The sun., 1895-03-22
Who Was Outwitted, Mr.. Gresham or
Lord Kimberley?

Who Was Outwitted, Mr.. Gresham or
Lord Kimberley?
On Wednesday, the I'd of last January.
the Department OF State sounded blast OF
diplomatic triumph in the shape of report
from Mr.. GRESHAM to Mr.. CLEVELAND an
nouncing the settlement Of all troubles
with Great Britain over the Bluefields
affair. The report Of the Secretary was
transmitted by Mr.. CLEVELAND to Congress
on Thursday, Jan. 3. 1t was published to
the country on Friday, Jan. q, preceded by
the statement that 1.-THE Administration has
succeeded in practically settling one of the
most annoying Of international questions
that have perplexed this Government for
about fifty years"
1t was a proud moment for Mr.. CLEvE-
LAND and for Mr.. GRESHAM. The country
was glad to believe that they were right ::
that they had, in fact, succeeded in arrang
ing peaceably and satisfactorily that invet-
crate controversy with England over it's
pretensions to sovereignty on the Mosquito
Coast which has turned prematurely gray
the hair Of so many Of Mr.. GREsHAM's dis
tinguished predecessors in office. Mr.. WAL
TER z. GRESHAM, r novice in diplomacy. as
sisted at London by Mr.. BAYARD in his
gentle, friendly, Anglo pacific fashion, had
accomplished task which was beyond the
powers Of such statesmen as WEBSTER and
CLAYTON and MARCY and BLAINE.
Til. ,ratifying information came straight
from Mr.. BAYARD himself, and NJ. BAYARD
came straight from the private Office of
Lord KIMBERLEY. Our amiable Ambassa-
dor was filled chock full Of the sentiments
Of amity, uDselfshness. and disnterested
philanthropy which Lord KIMBERLEY had
poured into his ears. He came away from
Downing street walking as If on clouds,
and his head swimming with the sudden
consciousness of a precious diplomatic vic
tory, 80 great as to be almost beyond belief,
and so easily gained as to seem almost too
good to be true. But Lord KIMBERLEY's
gracious words were distinctly preserved in
his memory, and he hastened to communi-
cate them to Washington, and Mr. GRESHAM
thereupon hastened to communicate them
to the people Of the United States, with
this proud preface:
Great Britain, It is proper to say, has given this
Government the most positive assurance that she
sers right to sovereignty protection the ter
rto7y but on the contrary respects tho full and par.
amount sovereignty OF the Government OF Nicaragua"
The pretensions persistently asserted by
Great Britain for fifty years were, then, sud
denly and absolutely renounced under the
gentle pressure OF Mr.. BAYARD's suave
diplomacy: GRESHAM had accomplished
what neither WEBSTER nor MARCY could
do? He had outwitted Great Britain and
secured from that power an emphatic de-
nial of all reports or rumOrs of any DISPOSE
tion on the part of the British Government
to mingle in the local political struggles and
disorders in Nicaragua and the province
OF Mosquitia." We quote here from Mr..
BAYARD's despatch of Dec 22, 1894, to Mr..
GRESHAM. The British Government "are
we'll pleased with the prospect of having
CLARENCE and his fortunes eliminated from
their political responsibility. 1t was n con-
summation devoutly to be wished, and they
were glad to be free from the subject" We
quote from the same exultant despatch
from BAYARD to GRESHAM.
When statements from Nicaragua seemed
to throw shadow Of doubt upon the COM
peteness of Great Britain's abandonment
OF her traditional policy and inveterate pre-
tensions, and when GRESHAM asked BAYARD
how this was, the latter telegraphed prompt
ly and Indignantly:
IAN Intentions and reports OF regsrablishing CLAIR.
EscE at Blue elds denied absolutely at the Foreign
once. Sensational attempts are apparent to create
a misunderstanding and misrepresent the relations
and intentions OF the United States aud Great Britain
In connection with Nicaraguun affairs"
Again, in his despatch OF Nov Pa:
~ am satisfied Great Britain has nsidious or un-
and
together with the United States is best served by
condition OF absolute peace and order in tina region
uninierJsred tcifh ab erferiori."
All this was glory enough for one year;
perhaps glory enough for one Admnistra-
tion. Nevertheless, on the receipt OF the
astounding story of the ease with which
Messrs. GRESHAM and BAYARD had out
witted and hypnotized and mastered the
sharps of Downing street into utter subjec-
tion, THE Sun was impelled to remark on
Jan. 8: "Is this all the Secretary has to
offer in the way Of confirmation II so, we
had better wait while before we all throw
up our hats and rejoice loudly"
We have waited while, and we learn
from Washington that it is now feared
at the State Department #" that Mr.. BAYARD
has failed to arrange the Mosquito troubles
with the British Government in a manner
satisfactory to the United States" The
MONROE Doctrine Is threatened by the re-
ported intention of England to proceed to
drastic measures against Nicaragua, basing
her demands upon the old incident of the
expulsion of HATCH. The report that a Brit
ish war ship is on its way to Bluefelds to
enforce the depand for an indemnity for