The Portland daily press., 1895-12-21

aafy dispute in which we baVe no lnPer-
esU apparent to her, we had approacheo'
hef national pride on the side OF our
clear rights and our obvious duty we
should not have provoked in the outset
hostlllty Which it was so much our inter
est and that of our Venezuelan clients TO
conclllate. Surprising our government in
nrIn, Dut guardedly courteous language
mad noulfed Great Britain that the Mon
roe docTflne not only assented to. but
suggested by former head of the British
government, binds us as we believe to Cer-
tain engagements towards the existing
American states with regard to. the in
tegrlty OF their territory which it seemed
dlshonorable to disregard. These engage
ments really pledge our good faith as
strongly to the maintenance of the integ-
rlty OF the British colonial possessions
on oiils cohtlhehO DIS TO those OF any 9th
or American state. TO know the extent
| OF the valid claims OF your own govern
mont SO wac AS they conflict with the
claims of Venezuela we submit whether
q commission or arbiters mutually chosen
by the lltigant powers settle that ques-
tion SO as also to settle the extent of the
engagements TO which our promuIgaoe led
policy fairly commits us.
BY conducting our diplomacy in quite
different temper we have now got Quite
beyond such recourse. But even with
| the Presidents plan of an ex parte COM
mission the way of peace and cu-opera-
| ton is not absolutely barred
Should the President select for the per-
sonnet of his commission ex- President
Harrison as the first member and it's
| chairman, such designation would bring
the proceedings within American usages
and precedents, and would open direct
comm unlcation between the body and
our ex ecutiye, who would define its
powers and limit the scope of it's investi-
CATION. If the second member should be
the President of the Mexican republic,
quainted With Spanish law and the his
tory of Spanish colonization in America
Its sessions might be in the City of Mexi-
| CO. The evidence to be examined being
historic and documentary there seems to
be,n1 occasion of provoking the hostility
| already threatened of the English coloni-
al authorities by intrnding upon the dis
lputed territory. We have no such interest
in having the land dispute settled in
favor of Venezuelan citizens rather than
English subjects, not to make the selec-
ton of James Bryce, M. P, for the last
member of tho commission an eminently
fit and proper one. He is master of
political science, an authority in history
and his hearty sympathy with the Anne
rican people and their political institu-
tions shows itself on every page of his
great work on the American Common
wealth. OF course the consent of these
eminent persons to serve on such COM
mission would have to be obtained
through our diplomatic representatives
After such a commission had been con-
stltuted, our government would notify
that of Great Britain and of Venezuela
of the fact and that it would Ia no way
forestall any negotiation these powers
might desire to prosecute to effect a
peaceable settlement of the pending boun-
dairy dispute, or to PREJUDICE or pejudice
the title of either the litigant powers,
but only to ascertain the facts pertinent
to just understanding of the validity
of the territorial claims respectively of
the two friendly powers, that the United
States government might act intelligently
and impartially in fulfilling whatever
engagements it's well-known policy of in
ternational action on the American CONT
nent had imposed upon it, The notice
would further recite, that it would great
ly aid the President and the government
he represents in the punctual fulflment
of the engagements to which their honor
is pledged, If the authorities represent
ing the litigant governments will frankly
| lay before the commission all the facts
and documents upon which their claims
| of title are based, with such arguments
| as may be offered in their support
! After such notification such commits
| sion would virtually decide the CON
| troversy. If it should find the title in
| Great Britain by taking rs out of the
complication. If it found for Vene-
zuela, even though. Great Britain refused
to appear before it and it was compelled
| to proceed ex parte by turning.to our
side the support of the disinberested gov
| ernments Of the world, and the enth usi
| astic and unanimous support of our own
people in every measure of redress that
would then he justifable.
G. r. TALBOT.