The Jersey City news. (Jersey City [N.J.]) 1889-1906, 1895-12-20
President Cleveland and the 0fch
Eyu@yyuEnp

1T was a dreadful mistake on the part
of President Cleveland to acquire the ap-
proval of all the rest Of the American
Continent and forfeit the countenance OF
Larry Godkin of the Post" and the class
of commercial patriots of whom ne Is the
hero and chief. The late George Willlam
Curtis left behind him to this country
one evil legacy. 1t was the doctrine OF
peace, the conception that war was IN
consistent with our civilization ana
that we were destined to rcll through
the ages in a kind of milk ard honey
state of bsatitie barter, gradually selling
off our ships. beating our guns into
~plcughshares and disbanding our army
and navy, setting the men to struggle
with the giebe and skim over the main
fer dollars and cents and idyllic progress,
CT course.
George William Curtis was better than
his IDEAS, however. Somewhere behind
his cultured whiskers there was the heart
Of a man. He recognized that there was
a time to fght, and in spite of his sub
liaaated aspirations his voice was for wal
al the right time. Godkin, however, is
Curtis without his redeeming qualities.
He is a serdid commercial sneak laid
ever with q veneer of Intellectual and
ucrai affectation. He is, on the whole,
the most unlikable man now before the
public, not excepting Benjamin Harrison.
Whether he is scolding Tammany. preach
ing morals to Congress or trying to bribe
a policeman, one feels instinctively that
he is q sham and a hunbug, a fantasti-
cally epscene creation of overbred scruples
of conscience.
Ever since President Cleveland sent his
message to Congress-, Godkin has been
lavish of the most i~rsolent abuse. 1t is
e third term dodge, it is a bluff, it is a
political trick. it is &. sorry joke. it is
cTsnainany rash and insensate.
At the same time. every umbe Of
the 'Bost"-yes, ever of the Post
though it garbles the news more or less
serioasly-shows that the President has
done precisely what nine-tenths of the
people wished him to do, precisely what
the other American Republics expected
him to do, and precisely what England
did not expect and did not want him to
do
Godkin represents with wonderful COM
pIeteness the British idea of America, a
nation too rich, too lazy and too much
occupied with internal politics to fight.
This has been the source of British
courage in dealing with US. We have
0O344C ~ I4QCA lIOl1 obAOA
under Republican administrations, we
have suffered such ~decadence in our war
like force that they have come to look
upon US as a nation that could be bullied
successfully, and insu1ted with impunity.
Our moderation in the Corinto affair
though no more thar the exact circum-
stances called for-has contributed to
this opinion, and England no doubt en-
tered upon the Venezuela controversy
with the fixed idea that we would cut
no figure in it.
In spite of Mr.. Godkin and the Post"
in spite even Of the Weakened element
in the New York Chamber of Commerce
this false idea of our s~upineness must
already be pretty well dispened
if Great Britain's agents here
send anything like %thruthful re-
ports to the Imperial Ministry. The
complete disappearance of all partisan
considerations must be a staggering blow
to the notion that our firm position was
a mere political trick; the almost unani-
Il0srs enthusiasm of the press and the
almost feverish endorsement given by the
people to the war movement must have,
set at rest the notion that our fighting
quality had deteriorated in any degree
since 1872.
The Post" takes up tine advanced posi-
tfon that England is entirely right in
its contention in the dispute with vene-
zuela. We half inclined to think
the Post may be right. Lord Sails
bury certainly makes out a very strong
case in his reply to Mr.. Olney's letter,
a stronger case than Mr.. Olney's. But
the merits of the controversy are not ex-
actly involved in the Immediate situa-
ton. The President has not demanded
that Britain shah cede the territory to
Venezuela. The note of Mr.. Olney was
designed to show that SO strong a case
was advanced by Venezuela that it was
desirable to submit the issue to impair
tfan arbitrators for settlement. This is
what England has refused to do.
Then. says the President to Congress,
Venezuela seem to. have much color for
her claim to this territory. II she is
right, it is our duty to support her, in
accordance with the Monroe doctrine.
But England Xxi OFT so good a case
that we had better make sure before we
act, for, of course, if England's claim
is valid, the Monroe doctrine does not
apply and we nave no right to interfere
in the quarrel. Therefore. let us appoint
skilled men to look into the whole sub
5ect and advise us as to who is right
in the original controversy and where
our duty lies.
It seems as if nothing could be more
logical, more temperate. more conserva-
tive than this.
Mr.. GODKIN urges that the inquiry
be not confined to our State Department.
but that the Spanish and Dutch records
also be searched.
In this, Mr.. Godkin Is most right. BY
adj means. let the inquiry be as Thorough
as England will permit us TO make It.
IN all probability, however, England
win forestall us by arranging directly
with Venezuela for arbitration. She will
find some loophole to creep out OF. Eng
land wants war far less than we do. can
stand it far worse, and. In all essentials,
is far worse prepared for it. The way
is open for us to do her infinite harm
almost ins~tantaneously. 1t is not easy
to see how she can do us any material
harm. We hold her Canadian possessions
In the hollow of our hand, and the talk
of her -bombarding or taking any of our
great cities is, after all. mere bluff. We