New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1895-12-24
CLEVELAND'S LUCE MISTAKE.
l.. Il. CIilTTENDEN SO CHARACTERIZEs THE AID
ILLUSTRATIONS VENEZUELAN POLICY.


this letter 1t does not conform to the public opin
ion OF the hour which II seems to be the mission
OF the press to follow where II ought to lead But
II within ninety days the sober second thought Of
the American people does not approve what have
here written | will humbly confess my failure
prophet and forever after hold my peace.
a weaxlnG devil may let sip the dogs OF war
when a giant cannot put them into leash. Wars
have always been fruitful of Calamity but never d1
they promise such harvest of destruction ard
And President with the calmness Of
summers morning. is blowing the b.ast of In
our ears and Of ruin to our prosperity Before
80 to over a strip OF morass on which "A per
cent OF the people annually die. and OF mountain
which anything human would starve in shorter
time ought to know that We have some interest
in the subject. That have in the swamp
and rocks is admitted. but they said to be
covered all over by the Monroe Doctrine" and to
save that we must go TO war.
Americans al. agreed that the Monroe Doc
trine must be respected, and that any nation that
transgresses II gives just cause of war. That
Doctrine demands respect for its intrinsic justice.
which no enlightened nation could afford TO dsre-
gard. We should be slow to impute purpose to
infringe II to Great Britain In recent times that
nation has not made for which her
statesmen did not believe would be he'd sufficient
by the impartial judgment OF the great nations.
Had Secretary Rayard acted when Lord Salisbury
told him this our warships would have stopped the
butchery and saved the seal herd. We made great
mistake tnrf. ana are IN danger OF repeating I
now. think al just men will agree that President
Cleveland ought TO have been of his proof be
fore he charged Great Britain with the purpose of
trampling the Monroe Doctrine under foot ana be
fore he disturbed the peace OF mankind by
sage which has brought ruin upon the commerce OF
country
The Monroe Doctrine comprises two propositions
that this Western Continent is no lonser a fed for
European colonization. and that Europe must not
attempt TO extend her poticai systems to control
the political conditions OF the American communities.
This all there is of IT, 1t is just and right. and
the United States will not permit il to be infrnged.
The extension of the boundaries OF an European
colony to embrace lands not within them in 1873
would infringe IT, But bound TO recognize
those boundaries OF 1929 and .ong the acts Of
Great Britain are within them have right
TO interfere. While Lord Salisbury denies that
Great Britain has committed herself to the Monroe
Doctrine, he also denies the imputed extension He.
therefore. denies that Great Britain has trans
crossed intends TO transgress the Monroe Doc
trine In any respect particular.
The issue is thus squarely made. We assert the
viola ton: England denies IT, The burden of afiirma
tive proof is upon by settled principles of the
law of evidence. Surely. such charge ought not 20
have been made implied unless the President
knew where 10 lay his hand upon the evidence to
prove It, There is such evidence. The Presi-
dest's message is plain confession that he does
not know where it is and he wants a commission
TO help him find it. This confession is not credltabe
10 American StdNSNanSnlD Inc Inpdrta. JUG
ment Of the tions will surely be that unless the
decisive proof was within our reach should not
have charged Great Britain with the crime OF seiz
ing without law right the territory of small
republic
1t would have been to our credit II Congress had
investigated before committing the country to the
support OF this charge But the act has been done.
Ii is now toe late recall, H. The Commission may
find the evidence, although the prospect is not prom
Using. II is more probable that way will be found
for out of the dilemma and that way Will be by
hacking out, which we have already trodder
once before much haste twis; the
tail of the British lion. We then had Mr.. Seward
and Lord Lyons TO help us let go of IT,. But the
instructive 1t occurred in November 1871 when on
tie co Of seeretsy Wes i The
thanks of Congress TO Captain Wilkes for taking
ss%er an the s 6gh ieS am ne sha be OF
we are from the present h w4 as
CSmpaini + also made BY the president that Lord
ton or individual would submit clear right to ar
calm 10 the Yosemite VALLEY and then propose to
us TO submit it T. arbitration we should reject her
doubt about our right, there was nothing TO arb-
traie . go =, 49, ..
turnity Of the Prime Minister this subject He
sS e Of not the ne that he
doubt. to be settled like any other open question
ton As to the lands within that line he civliy de-
clines proposal. He does just what we should
e cusve ely i es;abshed the scRombursk line We
should Therefore not be surprised II at the proper
The case may be fairly stated thus: Our right TO
British colony at all is in doubt. To remove that
doubt the President proposes commission OF Amer
the the United States This commission near and
decide ex parts without notice TO the parties d.
rs questions that present o 5hsm 6,m
nPe devise better pan. were tDt re-
sources of diplomacy all exhausted? Had negota-
ton, argument. all the usual methods OF determin-
ing open questions fallen into inocuous desueiude.
that the President was driven to me las, resort
of a plan which was certain to be offensive to me
party was desired to influence and TO secure ms
sition from which good could come. it was this
OF such commission ..- ..,,ou.. .,,,oa,
TO American patriotism is not favorable to the dis
passionate Of questions ions OF ngrEa
When il passes away our interest as well as our
sense justice will require US to admit admit that hd our
yolve new and very material extension !, Of the
daries The boundaries of European colony, on
this continent must be extended 80 as TO include
tory can be made field for European colonization
or Europe be said to have extended her p ohttl-
ZION Of any community upon ii. The burden Of proof
is the party c ShSh extsnson ' of Boundary has
been made or co1emPatvo by G IRE nd,p IL there
fore unanswerabe. ,..,. ou
our own interests require us to maintain a CON
able If we do IL is immateral whether II Is or ~
not accepted az q principle of inerna tionai law II
/. IL lust the nations will accept II. If we MAINTAIN
an extreme construction they VIII reject IT,
The injury which The Presidents rash ana unneGG-
sssary mossage has inflicted upon the country is al
most incalcuable. An ad vaorem West virginia
arr and the ranging OF our finances by empirical
ouacka which is 10 continue for more than a year,
Vii strain our credit to its utmost tension. Ana
now comes this message to postpone indennley the
re,urn of the country 10 its normal CONDITION OF
nrosperty under Republican rule. Congress cannot
r. for declining share the responsibility
ond for giving the President what he asked for /,
,hts xhoi. business is more than the huge mistake
~. ~ administration unrivaed for Titanic blum
~ i, is more than mistake. II IL is sin of
ignorance II il a crime; II sin with knowledge,
II deserves impeachment. - r,,,.,r,,.
New-York, December p. 1885.
ID rr