The San Francisco call., 1895-12-22
However, the First Shock Is
Yet Rocking the British
Islands.
SEEK HONORABLE SETTLEMENT
But There Is No Element of Cow.
ardice in the Present
Attitude.
Copyright, 1895, by the New York Times.l


OF mind of London and of England at
large since Wednesday morning. 1t would
begin by the description of moral earth
quake, followed Immediately by the
blacklist and deasest sort of a mental fog.
The shock OF the former is still rocking
these islands, but the latter, by slow de-
grees. is clearing off. Enghshmen still
lind their perturbed nerves quivering auto
matically, but their minds are coming
under better control and they are already
revising or trying to forget some OF the
hasty things which they said in the first
stages of their confusion.
To give merely one illustration, l hear
men who on Thursday were all for she'll
ing New York within fortnight saving
tonight that after all England had unde-
MIA bly, got into bad habits in dealing with
smaller peoples, and perhaps some such
vigorous, rousing protest as President
Cleveland's was needed to waken Down
ing-street consciousness to the fact.
From this attitude it will be short step
to a general request for a statement of
how England, without undue loss of dig
nifty, can meet Americas wishes on this
Venezuelan matter, which nobody here
cares button about. This, believe, un-
reservedly, will be Englishmen's real
feeling week hence, although hot words
on both sides may obscure its expression
or even silence it altogether.
Unfortunately all England started
Wednesday morning with a profound mis-
apprehension of what was really involved
, and, for once, special correspondents in
New York helped to strengthen this delu-
sion. Englishmen have formed the rather
contenptuous habit OF supposing that
everything in America displeasing to them
originates IN the desire of our politicians
to pander to the Irish vote, and they
would have naturally jumped to this ex-
pIanatlon of the Presidents message had
the President been anybody but Cleveland.
In the present case their respect for his
character would have made them hesitate
but unhappily, they were told from all
sides in New York that this must not be
taken into account and that the whole epi-
sode was strictly referable to the exigen-
cies of American politics. Upon this point
there is a quaint thing to record Somehow
the City men got the idea that the Presi-
Dental election came next March and the
theory based on this that the whole furry
30 universal Wednesday that the markets
were scarcely affected that day. The
change of Thursday came when the word
was passed round that the elections were
not to occur until November.
As Englishmen in general have to un-
learn things and to comprehend that their
easy-going, half-informed notion about
American politicians twisting the lions
tail did not fit this particular case at all.
it has dawned on them here that the
matter is one in which the American
people are so profoundly in earnest that
everybody, if necessary, will shoulder a
musket TO defend it. They have come to
consider the matter respectfully and ask
to be shown an honorable way out of the
complication. There is no element OF
cowardice in this attitude, bear in mind;
they would fight any European nation
without any searchings Of conscience at
all, whether they were right or wrong, but
they do recognize that if the whole Amer
ican people stand out on a matter of prin-
ciple Englishmen must act on an equally
high plane.
Curiously, the news from the Continent
that the foreign press is pretty generally
denouncing the Monroe doctrine has an
actual tendency to dispose EngIishmen to
think that it must be a better doctrine
than they had supposed. This seeming
paradox is very illustrative of the Briton's
general state of mind. The very idea that
Frenchmen or Germans applaud and urge
him on in quarrel with Americans sug-
gests to him that he is foolish to be en-
gagged IN any such quarrel. These Cont
mental press opinions may not express in
full the attitude of the Continental Foreign
Offices. Perhaps in Paris the journalist is
closest in contact with diplomacy, or rather
exerts the largest influence on it. but there
as elsewhere they do not mind saying con-
Trajectory things for the sake of fun and
to disclose sportive enjoyment at an Anglo
American squabble rather than for a
serious policy.
1t is said here that the Marquis of Sails
bury has secured the general European
assent to the reputation of the Monroe
doctrine, and as theoretical expressions of
opinion there is nothing improbable in
this, but in practice IL is OF little value.
If the Continental powers saw profit in
it to themselves in any emergency of
they would not be restraised
for a moment by any such consideration.
And on the other hand the knowledge
that Salisbury had committed England to
European league against charter OF
immunity to the New World from the
miIitarism of the old, which Canning
helped Adams and Monroe to formulate,
would raise an overwhelming populaf
demonstration of wrath all over England.
Nothing can be gathered from the Rus
sian papers as to Russian intentions, but
the French politicians assume with GER
tainty that she will act in entire accord
with France.
I spent yesterday in the City, among the
bankers and brokers, who were getting
bulletins minute by minute OF the slaugh-
ter in American prices. l verified the
fact that the mischief began by cabled sell
ing orders from the New York bears, put
the heaviest share of the decline is ascrioeo
to the throwing over of long stock. ordl-
narily calm investors piled in their securl-
ties amid the general fright until no buy
ers could he found for anything. Inc
talk among these men was not OF physl-
90 xyor which auarrhodu oponfad I'M.