The sun., 1895-01-20
Where and What Is the Positive As
surance?


The reports emanating from the State De-
partment can no longer be accepted with
confidence by Congress or the people, so far
as those reports consist Of Secretary GREsH-
ANS own inferences, statements, and gen.
civilizations. Either a too optimistic temper
ament or tortuous habit of ratiocination
has led Mr.. GRESHAM repeatedly to put an
unwarranted construction upon the facts
and documents which he communicates to
Congress by way Of the White House.
We showed the other day how audacious-
ly the real attitude of the Hawaiian Gov
ernment toward the British cable project
was misrepresented in Mr.. CLEvELAND's
special message on the subject
The officially published correspondence
upon the Bluefields incident affords another
illustration of Mr.. GREsHAM's unfortunate
tendency to overstate the case and to twist
comparatively unimportant circumstances
into great diplomatic victories for himself
ard Mr.. CLEVELAND.
In response to the Senate's call in Decem-
ber for the correspondence relating to the
Bluefelds affair, Mr. GRESHAM prepared a
report ON the subject, dated January 2.
The last paragraph of GREsHAM's report
contained an announcement which is pos
itively startling in its significance. If it be
true, it is one of the most momentous an
nouncements made by any Secretary of
State at any time during the past thirty
years:
"Great Britain, It is proper to say, has given this
Government the most positive assurance that she
right of sovereignty protection over the
T,h. hufnn fha nnfr rnFv
respects the full and paramount sovereignty OF the
Government Of Nicaragua"
This sweeping announcement that Great
Britain has suddenly abandoned the posi-
ton which has been one of the principal
sources of controversy between American
Cabinets and British Ministries ever since
the BULwER-CLAYToN treaty of nearly half
a century ago, is made by Secretary GREsH-
AM in the blithe, finland manner in which
he would announce that his three queens
beat two pairs, or that he had no further in
terest in the jackpot
Has Great Britain given to this Govern
ment "the most positive assurance" that
she asserts no longer any right of sovereign
ty or protection over the Mosquito Coast,
but, on the contrary, respects the full and
so, when and in what form were the as
surances given? Who spoke for Great
Britains Where is the official record of her
complete remuneration Of her inveterate and
persistent pretensions
Why, if Great Britain has surrendered
Internationally to GRESHAM and BAYARD,
the exact text Of her remuneration ought
to be sent to Congress printed in letters at
least three inches long The Importance of
the event would justify almost any amount
of typographical display.
We have searched long and earnestly
among the documents submitted to the
Senate by Mr. GRESHAM for any direct evil
dence that his most sensational and most
gratifying announcement of England's final
acceptance of the MONROE doctrine is true.
We find nothing conclusive in the officially
printed correspondence relating to the Blue
fields incident. What we do find is this:
On November 23, 1894, Lord KIMBERLEY,
In personal interview with Mr.. BAYARD, as
reported to Mr.. GRESHAM by Mr.. BAYARD,
repeated, with much emphasis, his desire
that it should be understood that he had no
other wish than to act in accord and with
the approval OF the United States in mat
ters concerning political control in Central
America"
Mr. BAYARD explained his own views
concerning the formal incorporation of the
Mosquito territory with Nicaragua. and
Lord KIMBERLEY, still according to Mr..
BAYARD, warmly seconded this view, and
expressed desire that It should be carried
out" In reporting this to GRESHAM,
BAYARD added that he was " satisfied Great
Britain had no insidious or unstated pur-
pose or designs in relation to Central
America"
After this, Mr.. GRESHAM heard from the
Nicaraguan Minister at Washington that the
British Mini ter to Nicaragua had sent for
a British man-ofwar. GRESHAM informed
BAYARD of this report. Lord KIMBERLEY
told Mr.. BAYARD in substance that what
Great Britain might do at Bluefelds would
be for the protection of British citizens and
British rights, and wholly apart and un-
connected with the Mosquito question
or the jurisdiction of Nicaragua"
BAYARD thereupon informed GRESHAM
that the purport of the statements
at the Foreign Office is an emphatic denial
of all reports or rumors indicating any in
tention or disposition on the part OF the
British Government to mingle in the local
political struggles and disorders in Nicara-
qua and the province of Mosquito"
Mr.. BAYARD Ieported to Lord KIMBERLEY
on December 30 the rumor that England
intended TO reinstate Chief CLARENCE, and
Lord KIMBERLEY replied; ~ am glad that
you enabled us to contradict the reports in
question, which have no foundation"
1t is Mr.. GREsHAM's own fault that the
country cannot accept without further evil
dence his announcement that England has
abandoned all claim to the right of interfer-
ence in Nicaragua, II she has given "posi-
tive assurance" where is it2 And lUhdt
positive assurances has DIR. GRESHAM giUen
90 Great Britain In Teturn5
English diplomacy has Rever been famous
for giving much for nothing
An IncorruptibIe Judge.