recommendation that President
Cleveland performed almost his first cfIicial
action by withdrawing from the Senate.
negotiated by Secretary i'os-ar Thel air.
Blount was sent to the island republic to
make an original investigation. and upon
his report the Secretary made his now cele-
brated recommendation that the Queen be
restored, inasmuch as she had been deposed
fnr1ugh ,,S she, the ac1n % OF the oIfeers OF the
known its views the Secretary accepted
them for his government, but ii cannot be
of his that he ever changed his view as
originally announced to the Justice of the
action he had proposed.
BERING SEA NEGOTIATIONS.
While he was deep in the Hawaiian ne
gotoations, Secretary Gresham was obliged
suddenly to give immediate attention TO the
subject of the Bering sea fisheries. The ar
bitration arranged by his predecessor was
in full swing. Here was another matter
with which he was not in harmony. He did
not believe that the arbitration would be
successful in the object aimed at by the
United States-namely, the protection of the
seals but regardless Of the outcome, he
was forced to bring the British government
to a renewal of the modus vivendi or quick
action to carry out the award when ii was
announced in order to guard against the
annihilation of the seals. The British were
unwilling to do the first of these
.hnSS enbSo0 and oq ali Of Wss fba sfenstn o4y by bs
character and purposes that he succeeded
in hurrying through the British Parliament
and then securing the adoption of regula-
tions 10 keep off the poachers.
BY a clause in the Wilson tariff act
Congress had swept away in a line all OF
the carefully constructed reciprocity treaties
negotiated by the preceding administration
This caused great anger among the ma
tions with which the United States had
such treaties. and the storm fell upon Sec
retary Gresham's head. Everywhere there
was talk of retaliation and tariff wars
and in some cases this realized to a
certain extent. 1t was Mr. Greshams task
to placate the European powers. and how
skllfuly he did so the printed correspond
ence tells. He fairly amazed the Germans
and Austrians, used as they were 10 the
devious ways of diplomacy by frankly ad-
hitting that they were right in claiming
a remission of the differential duties upon
beet sugars. that justice seemed to re-
qure this remission and that he would do
all that could be done to bring Congress
to see this and make reparation, promise
he faithfully endeavored to redeem to the
last. and thereby greatly strengthened his
looking to the removal of the unjust and
onerous restrictions placed upon the im-
portation Of American cattle and meats.
Mr.. Gresham found ',' Very i, little to his liking
was the necessity for caring for the Samoan
King. held imprisoned on the Sunday islands
by the Germans. He wanted to repudiate
the whole arrangement by which the United
States assumed a part OF the tri-partite pro-
tectorate over Samoa; and ne worked hard
ing President Cleveland to recommend TO
Congress that the United States withdraw
from all further participation in Samoan af-
fairs.
Then. on the constructive side of the Dip
lomacy. Mr.. Gresham had much to his
could do properly to prevent the late Chino
Japanese. war: lost no opportunity at any
stage to bring it to an end, and ultimately,
when peace was restored. Ii was through
the good Offices Of the American ministers
in China and Japan. acting under Secre-
tary Greshams instructions, that the peace
negotiations were initiated. All this was
DONE too, in a manner that made il clear
to the world that the United States was
acting absolutely without self-interest and
from motives of humanity, notwithstanding
the temptations held out by some of the
great European powers to act jointly with
them from less worthy motives that might
have brought a self-return. And while he
was doing this Secretary Gresham was also
using his good Offices to prevent war be-
tween Mexico and Guatemala, both full of
fighting spirit and difficult of restraint. and
in this he succeeded completely, though he
tions to do so. While the amount of money
involved was Insignificant in the
case of the claims of United
States citizens against Venezuela Secre-
tary Gresham managed through joint
commission TO secure a judicial annuncia-
tion of a doctrine that is OF the greatest i'm
portance to the civnized world. namely
that the government OF country is respon-
sible for the abuse or ill-treatment or. for
by insurgents.
THREE INCIDENTS.
But the Anericanism of the Secretary
was shown In its brightest light in three
incidents that occurred during his admin
istration and the fact that in two of the
three he had to contend with great powers
indicates that he made no distinction when