The Scranton tribune. [volume] (Scranton, Pa.) 1891-1910, 1895-12-19
Great Britain Will Yield.

ter at Washington, Sir Julian Paunce-
fote. has kept his government informed
as to the manner in which the Ameri.
can congress and people have received
President Cleveland's message. This II.
assumed because. in the first place. 1t
is part of Sir Julian's duty to do SO;
and secondly, because an attache of the
British Legation on Tuesday, hearing
that the reading of the message in the
senate melted extraordinary applause,
was promptly despatched to the house,
personally to report to his superior Off
Ger upon the documents reception by
the popular branch of congress.
If, then. Sir Julian has already in
formed or will yet inform Lord
Salisbury Of the scene yesterday
in the house of representatives,
when a congress three-fourths
of whose membership differs in
party from the president passed with
out debate and by unanimous consent
bill appropriating 100000 for the ex.
penscs of Venezuelan commission. as
requested in the executives message ii
may be that the British premier will be
Influenced to pause before risking the
consequences of direct conflict in
preference to submitting a suspicious
territorial claim to honest and impair
tial arbitration. In Englands case. the
only loss within sight, in case the pres
ent position of her majesty's govern
ment is abandoned, is that of q few
thousand square miles of stolen terri
purloined within twcnty-four hours in
some other portion of the habitable
globe where theft of land is less liable
to excite criticism than in the American
hemisphere. In the case of the United
States, however. the point at issue is a
vital and an indispensable national prin-
ciple. the loss of which would involve
the possible loss of every advantage
won on the American continent by more
than century of patient toll and strug-
gle to develop the art of self govern
ment.
1t ought by this time to be apparent
to every observant official of the Brit
ish government that the loyalty of the
American people to the Monroe doctrine
is not simply the effervescent fervor of
artifcially stimulated prejudice, but a
deep-seated conviction, resting upon the
very foundations of their civic spirit and
their patriotic pride. To weigh against
such a loyalty, which is as ready, If need
be, to fight as to talk in defense of the
jeaporded principle, a few paltry square
leagues of stolen South American soil,
of direct value only to the British
squatters who have encroached upon it,
would be. not craftsmanship, not diplo-
macy. not even plain common sense, but
just stupid obstinacy. The reputation
of British diplomatists is not for stu
macy. The precedents all go to show
that Britain is obstinate only when the
victim of her aggression is weak; she
has rarely made the mistake of pro-
longing such a characteristic in the face
of an adversary of her own size.
For these reasons, if for no more cred
liable ones. we do not anprehend that
the present International difference VIII
eyentuate into armed strife and blood
shed. The teaching of the past is that
England will yield the moment she per-
ceives that the alternative is serious
trouble. In the present state of Ameri-
can sentiment it would manifestly be
unwise for Lord Salisbury to maintain
an infiexible attitude. He may brag,
he may sneer. he may whine or -.e may
bluster: bu. in the end he will have 10
fall back. This is a point upon Wnich
the American people to a man are tnor-
oughly and unalterably determined
And If England desires to refresh us
memory as to the Dotentiality or such
a determination, let It do so by reading
a few cha pters of early Anglo-Ameri-
can history.