The record-union., 1895-12-18
Commented Upon by Americans Only in
the Most Favorable Terms
PARTISANSHIP LAID ASIDE IN DIS
OUSSING THE MATTER.
''The Most Serious and Important
ted to Congress by Any President
for Many Years." Are the Words of
Senator Lodge [Rep.) of Massa-
chuSettS.

| WASHINGTON, Dec. 17.-Comment
ing on the Presidents message to-day,
Senator Lodge (Rep) of Massachusetts
said: This message is the most seri-
Gus and important message which has
been submitted by any President to
! Congress for many years AS a matter
of course 1 heartily approve of its spirit,
its conclusions and the general position
taken, for l took the same ground my
self last June in an article in the North
American Review, before public atten-
ton had been drawn to the matter at
all, and again in an interview which
gave to the correspondent of New
/ York paper last October in Paris.
THE President argues briefly the
standing of the Monroe doctrine as a
matter of international law. l do not
myself think that it is a question OF in
ternational law at all. 1t is really
mere question of fact, like the indepen-
dence of the United States. The Presl-
| dent seems also to have gone TO the
very verge of safety in stating that we
! should assent to any amicable agree
ment between Venezuela and Great
Britain as TO boundaries. We undoubt-
edly should do so in this instance, but
we should equally of course not assent
to indefinite cessions of territory by
any South American State to Euro
| pean Power For example, any attempt
| of Great Britain to take possession OF
| Cuba under a cession from Spain,
which the morning papers state IS IN
! contemplation, would be regarded by
the United States as an act or war. Inc
| President, however, has, L think,
/ IL
frcm being drawn into precedent py
the use of the word boundaries.
But these are small points, compar-
atively speaking. The main contention
of the message is thoroughly sound ana
will meet with universal support That
| is the contention that Great Britain on
the pretext of boundary dispute mas
| seized American territory, Whlch She
! did not hold prior to 1873; that she mas
declined to submit the question to ar
bitration, and thus proposes to hold the
disputed territory by force. This be-
ing the case, as the President States
! there is nothing for the United States
| TO do under these circumstances Dul 10
| determine the true divisional hne De
! tween Venezuela and Guiana, ana lheh
resist by all means in her power any at
tempt of the British to take territory
! beyond that line. This is sound Amer
lean position.
Il do not myself believe that the Eng
| Iish neOple have the least desire TO en-
gage in hostilities with the United
! States. They care but little, and know
less. about the Venezuelan dispute;
! they do not realize that, while II Is
mere question of more or less territory
to England, it involves for the United
States a principle as vital almost 10
their rights and interests as nation as
their own independence. Ambitious
politicians in England, eager for per
sonal political reasons to distinguish
themselves by a vigorous foreign pup
lic-spirited colonial policy, have under
taken to push and browbeat the United
States until they have brought the two
countries nearly to the verge of war.
1T is to be hoped that the President S
message will make the English people
| understand that this is to us vital
question; that we are wholly content 10
leave it to arbitration, but that If arbl-
tration is declined, we shall resist this
aggression to the utmost, and that al
though we do not seek war, we do not
fear it."
Mr.. Brice Dem) of Ohio: THE idea
| of appointing a commission suggests a
long continuance of the discussion.
Commissions drawing a per diem do
not conclude their labors speedily, and
no one can tell when this commission
Mr.. German Dem.) of Maryland: ''It
is a very thorough, emphatic and strong
American message. 1t looks very much
as if the President intended to enforce
the Monroe doctrine"
Mr.. Pugh (Dem.) of Alabama: "On
this matter Democrats and Republicans
come together with one accord l am
for war and free coinage. The mes
sage certainly indicates that there will
be war, unless England backs down"
Mr.. Call Oem) of Florida: 1T is ex-
cellent, splendid. The matter is still
open to arbitration, and 1 am sure Eng
land will finally consent"
Mr.. Villas (Dem) of Wisconsin: II
look upon it as a strong and able paper,
one that will rank with any State paper
issued by any Administration
voorhees, Dem) of Indiana-I in
dorse every word of the message. 1t
strikes the right key, and will meet
with sympathetic response in the
heart of every American
The following comments on the mes
sage shows the feeling of House mem
bers:
Livingston of Georgia, who has been
conspicuous in his championship of
Venezuela, found much to commend
in the message. He said: "CleVeland's S
message is clear-cut American. He dis
.tinctly recognizes the Monroe doctrine
in all its length and breadth, and as
specially applicable in the dispute now
pending between Great Britain and
Venezuela He declares emphatically
for resistance against British oppres-
sion, and like the man he is against
further delay and further appeals for
arbitration. His message will find a
warm response in the hearts of all
Americans"
Representative Sherman RepO of
New York said: The message has to it
all American ring that is as gratifying
as it has been unusual during this Adj
ministration. i am glad to commend
it without qualification"
Representative Quigg (Rep) of New
York-President Cleveland's message
is admirable in every respect. / shall
vote for the commission he proposes.
The President has met his duty in a
manner which is at once dignifed
equitable and complete, and the senti-
ment of the all parties and of the whole
country will indorse his position heart
lily"
Grosvenor (Rep) of Ohio: The mes
sage is a strong, clean-cut demand for
the observance and defense of the Mon
roe doctrine, and in the light of the dis
patches from the British Government.
i. is only a little short of a declaration
OF war, unless England recedes or seeks
further diplomacy. The position taken
by the President is. at first glance, a
step in advance of our official declara-
tions of our country. IL the attitude OF
England as announced is the ulti-
matum, then the message is a menace
of war IT may be said in friendly
criticism of the message that it has pos
sibly gone just a shade too far in this
direction, and apparently the President