The San Francisco call., 1895-12-20

short, as he expects to sail from New York
on January 8.
He will not deliver any speeches or make
any engagements, and has no object in
view now but to return to England imne
diately.
Nothing interests me more. and,
might say Incidentally that nothing
amuses me more, at this tirle than the at
titude of Lord Salisbury and President
Cleveland" he said. while / do not for
a moment dream that two great nations
will ever go to war in these civilized times
over few thousand square miles of Vene-
zuelan swamp, still the situation teaches
many lessons and is attended with many
significant omens.
in the first place Lord Salisbury took
very remarkable position when he refused
to submit the Venezuelan trouble to arbi-
trat1on. 1t is an unprecedented thing to
do, and without warrant of international
law. l have the opinion that he did it
knowing OF Clevelands rather unpopular
standing at this time, and supposing that
the Republican Congress would not stand
by the Democratic President. In that he
was mistaken, and | have no doubt that
Lord Salisbury is the most surprised man
on earth at the turn events have taken.
sit is a surprise to me. Republican Con-
gress, Republican press and Republican
sentiment throughout the whole country
sustaining Democratic President.
''There is some little excuse, however,
for Lord Salisbury. If he really thought
that Cleveland's stand was taken for the
purposes of political campaigning then he
did right to boldly oppose it. Subsequent
events, however, have proved that on this
matter the American Nation is a unit and
Lord Salisbury is exactly where THE CALLS
cartoon placed him this morning-upa tree.
Of course Cleveland won't shoot, and Sails
bury does not want him to. No doubt
that everything will be arranged diplo-
matically and that no blood will be spilled
"ThIs unanimous feeling on the part of
this Nation forces another thought into
my mind that is interesting this great
country to-day. l refer to the political Or
ganizatlon known as the American Pro-
tective Association. ] am an Irishman
and feel as an 1rishman. Nomat.er where
[ may be am still an Irishman, and there
are millions like me scattered over this
world. Now, l fail to see the necessity in
country where so much religious freedom
exists as is to be found here for any such
organization. The Democratic party of
this country consists largely of Irishmen
and Catholics. but all | believe are loyal
Americans if they have taken the oath of
naturalization.
''Since viewing, the events of the past
four days, what do | see? A unanim-
ity that has surprised the world. Every
body in the United States has virtually
cried out that the Stars and Stripes must
not be trampled upon. There has not
been contrary opinion expressed either
by Irish Catholics or by the American
Protective Association. This being so,
and the National jealousy and pride being
SO manifest. it does not seem to me that
Protestants have any reason to fear Cath
nl RI in of
Protestants.
''In Australia, from which continent I
have just arrived, there was similar or
ganization to the A. p. A. twenty wears
ago and l noticed less of it this time than
l did then. In England within the past
two years the same spirit of opposition
between the two great faiths has become
more manifest, but although the feeling Is
stronger there is not to my knowledge any
organization pledged not to support
Catholics for public office. We Nation
alists find that we have our warmest sup
porter5 to-day in the districts where this
anti-Catholic spirit has been strongest. 1t
appears to me that the A. P A. is as
strongly pro-British as it is anti-Irish, and
in spite of the apparent unanimity shown
in this Venezuelan matter | believe that if
the A. 2. A. had declared itself it would
have been opposed to Cleveland's position
Il shall not speak here on any pretext at
all and shall hurry away as fast as pos
isble.
1.-THE Tories are, of course. in power, and
although the home rulers have not much
confidence in them they are going to make
US concessions. They will introduce a bill
giving Ireland more power in her county
governments and arrange for the carrying
out of large public works. These are given
us in the hope of winning over our con-
stituents, but think such hopes will be
blasted. When we get half we are apt to
ask for the other ten shillings on the
pound. Anyhow, | am anxious to get
home and get to work.