The times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1890-1903, 1895-12-11
THE NEUTRALITY-SUSPICIOUS. CASE.

The note Of Secretary Olney 10 Lord
Salisbury. of last June. supplemented by
Mr.. Cleveland's recent message, has I'M
doubleday placed this country IN very
serious situation as regards its rela-
tons with Great Britain. We have de-
manded demand" is the word used
that Great Britain snail arbtrate all
questions at issue between herself and
Venezuela, or else that she shall con-
fine her assertion of authority to the
territory that Venezuela comedies to be
hers Disguise the case TO ourselves as
we may. and cover it up with euphem-
isms as we please but mat Is the plain
English of it.
That England will do either upon our
demand" no sane man believes for one
moment. We are, therefore. IN posi-
ton which requires us to make gooo
our demand with force of arms, or 10
retract it, Humiliating as the latter
would be. we most. earnestly hope that
the common sense OF the country VIII
force Congress to make the retraction,
because the record puts Great Britain in
the right in her controversy with Nene-
zuela and Venezuela in the wrong, as
We viii now proceed to show.
The Fifueth Congress called upon the
President to furnish it all the docu-
ments relating to the controversy be-
tween those two countries, ana they are
contained in Executive Document, No.
22G of the Fiftieth Congress. first session.
When the documents are all boiled
down. they show this very simple case:
Spain discovered the continent OF South
America, and the whole continent be-
came. therefore. hers. If she chose TO
occupy il. by the well-settled principles
Of international law. But II she chose
TO stand by and see other nations settle
and occupy parts OF the continent, she
would in time lose her right to the parts
occupied and settled by those other
nations This is as wcll-settled interna-
tional law as any in the code OF nations
See Nattel's international Law. Book H.,
en- and oh. Il.
Spain actually settled Venezuela prior
10 1850, but the Dutch made settlements
about the same time IN Dutch Guiana,
and very soon thereafter made actual
settlements. in the territory now In dis
pute, between the Ornoco and the Esse-
qufoo rivers. Tho Dutch maintained
their settlements continuously IN that
territory from about 1859 to the time
when the English conquered the country
from them. near the end OF the last
century and succeeded to al Of their
rights. TIE Spanish made several et-
forts, between 1850 and 1900 TO drive the
Dutch out OF this territory. but they were
always repulsed, or the Dutch immedi-
ately returned, If temporarily unsuccess-
ful. ana the Dutch maintained their set
Elements throughout, and the English,
from the time they acquired the Dutch
rights. one hundred years ago, nave
equally maintained the same settlements.
So, that the territory in dispute mas never
been occupied by the Spanish or the
Nenezuelans at all, and II has been con
tinuously occupied by the Dutch. and
the English after them FOR more than
three hundred years Vattel says. in his
scription (title by possession and length
Of time. are founded In the law OF ma
ture. are equally a part or the law OF
nations. and ought 10 take place between
different States. SO far is the nature
of the subject from forming any excep-
ton tina. usucaption aid prescription are
much more necessarily used between SOW
eregn States than between ii'd:viduals.
Were it permitted 10 have con-
slant recourse to ancient times. there
are few sovereigns who would enjoy their
rights in security. anu there would be
10 peace 20 be hoped for on earth"
IT would be hard 70 find case to
which this language would apply with
greater force than TO the one under
consideration.
Tie Venezuelan case rests upon the
proposition that mere discovery of a
continent gives not only the right to