Martinsburg herald. [volume] (Martinsburg, W. Va.) 1881-1920, 1895-05-11
our PREsERvER. MEDINA.

land and Gresham, as follows;
There is always one standing atone
ment. one stock palliation. for the
curious blunders of this Administra-
ton. That is that they are nearly al
ways funny, almost invariably gro
tesque We have known no public
men with less developed sense Of
humor than Mr. Cleveland and Mr.
Gresham, but they get situations that
are absolutely mirth-compelling in
their topsy-turvy absurdity as the
most humorous imaginings of profes-
sionally humorous men. Mr.. Gilbert
never wrote thereto, for instance,
which contained more ridiculous in
cident than Minister Willis's COM
mission to restore Queen I.iliuokalani
without disturbing friendly relations
with the Governmental the Hawaiian
Republic. The transparent "diplo-
macy" Of the Mouterey's one step
forward and two steps back progress
down the Central American coast is
as precisely thing of comic opera as
anything that ever went on aboard
Sir Joseph Porter's Monterey, II. M.
S Pinafore.
And now comes the master stroke
of drollery. By the Administration $
absolute abdication of all rights and
duties connected with the foreign re-
lations of the Latin American repub-
lies the Administration has enabled
the mighty state of San Salvador, with
its standing army of 1000 men and
its population of 5000 whites and
500, 600 Indians, negroes and mestizos
to step forward as the protector OF
American rights. the arbiter of two
continents, the director of American
destinies, the preserver of our
canal and our doctrine and also
the inheritor of our influence in Latin
America. 1t is precisely like a scene
in comic opera when a gentleman
named Medina, whose name the
speaking trump of sounding fame
hasn't been heretofore tediously
busy with, pops up through trap,
salutes the audience, does a patter
song and, presto all is arranged.
Nicaragua will pay; San Salvador will
guarantee payment. The British
marines will be withdrawn The
British fleet will sail away. Mr. Med
ina is the Beaconsfeld, the Bismarck,
ofthe situation, with his Offenbachian
standing army Of 900 men behind
him, and Mr. Cleveland and Mr..
Gresham are content to do subsidiary
stunts i'll the chorus
OF course Mr.. Medina merely knew
his business and Mr.. Cleveland didn't.
lie judged the determined opposition
Of the Nicaraguan nation to a British
occupation had shown the British
that the cost Of the usurpation would
come too high He saw that the
time for good Offices had arrived. and,
being diplonatist Of patriotic motives,
or one. at least, who felt himself un.
der some obligation to earn his sala-
ry, he seized the opportunity OF rid
ding his country, our country and all
the states of this hemisphere Of a
grasping neighbor
OF course the arrangement hasn't
been carried out. The money hasn't
been paid. The marines haven't
been withdrawn, and the same issue
OF the morning papers that brings
news of the conference with Lord KIM
berley relates that Mr. Medina's prin-
cipal, the President of San Salvador.
has his Congress decidedly on his
hands.
But the very suggestion enables US
to thank the Administration for an
other droll situation. San Salvador
has been made the citadel OF Pan Amer
lean rights. the source Of American
policies. Mr.. Medina steps into the
shoes of Monroe which Mr.. Cleveland
has cast of. Let us forget what
sore national disgrace this Admins
tration has been in remembering what
IAN amoosin little cuss" it is.