The times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1890-1903, 1895-12-27
AN AUTHORITY on THE SUBJECT.

m AUTHORITY IN The 81 SJEtI.
The Commercial and Financial Chron-
icle. OF New York. says.
In our view, President cleveland's
message to Congress on the Venezuelan
question must be considered in every way
unfortunate. When the people Of the
United states are asked % assume
course which is but one degree removed
from a declaration of war, the warrant
for the step sholld at least be clear
and unmi5takable In this case, we
are unable 20 persuade ourselves that
the right IS intdsputaby on our side.
The weak point. apparently in Great
Hritain's case is that SIC refuses to sub
nit the whole question AT issue to ar
hitratiOn. But the action Of the United
States rendered acquiescence on the part
OF the British Government difficult, for
our request for arbitration was coupled
by an implied threat that i'm the event
OF refusal 10 arbitrate. we would not
allow her 30 hold any Of the territory
in dispute between her and Venezuela.
Could we rightly expect that such ma
ton as Geat Britain would consent 10
arbitiate under these conditions? Then.
also. the language ia Secretary Olneys
letter was not OF "A character We ere
accustomed 10 see IN diplomatic papers.
There are many passages in IL that are
clearly not I'm accord with the require
monis OF international comfy. In fact,
is not the whole tone Of the letter
more or less offensive, and calculated 10
provoke hostility. instead Of securing
friendly compliance with our views?
I'VE must confess, too. that the Mon
roe doctrine. whose aid the President
is "a re-
under consideration. That doctrine was
meant TO prevent monarchica govern
ments from making further acquisitions
in our hemisphere. But this IS not a
question OF new acquisitions-it is simply
and s0ley a question Of title. Great
Britain is not contending for the an
nexation of new land she Is merely as
sorting her right 10 hold land 10 which
she thinks she has rghtiui ownership.
In no portion - the correspondence
with our Government does she seek 20
Justify possession on any ground except
that of ownership. n she were insist
ing on annexation regardless Of owner
ship. the case would be different. As II
is. il is difficult to ma sufnciont or ade-
quate cause for interference on the
part Of the United States. and especially
TO the extent Of threatening war unless
our demands arc complied with.
1T Is hardly necessary 10 say that the
state Of things to-day is very different
from that IN which the Monroe doctrine
was first announced. There is no holy
Alliance. no threatening combination OF
monarchical powers and influences. no
attempt or desire 10 set up foreign dy-
nasties on American soil. Nor are the
United States what they were in 1870.
1928. and lS25.'
M 1-...-...s., s~t..1,,s-.- ,,o ~
most staid and conservative journals
published in the world. Its editors UNI
derstand our institutions and their his
tory as well as any men in America
And yet this is the way they think OF
President Cleveland's action These gem
tlemen are as patriotic as Mr.. Cleveland
is. and would be as ready TO go 10 war
with Great Britain or any other power, as
he or any lingo in the land would he. n
any occasion for war existed. But they
are not politicians. and they look at TINS
Venezuela matter. therefore, just as II is.
and this is their judgment upon II. And
this is the judgment of every impartial
man we have met who has studied the
subject, though Grover Cleveland, who
in this meter has astonished and shock
ed an those who had iirmer faith IN
his wisdom and Richard Olney, whose
opinion upon such questions was not
much thought of in Boston before Mr..
Cleveland discovered him and put him
into his Cabinet, would have us believe
otherwise. That the American people
will soon think in just the way me
Chronicle THINKS we have no sort of
doubt.