Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1895-05-31
Great Britain's Fbreign Policy.

r =
What IL Is and what Lt Means---a
I Prominent Dem ocrot's Ringing speech
ON this Subject.
Don NJ. Dickinson of Detroit, Mich,
who was postmaster-general under Cleve-
lands first administration, made a speech
before the Loyal Legion in his home city
recently which has been widely commented
on because the views expressed were de-
cided "bracer' as compared with the pre-
valing spirit of the foreign policy of the
present administration. Mr.. Dickinson
sharply outlined the long-continued and
invariable policy of Great Britain in sez-
ing and holding every point of advantage
open to her in every part of the world, in
protecting and advancing British interests
at whatever cost, in driving sharp bar
gains with strong nations and in crowding
weaker ones to the wall
His general summing up of England's
record in this respect was in these words:
"Her unvaryng policy is first. and last,
and always, to advance British interests and
retain British supremacy, to retain and add
to British wealth. Her purposes are ma
terial. These ends served, civilization,
Christianity, humanity, the general well
fare of the race, generosity and all the vr-
tues, may come and receive encouragement
and promotion at her hands, but never at
the expense, never in the way of, and al
ways subordnated to the material policy
have stated Whoever gets in the way
of that is the enemy of England, and will
be so treated, whether it be the United
States, as a great commercial rival who
may be intrigued against and encroached
upon and even crippled in some time of
her distress or when off guard, or tribe of
| black men in Africa, in the way of her
colonization schemes, who may be safely
massacred with machine guns, as their
spear-men charge the invader with BRAY
cry not excelled by the knightly valor of
any age.
The corruption OF continental cabinets,
the treatment of Napoleon after his sur
| render, the acquisition and history of
India the shameful support of the Turk
in Europe to this day. the treatment of
Greece in her struggle for independence,
the cruel massacre of Afghan tribes, the
occupation of Egypt the ruthless slaughter
of blacks in Africa, the unspeakable treat
ment of ireland, and the chivalry of the
mighty toward the weak as eXempliied in
| Venezuela and Nicaragua, are few of the
subjects to be treated of and characterized
by the fair historian of the next century,
when he shall set down the facts of this
one, and record the impartial judgment of
enlightened men upon them.
"But they are subjects worth considering
now, because we should study well the
conditions surrounding our future, and
should know something of the character
and purposes, and policies of that power,
which the telegraph and greyhounds of the
sea with ard without guns, armored and
unarmored) have made our near neighbor.
A neighbor who has recently completed on
the island of St. Lucia, in the West Indies,
one of the strongest fortresses in the
world, and has been careful not to men
ton it, nor permit it to be described in
print.
against what power of the Old World
| is this fertilization to defend? What fleet
is it supposed will rendezvous under its
| guns, and against what nation is that fleet
to be sent?
1.-The fortress at Nassau off the Atlantic
seaboard, has been recently strengthened
and greatly added to- and yet it served
very well during our war to protect the
violators of the blockade, and the ships of
war that preyed upon our commerce found
refuge under its guns.
There is fortifcarion of great strength
at Halifax, on our northeast border, re-
Gently added to and greatly strengthened.
son our northwestern border, across the
narrow strait which separates Vancouver
from the state of Washington, immense
sums of money have been expended to COM
plete and equip fort at Esquimault.
81 refer to these things only in passing
to show something of our environment
These strong places may be for our de-
fence when that alliance of Englsh-speak-
ing peoples comes, which is a favorite
dream of good men, and which is an actu-
ality sometimes-after dinner. We are
friendly powers, and the friendship should
be real and lasting. 1t is not, however a
traditional friendship.
"Up to the close of the Mexican war
English statesmen spoke of the peace of
1915 with us as a disgrace to their ministry
that made it, 1t was matter of lament
in their literature that the burning of our
capitol and the arming of the Indians
against us was not followed by vigorous
prosecution of war for conquest.
When our Civil war came "the some
} time champion of the rights of men, the
great anti-slavery agitator, humanitarian
England, was found on the side OF slavery
she intrigued with france and Russia &c
intervene for the destruction of this nation,
and for the perpetuatiOn of slavery. She
more than all other influences combined
encouraged the South at last with false
hopes to fight to the last gasp, to the de
struction of all her prosperity and wealth
"The usual ruthless policy of that ma
/ ton was maintained, and everything that
treachery and intrigue and money could dc
was done to cripple and ruin the nation
r that was fast becoming England's leading
competitor for the trade of the world, with
; power and wealth sufficient to protect hel
interest anywhere on the globe.
a "France was deluded into joining the al
lance, and suffered for it, as al! Englisl
! allies have suffered in modern times.
/ "Russia nobly refused, and placed hel
powerful fleet at the disposal of President
Lincoln.
"This put an end to the proposed Oper
attack upon us, but we know that through
! out the contest our neighbor constantly en-
gagged in acts of war against us.
= SIS there sufficient reason, then, for us t
observe her movements closely? May W.
not mark this coincidence? Since the be