The Vermont watchman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1883-1911, 1895-05-22

tlal 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 poll
cies of that power which the telegraph
and greyhounds of the sea with and
without guns, armored and unarmoredD
have made our near neighbor.
neighbor who has recently complet d
on the island of st. Lucia, in the West
Indies, one of the strongest fortress
in the world, and has been careful not
to mention it, nor permit it to be de-
sciibed in print.
Against what power of the Old Woi d
is this fertilization to defend? WI at
feet is it supposed will rende zvous III.
der its guns, and against what nation l.
that feet to be sent? The fortress at
Nassau, off the Atlantic seaboard, has
been recently strengthened and greatly
added 10, and yet it served very well
during our war to protect the VIOLATE RS
of the blockade, and the ships OF war
that preyed upon our commerce found
refuge under its guns. There is for
LITIGATION of great strength at Halifsx,
on our northeast border, recently added
to and greatly strengthened On our
northwestern border, across the mar
row strait which separates Vancouver
from the state of Washington, immense
sums of money have been expended to
complete and equip fort at Esqui-
mault.
/ 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 English
speaking peoples comes, which is
favorite dream of good men, and which
is an actually sometimes-after dinner.
We are friendly powers, and the friend
ship should be real and lasting. II is
not, however, 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 fol-
lowed by vigorous prosecution OF a
war for conquest. AT the opening of
the Mexican war an alliance between
England and France was courted BY
Lord Liverpool through negotiations
with Guizot, the minister of LOUIS
Philippe, for the purpose of war upon
this country, ostensibly out of sym patti y
for Nc xico. Guizot was willing al d
the citizen king was willing, but Their
power was gone, and shortly after they
were fugitives from France and the
guests of England Then soon f. l.
lowed the slavery agita ion in the wol d
against this country, with Engla1
proudly leading as the champion Il
freedom and humanity, while her lit
ature and her agtnls famed the flame
Of sectonalism and egged on The c. H.
test from every VANTAGE ground. The
pc acefu eradication of slavery becam
impossible, snd war came and will it
the Struggle Tor national existence, he
upexamped sacrifice of life, the bone
and sinew of the republic, and of ! il
lions OF money. The sometime CHI nj
pion of the rights of men, the g. at
anti slavery agtator, humanitar an
England, was found on the side of
slavery. She intrigued with Fra ce
and Russia to intervene for the destruc-
ton of this nation, ard for the pelpet-
uation of slavery. She, more tina, all
other influences combined, ercoura ged
the South at last with false hopes TO
fight to the last gasp, 10 the destruction
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 do was done TO cripple and ruin
the nation that was fast becoming Eng
lands leading competitor for the trade
of the world, with power and wealth suffi-
cient to protect her interests anywhere
on the globe. France was deluded into
joining the alliance, and suffered for it,
as all English allies have suffered in
modern times. Russia nobly refused, and
placed her powerful fleet at the disposal
of President Lincoln. This put an end
to the proposed open attack upon us, but
5 we know that throughout the contest
our neighbor constantly engaged in
acts of war against US.
Is there sufficient reason, then, for
us to observe her movements closely ?
May we not mark this coincidence?
Since the beginning of the year the
, congress has passed an act, which was
signed by the president, expressing the
deep interest of the American people in
an American canal across the Amer
lean isthmus, which will be the high
way of mighty commerce between the
two oceans. simultaneously, we have
: had be most extraordinary claims and
, movements Of England in Nicaragua
We have, too, the covert suggestion
from her foreign Office that the Clayton.
: Bulwer treaty, long since treated AS
abrogated al our election, is still III
force.
But it seems to me that we should
not think of our own hemisphere aloi e
We are great nation of producers; e
need and must have open mark, Is
= throughout the world to maintain enc
increase our prosperity. We shoul /
= indeed, heed the warnings of The
fathers, of Washington, of Madison ol
Jefferson, and Monroe; but in needing
!, them we should weigh the conside ra
ton that conditions have almost
e changed the identity of people of from
T three 10 five millinns with sail cOmmu.